Death which is a permanent termination of all life sustaining processes has different perceptions based on cultures. Death is caused by powerful sources like war, poverty or migration as factors that push individuals to die either through suicide or increasing suffering leading to longing for death and its actualization through euthanasia (McGarry, 2018). The understanding of death has changed based on knowledge in food production, industrialization and global ecological changes that influence the view and response to death. The essay evaluates the cultural perceptions of death in North America with the focus on media articles that evaluate the insights of culture in the performance of bodily rituals and rites of passages surrounding death
In North America, the transition and development of humans impacts the perception of death by increasing diseases and health conditions due to changes in diet livelihoods (McGarry, 2018). The modern society stress on avoidance of death which influence different cultures response and acceptance of death. The modern view of death differs among culture and age groups. While other cultures cherish life and fear death others have calculated views on death leading to assisted deaths and mercy killing especially among the elderly and sick in society (Dufour et al., 2016). Different culture attach different notions to death and perform different bodily rituals and rites of passage to appease the dead and in conduct of burial customs.
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Cultural perceptions of death continue to expand even to date through superstitions and traditions that incite fear and honor of the death through rituals and ceremonies. Culture conduct of rituals and ceremonies perceive the actions as offering protection to the living by appeasing the death. Bodily rituals and rites of passage surrounding death are common occurrences in Canada and other areas of North America which relates to their culture and belief system. Some of the beliefs have been adopted from worldwide practices while some are unique and specific to their cultures beliefs and traditions. Various beliefs on the causes that end people lives and how each cause should be approached is a common practice in the cultural setup of North America. The performance of bodily rituals and different rites of passages in the events of death such as the use of flowers have been practiced in the past and persists even to date (Dufour et al., 2016). Some rituals and practices are viewed as processes of healing and helping the family and friends through the trauma to enable them to continue living productive lives even after the loss of their loved ones.
The modern cultures have replaced medical care with the many bodily rituals and rites of passages performed in the past in honor of the dead and to protect the living .Bodily rituals such as the custom of shutting the dead eyes which is approached from cultural and religious perspectives in still in use today. Culturally the ritual is practice as transition from the physical to the spiritual world where the practice signifies closing of ‘windows’ that can connect the dead and the living (Porter, 2017). Other bodily rituals include covering the body in white sheets to help in the escape of the spirit of the deceased which escapes through the move. Cutting of legs to prevent the spirit form coming back to the living or destruction of their homes are rituals that seem form fear of spirits and ghosts which consists of extreme practices (Dufour et al., 2016).
The common and unifying factor of death are the sorrows and suffering experienced by the family friends, colleagues and acquaintances who are the main targets of other rituals performed in death. Rituals such as prayers and the formation of groups especially of relatives who gather with similar wishes towards the rest and happiness o the dead. Such rituals enhance recovery of the living by reminding them of the trauma and the reality of their own deaths (Warraich, 2015). Other rituals including sharing of memories, photographs, graveside practices such as different procession methods meant to pay respect to the death and ensure decent sendoffs.
Rites of passages surrounding death in North America largely practiced include carrying of the dead out of the house feet first to prevent them looking back to the house or beckoning other members of family or friends to follow them. Covering of mirrors with black cloths to prevent the spirits of the dead form being trapped inside and unable to pass over other side. The transition of the death also involves the turning face down to prevent close relatives and friends form the possession by the spirit of the dead. The practices are aimed at protecting the living from being harmed from the dead. The practices are now replaced in modernity through the provision of medical care and hospitalization.
Burial practices in the Canada and most of the North America states are common in cultural and religious practices. People believe in offering dignified and respectful burials as the last public event of the deceased. Burial rites include offering graveside services and ceremonies in commemoration of the dead. Burial ceremonies require wearing of mourning attire mainly black offering of symbolic offerings and glorification of the dead (Nevitte, 2017). Grave visitation are private as a way of sustaining the memories and provide a link of the living with the dead. Funeral services are also held annually in remembrance of the dead based on the culture of the society.
The articles describes the fusion of the traditional and modern concepts of death. The practices and cultural perceptions of death that include bodily rituals and rites of passages continue to increase and advance in the modern states. People have abolished the traditional practices in adoption of the modern simplified and convenient practices through medical care and use of science to discover causes of death and offer viable solutions (Dufour et al., 2016). The performance of bodily rituals and rites of passage for the dead have significantly declined as people continue to overcome cultural fear of the death and its association with abstract concepts such as ghosts and reincarnation concepts.
References
Dufour et al., (2016). McMaster University Custom Edition Introduction to Anthropology: Sex, Food and Death. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Howarth, G. (2016). Last rites: The work of the modern funeral director. Routledge.
McGarry, K. (2018). October 1/3 PowerPoint for 1AA3 [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from https://avenue.cllmcmaster.ca/d2l/le/content/245112/viewContent/2030180/View
Nevitte, N. (2017). The North American Trajectory: Cultural, Economic, and Political Ties among the United States, Canada and Mexico. Routledge.
Warraich, H. J. (2015, September 16). The Rituals of Modern Death. New York Times. Retrieved from https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/the-rituals-of-modern-death/
