Views of Death & Funeral Rituals
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Disposal of the dead often varies from one culture to the next and one religion to the next. The practice of cremation represents a modern alternative to long, drawn-out burial services that take a heavy emotional toll on survivors and the rising cost of traditional funeral rituals. Today, approximately 27.8 percent of the deceased in America are cremated, up from only 5 percent of Americans in the 1960s (Dimond 2004). However, cremation is a practice that is shunned by some cultures and religions while embraced by others. This project will encompass a comprehensive content analysis of various scholarly sources related to religion and culture that provide information on the process of body disposal known as cremation.As Dimond (2004) argues, ôUnderstandably, the way in which a body is disposed of is an extremely important aspect of many different religionsö (547). Most funeral rituals encompass practices related to the disposal of the body. For example, Jews are forbidden by religious law from cremating the deceased. Hindus, in contrast, primarily resort to cremation for disposal of the dead. Funeral rituals are undertaken by religions and cultures basically for two reasons. The first is to show respect for the dead. The second is to help comfort the bereaved survivors of the deceased. Many cultures and religions admit cremation as a means of disposing of the dead. However, the various funeral rituals that revolve around the cremation are quit
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Dying
I. Introduction
A. Death is a universal experience that occurs in 5 stages according to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance).
B. Kubler-RossÆ conception of the death and dying process is from a Western/Christian framework, when in fact perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors during the death and dying process are highly culturally specific.
II. Body
A. Many factors influence individual perceptions about death and dying, including: background, upbringing, health beliefs, religion, environment, and others. Communication between health care practitioners and dying patients often lacks such considerations.
B. Culture is defined as our learned worldview that directs thoughts and behaviors. Culture leads to sharply defined differences about death and dying in different cultures, like the Buddhists.
C. CambodiansÆ experiences during death and dying stem in large part from their horrific environmental experiences in Cambodia.
D. Cultural differences on the capability and intent of Western medicine often flavor perceptions toward death and dying.
E. Terminal cancer patients who desire euthanasia are primarily Western, with Muslims shunning the practice. Such views point to the increased
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Approximate Word count = 2433
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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