Cultural Comparison of Death, Dying, and Bereavement What is death? The study of thanatology discusses death and the practices associated with it as well as the needs of terminally ill patients and their families. Determining death by brainstem death is the standard and is accepted medically, legally, and ethically in most countries around the world (Maynard, 2010). The death of the brainstem results from damage to this area ceasing survival functions of breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and more. Thanatology further explores the attitudes towards death as well as the behaviors of bereavement. While death is defined similarly across the world, the behaviors surrounding bereavement and the dying process vary greatly from culture to culture.
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The rituals surrounding death in Judaism can be separated into two groups – rituals intended for the mourners and rituals for the deceased.
The Jewish laws and tradition dictate that the deceased’s body be buried and the funeral occur as soon as possible after death, ideally prior to sundown on the day of the death due to the belief that the soul returns to God immediately after death so the body can be returned to earth to complete its return to the dust from which it was created (Clements, Vigil, Manno, Henry, Wilks, Das, & Foster, 2003). It is also very important to note the traditional caring of the deceased’s body following death as Judaism regards the body with great respect. Care of the body is given over to a holy society also known as chevrah kadisha who performs a taharah, which is the traditional washing and dressing of the body in linen called tachrichin. The body is then placed in a basic all-wood coffin symbolizing the natural decomposition process and that death in all is equal regardless of standing or class (Clements et al., 2003) Furthermore, a …show more content…
In Muslim culture, bereavement is a significant life event, resulting in major social, psychological, and spiritual transitions (Kristiansen & Sheikh, 2012). Death is an accepted topic among Muslims and is believed to be at the will of Allah, being predetermined and fixed, but also a new beginning and the transition to the Hereafter. The Prophet explains that any suffering, experienced by the dying or the bereaved is a source of reward in the Hereafter
The rituals surrounding death in Judaism can be separated into two groups – rituals intended for the mourners and rituals for the deceased.
The Jewish laws and tradition dictate that the deceased’s body be buried and the funeral occur as soon as possible after death, ideally prior to sundown on the day of the death due to the belief that the soul returns to God immediately after death so the body can be returned to earth to complete its return to the dust from which it was created (Clements, Vigil, Manno, Henry, Wilks, Das, & Foster, 2003). It is also very important to note the traditional caring of the deceased’s body following death as Judaism regards the body with great respect. Care of the body is given over to a holy society also known as chevrah kadisha who performs a taharah, which is the traditional washing and dressing of the body in linen called tachrichin. The body is then placed in a basic all-wood coffin symbolizing the natural decomposition process and that death in all is equal regardless of standing or class (Clements et al., 2003) Furthermore, a …show more content…
In Muslim culture, bereavement is a significant life event, resulting in major social, psychological, and spiritual transitions (Kristiansen & Sheikh, 2012). Death is an accepted topic among Muslims and is believed to be at the will of Allah, being predetermined and fixed, but also a new beginning and the transition to the Hereafter. The Prophet explains that any suffering, experienced by the dying or the bereaved is a source of reward in the Hereafter