Three sociological theoretical perspectives are useful in helping us understand how social and cultural factors influence our attitudes and behaviors relative to death: structural-functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and social learning.
Studying death in early and traditional cultures provides information about origin-of-death myths, ways of assessing the causes of death, and practices associated with the use of a deceased person’s name.
Allan Kellehear's analysis of the social history of dying sheds light on how the meaning of death has changed over time.
The history of attitudes toward death in Western European culture includes such phenomena as the Dance of Death (danse macabre) and the charnel house, as well as changes in the deathbed scene, burial customs, and practices for memorializing the dead.
Tracing the historical changes in death-related attitudes and customs increases awareness of the possibility of further changes in our own lifetimes.
Native American attitudes and customs relative to death vary widely among the different tribal groups, although they share a belief in the cyclic nature of life and death.
African attitudes and customs relative to death are based on a cyclical view of birth and death whereby deceased ancestors remain part of their survivors' lives.
LoDagaa mourning customs exemplify complex rituals that include specific ceremonies and practices to be enacted by mourners.
The Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos blends indigenous death rituals with the Catholic Church's commemoration of All Souls’ Day to produce a unique fiesta; death is confronted by Mexican artists and writers with an attitude of humorous sarcasm.
Respect for ancestors occupies a central place in Asian cultures. As honored members of a household, ancestors continue to be important to the lives of family members.
During the Chinese celebration known as ch'ing ming, families visit graves and burn paper replicas of money, clothes, jewelry, and even modern necessities such as video cameras as a way of showing regard and care for deceased relatives.
During the midsummer o-bon festival, the Japanese celebrate the return of ancestral spirits to their families. Japanese death rituals are distinctive not only because of their duration but also because of the strong association between the ancestor’s spirit and ongoing benefits to the family.
As a significant element in the lineage of European and European American culture, Celtic traditions are found in literature, music, and secular observances of Halloween, as well as in an attitude of reverence for nature and belief in personal immortality.
Hawaii is a unique example of cultural diversity in death customs and practices.
By recognizing the richness of cultural diversity in the United States, we can also appreciate the vast array of subcultural death rituals, beliefs, and attitudes.
