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Culture and Death: a Multicultural Perspective

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Culture and Death: a Multicultural Perspective View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Goldsmiths Research Online Culture and Death: A Multicultural Perspective Panagiotis Pentaris Abstract The factor of culture plays a critical role on how people perceive and deal with death, dying and bereavement. Each culture is unique and holds different and authentic beliefs and customs. This literature review will provide information from different cultural backgrounds among the population of Hawai`i regarding death, dying and bereavement (beliefs, customs, rituals, expectations, processes, etc.). The information aims to provide social workers and other helping professionals with appropriate knowledge and skills applicable to the culture they are working with. Thus practitioners can increase their cultural competence. Keywords: death, bereavement, NHPIs, social worker, Asian, Asian American, Hawai`i. PART 1: DEATH, DYING, AND BEREAVEMENT ISSUES IN HAWAII Death, dying, and bereavement are loss, the loss of his/her individuality, or of universal and unique processes that a bereaved system. A dying father, for everyone will experience eventually, both example, is grieving that he will not see from a dying person’s perspective and his daughter graduate. She, on the other through grieving for the loss of a loved hand, is grieving for the loss of her father. one. In both cases the person experiences Nobody can conceptualize and experience a great loss in his/her life, and the death, dying and bereavement in exactly experience is processed differently every the same manner. Even if the same person time. Grieving is also inevitable for both is experiencing another loss, different cases. We either speak of a person who is mechanisms and coping skills will arise. dying and he/she is grieving for his/her HPJSWP vol. 4 #1 Page 45 However the uniqueness of these Hawai`i is a multicultural state, significant life experiences, there are consisting of varied ethnicities, perhaps factors that can “guide” the way one is more than any other state. The cultures acting. A major determinant factor for which compose the Hawaiian population social workers and other professionals blend with each other, and values, beliefs such as psychologists, who practice with and customs blend as well. However, bereaved and/or dying systems, is culture. traditional death attitudes and customs are What are the cultural beliefs and values of kept. the dying patient? How far should one go Awareness is essential for social work to convince the family to bury the body or practitioners, and that could be identified donate its living organs to science, as by many different components, such as opposed to cremating it, which is what cultural awareness. Especially in a Asians and Buddhists have been doing in multicultural society such as Hawai`i, their family and in their culture for the social workers and other professionals in past century? the fields of death, dying and Different cultures perceive death, bereavement, such as in hospitals and dying, and bereavement in different ways, hospices, will become more effective if while different religions in the same they gain knowledge on how their clients-- culture influence those perceptions as who might differ vividly--perceive their well. Filipinos for instance, traditionally, situation/issue. For example, Native spend three days and nights at the Hawaiians do believe in communication cemetery where the body of the deceased with the deceased. Thus, if a rainbow is buried, out of respect for the person, a shows in the sky, they believe the dead belief which is different from other person speaks to them and it has a positive cultures. In other words, death attitudes effect on them. A culturally aware are different depending on the cultural professional will accept this attitude and background. Furthermore, culture itself will avoid conflicts, as in referrals to a has a great impact on the way people clinical setting. Being aware of those grieve. different perspectives, customs, values, beliefs, and principles the practitioner will likely be more effective to the client. Awareness is essential for social He/she will be able to build a rapport work practitioners, and that could be based on trust and probably choose an identified by many different approach, strategy or intervention which components, such as cultural will best fit the client’s needs, depending awareness. on the cultural background. Hawai`i is a special gathering place Kubler-Ross, in her book On Death and with its own unique culture. It is a place Dying (1969), refers to five stages one where several diverse cultures emerged meets through the grieving process. But and intersected over history (Kirch & she also states that grief is experienced Rallu, 2007). For one to fully understand differently, every time that it occurs. the cultural dimensions of death, dying Depending on many factors, the and bereavement in the State of Hawai`i, individual will not go through all the it is critical to first acknowledge and stages, or might start going through them understand those cultures that today in different order. HPJSWP vol. 4 #1 Page 46 constitute the “modern culture” of of the population. In other states, such as Hawai`i (Green & Beckwith, 2009). California, white people usually compose This article’s purpose is to examine and the two thirds of the population (e.g. provide information from different California: 76.75%) (U.S. Census, 2010; cultural backgrounds among the 2009; 2000). population of Hawai`i regarding death, In 1778, the population of the Native dying and bereavement (beliefs, customs, Hawaiians living in the islands of Hawai`i rituals, expectations, processes, etc.). The was rising up to approximately, 400,000- information aims to provide helping 600,000 inhabitants. Those were the professionals with appropriate knowledge people that were referred as to kanaka and skills for the culture(s) they are maoli (Native Hawaiians). During the 19 th working with. century though, their number dropped This paper provides a full 80%-90%. The major reason for this description of the population of Hawai`i. significant change was the diseases An overview of the population’s (measles, whooping cough, Hansen’s characteristics in the past and today is disease, smallpox, etc.) which were depicted, as well as its strengths, and the introduced to the kanaka maoli by their social and cross-cultural problems that the contact with foreigners (Hope & Hope, population faces nowadays. Additionally, 2003). In 1878, the general population of reference to death rates and death causes Hawai`i increased approximately 40%- is noted. Social work practice on 50%, out of which 75% were Native Hawaiian populations is examined from Hawaiians (Kirch & Rallu, 2007; three different perspectives: micro, mezzo, Kawaharada, 2003). and macro. Moreover, social work However, the number of “pure research and legal and ethical issues are Hawaiians,” as are called the Hawaiians also addressed. The conclusions drawn by with 100% blood quantum, has declined this paper and overall from the literature significantly to about 8,000 people today. review are depicted, and lastly The number of the people who are part recommendations are made, and future Hawaiians or consider themselves to be trends for implementations are discussed. Hawaiian, and live in Hawai`i is 225,000- 250,000 nowadays, the majority of whom COMPOSITION AND DEMOGRAPHICS live on the island of O`ahu (Kirch & OF THE POPULATION OF HAWAII Rallu, 2007). This part of the general Hawaiian population grows annually by The composition of the Hawaiian 6,000 people, more than any other race population varies in many different ways. living in the state. The different characteristics of the According to the new data from the kama`aina (native-born, ethnic or 2010 US Census, the number of people nonethnic Hawaiian) and the malihini living in Hawaii has increased during the (newcomer) lead to unique death past decade. According to the US Census attitudes, behaviors, beliefs about dying, Bureau, in 2000 there were 1,211,537 and bereavement processes and stages. people living in the state. According to The population of Hawaii comprises a the 2010 Census, 1,360,301 people living variety of descents and origins. Hawaii is in the State of Hawai`i (U.S. Census, considered the only state in the U.S. 2010; 2000). where whites compose just the one third HPJSWP vol. 4 #1 Page 47 As indicated in the Table, the majority country this number is significantly lower of the population of Hawaii is Asian alone (1.5%). (38.6%). Significant is also the fact that The U.S. as whole might be a racially the number of White people (24.7%) is and ethnically diverse country, but almost the same as the number of those Hawai`i is by data more diverse than the who identify with two or more races nation itself, and every other state in it. (23.6%), (U.S. Census, 2010). There is a unique character of Hawai`i which needs to be identified by the Disparities with the General practitioners working for its population. Population of the US The 2010 Census Bureau reported that Table: 2010 Population of the U.S. and the general population of the United the state of Hawai`i Based on Race and States has increased to 308,745,538 Ethnicity: Comparison residents since 2000. According to the U.S. 2010 Census data, which are the Population United Hawai`i most recent, racially, the biggest part of States the U.S. population is white Americans Total 308,745,538 1,360,301 (approximately 80.2%). Based on 2005 population (100%) (100%) estimates, on on the general population of Ethnicity the U.S., the rest are minority groups. White 80.2% 24.7% More specifically, 12.8% are Black or Black or 12.8% 1.6% African Americans, 1% are American African Indians or Alaska Natives, 4.3% are American Asians, 0.2% are Native Hawaiians and alone Other Pacific Islanders, 1.5% have two or American 1% 0.3% more races, and 14.4% are of Hispanic or Indian and Latino descent (U.S.
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