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Multi-cultural aspects of grief
Multi-cultural aspects of grief
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Grieving process may vary between different cultures. Mourning varies by culture and ethical grounds. For example, Latino Americans make up 15% of the population (Schoulte, 2011). However, keeping a close relationship with extended family is highly valued among Latino (Schoulte, 2011). As Latinos often have a large extended family, Latinos may gather around in a hospital room to express their feelings for the last days of a Latino’s life. Many Puerto Ricans believe in afterlife, which is a place where spirits go to reach moral perfection after death (Schoulte, 2011). This may make the grieving process easier for some. In some cases, family members may try to communicate with the dead to resolve life issues that occurred while they were living. African American are another culture that experience grief and loss differently than European Americans (Schoulte, 2011). African Americans make up 13% of the population (Schoulte, 2011). For help with grieving, African Americans may for prayer or meditation after losing their loved one to help the dead for transitioning to the afterlife to the spirit life. For them, death is not viewed as an end to life but to a new beginning and to a new life (Schoulte, 2011). …show more content…
Per Dr. Kübler-Ross’s theory. Individuals can get stuck in a stage of grieving and have longer periods of suffering before moving on to healing (Rubinstein, 2011). There are numerous factors on how people deal with loss. Faith and religion can also have a profound effect on the meaning of death. Through different cultures, people have their own way of dealing with each stage of grief and loss according to how they deal with it within their culture. Most people are usually comforted by friends or family through their religious system (Rubinstein, 2011). Learning how others experience death and dying could help us understand their personal experience while dealing with loss and
“In most human society's death is an extremely important cultural and social phenomenon, sometimes more important than birth” (Ohnuki-Tierney, Angrosino, & Daar et al. 1994). In the United States of America, when a body dies it is cherished, mourned over, and given respect by the ones that knew the person. It is sent to the morgue and from there the family decides how the body should be buried or cremated based on...
Kemp, C. (2001). Culture and the end of life: Hispanic cultures (focus on Mexican Americans).
...ral differences in patterns of behavior and of social support includes each culture’s sense of what is sane and healthy, as opposed to life- and health-threatening. Thus, what people do protects the bereaved and in some senses everyone around the bereaved form. The cross-cultural emphasis, in fact, is a kind of metaphor. To help effectively, we must overcome our presuppositions and struggle to understand people on their own terms (i.e., not having the intention or the reason why the man placed a rose over Bella J. Bhukhan’s name).
In 1969 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a psychiatrist, published the Pioneering book On Death and Dying. The work acquainted the world with the grieving process, called the five stages of grief. Kübler-Ross gathered her research from studying individuals with terminal cancer (Johnson, 2007). The first stage of the grieving process is denial. In this stage the person refuses to believe that their loved one is deceased, a common thought during this period is, “This can’t be happening to me” (Johnson, 2007).The second stage of the grieving process is anger. In this level the person becomes frustrated with their circumstances, a customary complaint is “Why is this happening to me?” (Johnson, 2007). The third stage of the grieving process is bargaining. At this point the individual hopes that they can prevent their grief, this typically involves bartering with a higher power, and an ordinary observance during this time is “I will do anything to have them back” (Johnson, 2007). The fourth and most identifiable stage of grief is depression. This phase is habitually the lengthiest as...
Schoulte, J. C. (2011). Bereavement Among African Americans and Latino/a Americans. Journal Of Mental Health Counseling, 33(1), 11-20.
Throughout the history of mankind there are two main things that are guaranteed in life, taxes and death. According to researchers at Hebrews For Christians, 56,000,000 people die each year, (Parson, 2014). Many of these people die at ripe old ages while there are a plethora of young people who die slow and tragic deaths. When death occurs many people are not prepared and therefore many devastating things can result from this. People usually experience problems with their emotions, they will stress over a number of situations, and many health issues will arise. Many people become depressed for long periods of time and give up on life. Although there are people who take these experiences to heart, there are many ways a person can deal with these problems. Dealing with these problems in a healthy manner, can lead to a very healthy healing process for everyone who is being affected by it. In this research paper I will discuss three main keys points. The first key point I will discuss the stages of death in the Kubler - Ross Model. Secondly I will discuss is the psychological effect of how death can effect people in many different ways. Third and final, I will show you many different ways a person can deal with grief.
Everyone has or will experience a loss of a loved one sometime in their lives. It is all a part of the cycle of life and death. The ways each person copes with this loss may differ, but according to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s novel On Death and Dying, a person experiences several stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and, finally, acceptance. There is no set time for a person to go through each stage because everyone experiences and copes with grief differently. However, everyone goes through the same general feelings of grief and loss. There are also sections in Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” that connect to the process of grieving: “On Pain,” “On Joy and Sorrow,” and “On Talking.” Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” reflects on Kübler-Ross’s model of the different stages of grief and loss.
... to social disruption (Death and Dying, A sociological perspective). I was very shocked that mortality hadn 't been brought up. This makes me contemplate whether or not it is due to the private sequence in today 's society. It 's very interesting seeing the differences between American, Hinduism and Buddhism too. Growing up a catholic and being influenced by different people around me, I have conformed to the beliefs that I liked best. However, when we are young we were taught these ways. Until we are old enough to really understand them, we don 't realize how important they are in our perspective of society as we mourn. I also believe that if we are exposed to death when we are younger, we have a different way of coping with it. This study was very successful in helping me understand what constructed our perception of reality in association to religion and death.
It is common for those experiencing grief to deny the death altogether. Many people do this by avoiding situations and places that remind them of the deceased (Leming & Dickinson, 2016). However, by simply avoiding the topic of death and pain, the mourner only achieves temporary relief while in turn creating more permanent lasting agony (Rich, 2005). In this stage, mourners will begin to feel the full weight of the circumstance. Whether the death of a loved one was sudden or long-term, survivors will feel a full range of emotions, such as sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, hopelessness, or grief. While many of these emotions can cause serious suffering, it is important for the survivor to feel whatever emotions come up and deal with those feelings, rather than trying to suppress any
People cope with the loss of a loved one in many ways. For some, the experience may lead to personal growth, even though it is a difficult and trying time. There is no right way of coping with death. The way a person grieves depends on the personality of that person and the relationship with the person who has died. How a person copes with grief is affected by the person's cultural and religious background, coping skills, mental history, support systems, and the person's social and financial status.
The stages of death are known to be a process of mourning that is experienced by individuals from all phases of life. This mourning ensues from an individual’s own death or the death of a loved one. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross dedicated much of her career to studying this dying process and in turn created the five stages of death. The five stages are; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages may not occur in sequence and sometimes may intersect with one another (Axelrod, 2006). The reality of death many times causes a feeling of denial; this is known as the first stage. In this stage, people have many emotions and have a tendency to hide from reality. This reaction is momentary, but should not be rushed. The patient or loved one needs time to adjust to the awaiting death. This adjustment helps bring them through to the next stage; anger. Anger is a common feeling and many times routes from a feeling of not being ready. This emotion may be directed toward God, strangers, friends, family or even healthcare professionals (Purcell, 2006). In some cases, it can be targeted...
Everyday people face the tragedy of losing a loved one. Though in the end they must all come face to face with cold hearted death, none wish to experience it, especially at a young age . We all wish it would never happen, and we all like to imagine ourselves and others as superhuman, invincible. When a death happens and it doesn't directly affect us or our own little community, we are shocked, maybe even for a day but never reflect on it for the rest of our lives. We see death in movies and across the world news , but yet we almost become desensitized to it. No one can imagine death or grasp the concept of death, until death is right in our face staring back at us, sending a cold shiver down our spine. It is then that we begin to feel that coldness of death we never would have thought we would ever have to feel. Some families that have this experience grieve for the rest of their life and stay in a deep, dark, long depression, and still try to make sense of why it happened to them. Others see it as a sad time, but pick themselves up relying on religion to help them in there time of need. Very few seek the help of a psychiatrist, due to the fear of ruining their reputation as a person, or for their family seeking the help of a doctor. Even when we see it happening to another family we feel sorrow but perhaps not as much as we should.
While the end of life experience is universal, the behaviors associated with expressing grief are very much culturally bound. Death and grief being normal life events, all cultures have developed ways to cope with death in a respectful manner, and interfering with these practices can disrupt people’s ability to cope during the grieving
I was very excited to take Death and Dying as a college level course. Firstly, because I have always had a huge interest in death, but it coincides with a fear surrounding it. I love the opportunity to write this paper because I can delve into my own experiences and beliefs around death and dying and perhaps really establish a clear personal perspective and how I can relate to others in a professional setting.
In my life time, I have experienced many deaths. I have never had anyone that was very close to me die, but I have shed tears over many deaths that I knew traumatically impacted the people that I love. The first death that influenced me was the death of my grandfather. My grandfather passed away when I was very young, so I never really got the chance to know him. My papaw Tom was my mothers dad, and she was very upset after his passing. Seeing my mom get upset caused me to be sad. The second death that influenced my life was the death of my great grandmother. My great grandmother was a very healthy women her whole life. When she was ninety three she had