Introduction
Death is an inevitable part of a human’s life, however, people in different parts of the world understand it differently. In contemporary Western countries, such as the United States, death is viewed as a medical or scientific issue that can be resolved. Such an opinion is a reflection of Western culture’s development. This paper aims to examine the concept of death and dying and the perception of the two notions in Western cultures.
The Concept of Death and Dying
Beliefs about death as well the people’s perception of this concept differ around the world. According to Filippo (2017), awareness regarding death accompanies humans since their birth, and many religions recognize this by providing supportive practices. These practices include rituals that are carried out once a person dies. One must recognize that these beliefs are influenced by social, environmental, and spiritual factors. From a historical perspective, the concept of death evolved together with advancements in medicine and technology. Dying at a young age was seen as a norm in pre-modern times, while modern healthcare practices allow people to live longer, which inevitably affected the attitudes towards death. Filippo (2017) argues that in modern Western societies, reflections about death are not common. In some way, this element of human experience is feared in this culture. The author argues that these transformations affected the people’s perception of death and disintegrated it from ordinary human experience. Hence, one can conclude that the concept and view of death in the Western world has evolved significantly, influenced by factors such as advancements in medicine and social changes.
The emergence of thanatology, a science, which was established relatively recently and is concerned with the biological and medical aspects of death and dying, is a crucial aspect of understanding the contemporary views of the concept. This is an interdisciplinary matter that aims to synthesize knowledge from medicine and phycology to improve our comprehension and perception of death. According to Walter (2015), the overall implication for studying death as part of sociology has two implications – practical and intellectual. In his book Death, Dying, and Bereavement, the author states that social structures help people overcome the fear of death and dying. These structures may include either culture or religion that provide a more meaningful understanding of death as not only a physical matter. From this perspective, Walter (2015) argues that understanding how a society perceives the meaning of death is extremely valuable when examining how varied social structures work. For example, within Western countries, it is common to have a funeral ceremony, which appreciates the precious life of the diseased. Usually, these are held with family members and close friends and are a necessary part of dealing with the loss for Western people.
Many of the Western thinkers discussed death, its perception, and its impact on society. For example, Durkheim argued that religious rites, in most cases, funerals, symbolize the collective identity of people (Walter, 2015). The idea of Durkheim is that when a social group experiences the death of a member, it feels lessened, and to overcome this frustration or fear, and it assembles to live through the experience collectively. Walter (2015) also discusses Webber’s perspective on death and dying, which was seen as an end to a person, but it can help form rites and beliefs that form a society, which is similar to Durkheim’s view. The American sociologists took a similar approach to understand death in the twentieth century.
As was previously discussed, people in Western cultures often fear the prospects of dying. According to Marx’s views, these fears were exploited by churches and other religious organizations for centuries (Walter, 2015). This approach is not common in the sociological studies of dying. However, it reflected an essential element of human nature. From Marx’s perspective, funerals and similar rites are exploitative and promote false consciousness. This opinion does not consider the element of society’s consolidation and unity, described above, which are essential elements of the Western understanding of death as a concept.
In general, the perception of death in the West incorporates various elements, including the medical and biological outlook, psychological, and social perspectives. This suggests that for Westerners, death is a complex issue, an aspect of life that is feared and which brings people together. Although some individuals, such as Marx, view funerals, and other rites as unnecessary and exploitative, the majority of social scientists argue that this is an integral element of society’s functioning.
Social scientists discuss one element of dying that is social death. According to Walter (2015), although humans are primarily physical beings, their existence within society, including lies and death matters as well. This concept emerged because, in many cases, people with severe illnesses, brain death, or dementia are left out of social interactions. Their lives may continue since they are supported by medication or hospital equipment, but they can no longer communicate and interact with the world. Social death is another critical element that describes the perception of death in the West. Walter (2015) argues that a proper death, from a sociological perspective, would incorporate both the physical and the social elements. The author argues that in some cases, the social life of a person may continue after his or her death, which is connected to the notion of social identity. This element of understanding the Western approach to death provides context to the understanding of the matter as a combination of physical and social factors.
Evolution of the Death Perception in the West
Comparing the evolution of the depth perception in the West with that in other parts of the world can provide more insight into understanding the specifics of the Western perception of death and dying. Yang and Miller (2015) cite the difference between cultural and religious traditions that explain the variation in depth perception between the Eastern and Western countries. This element affects not only people but also legal practices such as the recognition of brain death. According to Yang and Miller (2015), Western cultures see the brain as a home for the soul, which is a view that emerged during the Enlightenment period. This understanding of the human body and spiritual life has developed over time and is reflected in contemporary medical practices.
As was mentioned, although the Western people fear death, they dedicate much effort to improve end-of-life care and carry out rites such as funerals, which is why thanatology emerged. From a medical perspective, Yang and Miller (2015) argue that Eastern countries, for example, China, do not incorporate brain death as part of the patient diagnosis. One can argue that these differences pertain to a more spiritual approach used by Eastern people when compared to the Western. As support for this viewpoint, Yang and Miller (2015) argue that “pragmatism and utilitarianism, supports the concept of brain death” applied in the West. The review of history, such as the Enlightenment period, suggests that this view of death did not emerge recently, but rather evolved over time. Another example of utilitarian practices is the Gompertzian function developed by a British scientist who argues that with each year, the likelihood of dying increases (Filippo, 2017). This also reflects the approach taken by Western cultures when viewing death as an issue of science.
In the contemporary era, death in the West is seen as an issue that can potentially be resolved through science and technology, making humankind immortal. The issue with this approach is unclarity surrounding the actual prospects of such invention and the spiritual element that matters to some individuals. Yuval Noah Harari, a famous author of the book Sapience and Homo Deus, argues that Silicon Valley has diminished the concept of death by minimizing it to an issue of technology only (Harari, 2016). The book author argues that currently, people welcome the idea that the length of their lives can be prolonged for ten years with innovation. However, Western cultures also review death and dying in the spiritual context since religion is an essential element of culture for many westerners. This combination of a scientific and spiritual approach prevalent in the West is significant for understanding the meaning of this occurrence to society.
Perception of Death and Dying in the East and West
As was mentioned, there are distinct characteristics of death perception that affect the society in the East and West. Yang and Miller (2016) argue that in the Eastern perception, spirituality and the connection of body and soul are essential concepts that help understand the perception of death. One can argue that because of this, there is more emphasis on the religious aspect of living and dying. An essential element of it is the “integration of body with spirit and nature in Buddhist and folk beliefs” (Yang & Miller, 2016, p. 211). Additionally, the social structure is built upon the importance of interpersonal relationships, in accordance with the Confucian beliefs. Hence, the Eastern people consider death not only as a physical event but also as a spiritual one. Arguably, the latter element is more critical for these cultures.
An understanding of hospital care in the East and West, where death and dying are often encountered, can provide more context to comprehending the distinct features of the West’s view. Cheng et al. (2015) conducted a cross-cultural study to examine the behavior of people prior to their death, to determine the specifics of the Eastern view. The results suggest that in Eastern countries, such as Korea or Taiwan, people are reluctant to talk about end-of-life arrangements since they believe such discussions bring bad luck. Hence, similar to the people in the West, individuals living in the East fear death, but the social and religious norms restrict their ability to discuss the issue. This contrasts with the approach taken by the Westerners and described by Lazenby et al. (2016) since the authors argue that although patients usually prefer to have this discussion after an illness progresses, they do talk about death. From this perspective, one can argue that Westerners have a more practical perception of death and dying.
Despite the difficulty of the topic, it appears that Western people do not perceive it as a spiritual matter in the context of the soul. Notably, Cheng et al. (2015) report that a large number of patients prefer to return home if they are given a bad prognosis since they believe that their soul will not find its way back from a hospital. A Western study on end-of-life decisions did not reveal a similar attitude. Instead, the patients and physicians were more concerned with the practical arrangements.
Conclusion
When conducting the research for the paper Death in the Western Hemisphere, I felt that I would not be able to locate information revealing something new to me. This review of death’s understanding in the West was interesting to me since it revealed concepts and information about the development of the views regarding dying that I did not know before. For example, I understood the meaning of funeral rites for society. Also, the exploration of the differences between death perception in the East and in the West was an important revelation, since I did not know about the focus on the spirituality of living and dying prevalent in the East. When I re-read the assignment, I felt that the notion of death has a different meaning for people, and to fully understand it, and one must research the different perceptive. Also, I learned new information regarding the efforts of Silicon Valley to combat death, as a manifestation of the Western approach.
References
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Filippo, D.S. (2017) A historical perspective of death in the Western world. In L Berk (Ed.), Dying and death in oncology. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Harari, Y. N. (2016). Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow. London, United Kingdom: Harvill Secker.
Lazenby, S., Edwards, A., Samuriwo, R., Riley, S., Murray, M., & Carson-Stevens, A. (2016). End-of-life care decisions for haemodialysis patients – ‘We only tend to have that discussion with them when they start deteriorating’. Health Expectations, 20(2), 260-273. Web.
Yang, Q., & Miller, G. (2015). East-West differences in perception of brain death. Review of history, current understandings, and directions for future research. Journal of Biotechnical Inquiry, 12(2), 211-25. Web.
Walter, T. (2015). Sociological perspectives on death, dying, and bereavement. In J. M. Stillion & T. Attig (Eds.), Death, dying, and bereavement: Contemporary perspectives, institutions, and practices (pp. 31 – 41). Berlin, Germany: Springer.