Grief and Cultural Differences

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was a scientist that studied death and researched five stages of grief that develops an outline of what people go through when facing death. In Kübler-Ross book On Death and Dying it outlines the topic that many of problems arise from individuals not discussing death and dying and the pain it causes when there are vast changes in their real world, for example, an unexpected illness event of someone who is close to them. Kübler-Ross distinguishes five stages of grief in her book; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance that individuals go through when approaching their own death or the passing of someone that is close to them (GCU, 2013). Different cultures encounter managing with grief is unique to the individuals who experience the five stages of grief. A key component of the process of dealing with grief is the acceptance of the five stages, how cultures are influenced by Kübler-Ross theories, and how these five stages of death can affect the different cultures.

Kübler-Ross describes the first of the five stages that somebody encounter when they understand they, a friend or family member are dying as denial or shock. The denial stage is the first response to the terminal illness or death of a friend or family member (Axelrod, 2016).  This phase is also as a defense mechanism that can help with the difficulty of the grasping immediate shock of the news. The recovery and the response rate fluctuate from minutes to days. In this stage, the body is attempting to shield itself from the staggering feelings that accompany losing someone close. The second stage after denial comes anger where the individual who is influenced by the truth of the news end angry at a higher power, themselves, or other individuals. This stage includes individuals feeling rage that can prompt them taking it out on themselves or people around them. Individuals start to move the guilt onto other people such as their families of a higher power due to a sense of unfairness they are feeling at the time. Bargaining is the third stage and comes with making wishes of the individual encountering grief (Axelrod, 2006). As a result at this, individuals that are suffering begin consulting with a higher power to seek more opportunity to make the individual or improve the circumstances and to feel less guilt that there was something that could have been done to help spare a loved one (Axelrod, 2006).  Depression is the fourth stage. This phase incorporates two forms of depression. One is a response to when sadness and regret exceed the aftermath of the realistic loss of a loved one. The other form of depression is when the individual is preparing to separate and offer a route to the final stage of grieving, which is acceptance. With acceptance brings a specific level of emotional detachment that encourages an individual to come to terms with them dying or the departures of a loved one. In this stage, a critically ill individual will go through solitary and an individual will deal with their lost (Axelrod, 2006).). As human beings, we as a whole experience the five stages equally and grieve (Axelrod, 2006).  Different cultures have their own ways are handling deaths rituals.  

There are different cultures that are influence by Kübler-Ross theories. Chinese cultures are to a great degree are undeniably negative in distributing their feelings. This considered dishonorable to the family and the individual who lost a loved one. As a rule, the initial mourning happens seven weeks following the loss, with additionally mourning practices proceeding for one hundred days and at times longer. The Chinese grieving practice intended more for honor, consoling the deceased and advancing his or her transition into the spirit world. These Chinese customs represent and strengthen the cultural connection with the deceased (Bonanno, Papa, Lalande, Zhang, Noll, 2005).

Inside the African  American culture, there is an assortment of sub-cultures and different groups as well as that influence an individual accepting the five stages of death. In the African American cultures, they come together to carry out the grieving period. They rely on their spiritual help of the community to get during the initial shock and the denial stage. Subsequently, they take part in customs to praise one’s death as a natural part to cross over to the next life. Therefore they participate in rituals to celebrate one’s life into the “afterworld” as they have done in their African legacy with conventional twenty-first-century practices. Most African Americans are prepared to experience grief because of their belief in life after death. During the mourning period family, friends pay respect due to not disrespecting the dead and with other cultures, food and preparations are accepted to ease the family of stress to prepare food for others. Their homecoming ceremony, there is powerful scripture read, acknowledgment, and songs sung that has been past down from their African ancestors (Collins, & Doolittle, 2006). The five stages can have an effect on these two cultures.

 For this reason, the cultural difference can impact the five stages of death.The  Chinese may experience depression due to wanting to discuss the death of an individual and their emotions with others. However, African American individual dealing death has the emotional support of the community. Yet the Chinese culture due to dishonor the family are not allowed to express anger or bargaining,  this could extend their depression due to cultural beliefs.  In fact, cultural differences may affect the five stages critically and prompt circumstances of hopelessness since individuals are continually looking for importance among these stages. Eventually, cultures differences impact the last phase of acceptance as most cultures endeavor to seek extra opportunity for the individual who is dying to give hope to survive the illness.

Overall,  the last stage of acceptance can be considerably more easily to some than others depending on their cultural belief. The individuals that feel abandoned after the sickness can discover acceptance through others if their cultures permit. Others can accept their emotions and enable themselves to experience the grieving process. Kubler-Ross studies are an excellent perception of how to cope with the loss of a family member or friend.

                                                                  References

Axelrod, J.(2006). The 5 Stages of Grief & Loss Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/

 Collins, W., & Doolittle, A. (2006). Personal Reflections of Funeral Rituals and Spirituality in a Kentucky African American Family. Death Studies, 30 (10), 957-969. Doi: 10.1080/07481180600925450

Bonanno, G. A., Papa, A., Lalande, K., Zhang, N., & Noll, J. G. (2005). Grief Processing and Deliberate Grief Avoidance: A Prospective Comparison of Bereaved Spouses and Parents in the United States and the Peoples Republic of China. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(1), 86-98. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=1&sid

Lifespan Development. (2011). PSY-100: University Success. Phoenix, AZ: Grand Canyon University.