Death and Grief

1. Death and Grief HSP3C

2. Anthropology • Anthropology: • Study of humankind from past societies to present (where we are now) • Important to understand how death is understood • By us and other cultures

3. Cultural Differences • Culture: • United set of values, ideas, beliefs and standards of behaviour (way of living) shared by a group of people • Each culture is unique! • Learning and understanding other cultures helps us understand one another better

4. Death • Death • End of physical life • Body stops operating (working) • Many different ways that cultures handle death • Traditions passed on from previous (older) generations

5. “Handling” the Deceased (dead) • Two usual rituals (procedure/way) of disposing the body of a deceased: • Cremation • Interment

6. Cremation • Concept from Christianity • Burning dead body at very high heat • Wait until there is very little left • “break” into ashes • Stored in an urn (vase) and buried or kept with family members

7. Interment • The act of burying a deceased person (someone who has passed away) • Tomb in ground

8. Other Practices • Sky Burial • Placing body on a high ground (e.g. mountain) and leaving it for the birds • Birds of prey: • Tibet tradition • Believed carried souls to heaven • E.g. Vultures

9. Other Practices • Mummification (Ancient times) • Remove all moisture from body • Body does not decay

10. Funeral Customs • Most common custom among funeral customs • Graves grouped together on a plot of land called cemetery or graveyard

11. Newer Customs • Ecological Burial: • Deep freezing body • Allows the body to be buried with corn starch • Coffin and contents will become soil • Space Burial • Rocket launches cremated remains into space

12. Forms of “Death” • Capital Punishment: killing of convicted (found guilty) criminal by the state for crimes committed (done) • War: a long state of violence between two or more groups • Martyrdom: a person is put to death based on his/her beliefs

13. The Cycle of Loss and Grief HSP3C

14. Mourning • Time when an individual (or group) responds to the death of a valued being (animal or human) • Mourning is experienced by all people throughout their life!

15. Mourning • Different lengths of time is spent dealing with the grief and loss • 5 stages of Grief • Do not always occur in order • Move between stages before being peaceful over the loss

17. STAGE 1 • Denial and Isolation • Deny (refuses to admit) the reality (truth) of the situation • Block out the truth to avoid pain (temporary relief)

18. STAGE 2 • ANGER • Reality and pain comes out in the open • Emotions come out as anger • Show anger towards objects, strangers, friends/family, doctors

19. STAGE 3 • Bargaining • Could’ve, Should’ve, Would’ve • Normal feelings of thinking how things would be different • If I went to the doctor earlier…he could’ve… • If only we listened to him…he would’ve… • I should’ve said no….

20. STAGE 4 • Depression • Practical Depression: grief comes from worrying about the loss (how to pay for funeral, losing time with others) • Private Depression: less noticeable; you do it on your own; get ready to say “goodbye”

21. STAGE 5 • Acceptance • Withdrawal and calm – not a period of happiness, but understanding what happened • NOT HAPPY • NOT DEPRESSION