Lecture 6: Cross Cultural Perspectives and Death and Grief

Question 1

What is the importance of Sociocultural context in relation to death?

Answer 1

The meaning of death and responses to death must be understood in a specific cultural context

Society and culture define death and dictate our response to it

Question 2

How do conceptions and definitions of death very across cultures?

Answer 2

Some cultures believe that death only happens once, with the spirit living on

Others believe that life is a cycle of perpetual reincarnation

Some believe the dead and the living co-exist and that the dead can influence the living

Question 3

What are the perspectives on death from Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism? For each religion, are the deceased buried, cremated or both?

Answer 3

Hinduism – When a person dies, the soul travels for some time to another world and returns again to the earth to continue its journey; deceased are cremated

Buddhism – People are reincarnated, status depends on previous life; deceased are cremated or buried.

Taoism – We are of the Tao (the way of the natural order of the universe) when we are alive and of the Tao when we die; deceased are buried or cremated.

Christianity – Those who do not follow Jesus will end up in Hell, while those who do will achieve salvation and end up in Heaven; deceased are buried or cremated

Islam – The present life is only a preparation for the next realm of existence; deceased are buried.

Judaism – Those who have lived a worthy life will be rewarded in the afterlife; deceased are buried.

Question 4

Briefly explain Indigenous beliefs of death?

Answer 4

First Nations, Inuit and Metis beliefs sometimes combine with Christian beliefs

It is believed that the deceased live on in the spirit world

It is also believed that the living can communicate with the dead VIA dreams and rituals, and that the deceased also visit the living

Question 5

What are some factors that can influence one’s belief in an afterlife?

Answer 5

Religious affiliation and church attendance are predictors of believe in an afterlife or heaven

NDE’s and post death sensory experiences can also increase one’s belief in an afterlife and in reincarnation

Question 6

How do beliefs in reincarnation vary across the world?

Answer 6

Mostly common in Eastern religions, however, popularity has grown in western society without the influence from eastern religions

Question 7

What do people generally tend to believe a potential life after death is like? (Dead-I)

Answer 7

People tend do perceive death as something that they observe

35% of people said it was impossible to imagine death as the absence of themselves
- Death as the continuation of self “dead-I”

Perceptual, emotional and epistemic experiences as well as desire were all commonly associated with the “dead-I”

• Simply; psychobiological and perceptual processes ceased while knowledge, emotion and desire stayed

Question 8

Explain intuitive dualism and dualistic thinking:

Answer 8

Intuitive dualism refers to the tendency for people to assume that there are different fates for our biological and psychological processes after death
- we find it very hard to imagine our mental processes ceasing at death

dualistic thinking may bbe more common in childre

Question 9

Where was dualistic thinking observed? what main factor influenced dualistic thinking?

Answer 9

Tana, Vanuatu and Austin, Texas

reminders of god lead to increases in the belief that biological and psychological processes will continue into death

Question 10

What are some consequences of believing in an afterlife and reincarnation?

Answer 10

Belief in Hell associated with lower crime rates in 67 countries

Big implications for death anxiety:
- uncertain views on an afterlife can lead to poorer adjustment to the loss of a spouse

beliefs in reincarnation can lead to significantly less helpless, guilt and anger following a loss. It can also help people make sense of suffering and injustice

However, it can lead to anxiety depending on the content of one’s beliefs

Question 11

Explain the difference between death affirming and death denying cultures?

Answer 11

Death affirming cultures view death as a mere transition and as such, they are much more accepting of death. Most Eastern cultures are death affirming

Death denying/defying cultures associate the death of the body with the death of self. Western cultures are usually this way.

Death anxiety tends to be greater in death defying cultures

Question 12

What is the relationship between religiosity and death anxiety? What can explain the findings?

Answer 12

Death anxiety and religiosity showed both positive and negative correlations in the literature.

Intrinsic religiosity is associated with a negative correlation to death anxiety (less anxiety)

Extrinsic religiosity positively correlated with death anxiety

TMT predicts a curvilinear relationship between death anxiety and religiosity (upside down “U”)

“secure attachments to god” are associated with less death anxiety

Question 13

How does the belief in an afterlife affect death anxiety?

Answer 13

Specifically the reward expectation of the afterlife decreases death anxiety, rather than the belief in it

• if you believe that the afterlife has punishment, you will be more anxious

Question 14

Explain Death Apprehension Theory (4 factors)

Answer 14

The belief in an afterlife can lead to more death anxiety if there is uncertainty about the outcome

1) belief in a demanding and vindictive God
2) certainty about the reality of an afterlife
^ if these are high, anxiety is increased

3) obedience to religious teachings
4) certainty of divine forgiveness
^ if these are also high, anxiety is decreased

Question 15

Explain Hell Anxiety and how it relates to death anxiety:

Answer 15

those who believed that outside forces decided their fate had greater hell anxiety

so did those who believed that they were going to hell

obviously, it correlates with death anxiety

it is relatively low though and is not related to other pathological fears or neuroticism
-likely a rational response to religious beliefs

Question 16

How do afterlife beliefs influence mental health?

Answer 16

Pleasant beliefs associated with reduced symptomology

unpleasant beliefs have the opposite effect

Question 17

Why are death and grief considered “universals”?

Answer 17

Across cultures, certain things must be done in response to loss
- body must be disposed of
- the bereaved must be helped to reorient themselves
- whole group must have a known way of readjustment following a loss

crying, sadness and anger are so common following a loss that they are considered universals
- death is universally associated with emotionality

Question 18

What is the difference between individualistic and collectivist cultures? how do they grieve differently?

Answer 18

Individualistic cultures value agency, identity, uniqueness and self enhancement.

Collectivist cultures value selflessness, community and relationships.

Collectivist cultures are seen to show a more acute grieving process, followed by a more rapid recovery process, with higher levels of grief processing early on.

Individualistic cultures are shown to have greater emotional expressivity in response to death

Individualist cultures see funerals as an opportunity to mourn, where as collectivist cultures see funerals as an opportunity for social bonding and grand celebration.

Question 19

What are 3 unorthodox end of life rituals that are seen in other cultures?

Answer 19

Funeral strippers in Taiwan
Keeping bodies in Indonesia
Dancing Pallbearers in Ghana (like the meme)

Question 20

What are the factors (4*) that cause indigenous peoples to be at a higher risk of complicated grief?

Answer 20

Rates of all cause mortality and suicide

Loss of language and culture

History of multiple stressors as a result of the mistreatment from European colonizers and forced assimilation

The continuous cycle of grief alone, puts indigenous peoples at a higher risk of complicated grief

Question 21

How does traumatic grief show itself in Refugees and post conflict survivors?

Answer 21

refugees are more likely to suffer from prolonged grief symptoms (complicated grief), which can make it much harder to adapt to their new country

Question 22

What is survivor’s guilt? Who is more likely to have it?

Answer 22

People who have survived a traumatic event may experience feelings of guilt

it is a recognized symptom of PTSD

those who have experienced childhood guilt as well as those who have depression and/or anxiety are at a higher risk

EX: 9/11, holocaust survivors