Cultural and Religious Influences on Death and Grieving

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Karissa Walter Professor Herman Death and Dying 25 April 2016 Cultural Aspects of Death and Dying "Grieving and death rituals vary across culture and are heavily influenced by Religion (Medscape)." Cross cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals allow for the deaths of individuals to be encompassed in a more organized social order (Death and Dying, A sociological perspective). The religious rituals encountered are often influential in funeral arrangements and grieving behaviors. On a sociological level, we can interpret these things in a more objective way. I believe that in order to understand religion and culture: we must first understand the concepts that may be seen as highly influential. These concepts include religion and culture in association with social class, social norms, social reality, and class systems. The two religions I found most interesting were Hinduism and Buddhism. A person 's reality is conceptualized through the lens of religion. Any religion begins by teaching essential morals. These morals can tell a person what is "right" and what is "wrong," and should be foundational to an individual 's perception of social reality. A world without morals would be dangerous and cruel. The simplicity of right and wrong has also been factored into law, but even law doesn 't always have the highest moral intelligence. Religion has been at fault as well, resulting in death and destruction; shaping a person 's reality in different ways. Religious wars throughout history are an example of how two different groups of people of different religions have differed on their perspectives. People of religions that taught the same morals of "right" and "wrong" have had all out wars against each other. Both believing they were co... ... middle of paper ... ... 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.

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