|
Death is universal. Responses to death, however, vary widely across differnt cultures. Furthermore, when examining death rituals crossculturally it is easy to attribute the same symbolic significance to similar rituals. After looking at the rituals ,used in the context of the culture they were created in, the symbolic meaning can be quite different.
Today there is a debate amongst anthropologists in regards to interpreting bahvior crossculturally. Some anthropologists believe that "commonalities in psychological make up, experience, and behavior in all humans" exist and can be used to "explain the products of their activity" (Lonner & Steel, 1994). This approach supports the idea that when humans are removed from their cultural environment basic truths about all humans will be revealed. The implications of this arguement are that there are some kind of inherent human qualities and that across every culture these qualities remain constant. Furthermore these qualities are thought to be used the same way when creating and interpreting behavior. The opposing side of the debate believes that "behavior can only be understood with the framework of a certain social environment and more broadly with in the culture" (Lonner & Steel, 1994). This view supports the notion that humans create their own reality and that "explanations of human behavior are at least in part determined by the sociocultural and historical forces that infringe upon, interact with, and are invented by the very people who formulate them" (Lonner & Steel, 1994). Thus, the meaning of a certain behavior is not only not universal but it is highly intertwined with the cultural aspects (beliefs, morals, societal structure) of a specific society.
Many research studies have tried to examine these two opposing view points about crosscultural interpretations of behavior. The majority of the research that has been covered supports emphasizing the situational aspects of death rituals when interpreting these rituals crossculturally. Emotional aspects of funerals have been used as an example to support taking situational context into account when interpretating death rituals crossculturally. Crying at funerals is a common occurence here in America. We cry for a variety of reasons; sadness, anger, desparation may be a few reasons we cry at funerals. In other cultures crying is also common at funerals. However, it would be presumptuous to attribute the same reason for crying in other cultures as we do to crying in America. In Adamanese culture "crying is not a spontaneous expression of feeling, in fact it is mandatory on certain occasions, including funerals, to symbolize the attachment between persons which is of such importance in Adaman society. In other words the purpose of the rite is to affirm the existance of social bond between two or more persons" (Huntington, 1991). This is just one example that supports the theoretical stance that behavior is affected by, and should be interpreted with, the cultural context where it takes place.
Another example ,which works to support the theoretical stance that the interpretation of behavior is highly subjective to the environment the behavior take place with in, is the prepartion of the corpse before the ceremony. In America we prepare the body for burial. We embalm the body and often dree the body in fancy clothes to be buried. It has been suggested that this ritual is preformed because the "sacred quality of man exists in the soul and spirit, and that the body, as a temple or chamber for the spirit during life, deserves decent and respectful treatment" (Haberstein, 1960). This idea is deeply embedded in the overall beliefs and values of the dominant population of Judeo/Christian religion in the United States. In some parts of Africa the corpse is bathed and dresses as well. Some Africans believe that there is a long journey between this world and the next (Opoku, 1989). It is alo cited that some Africans believe that death is a continuation of life and not an ending (Opoku, 1989). Thus, the body is bathed and dressed in a manner to represent these beliefs of travel for a difficult journey. Therefore, although the ritual
of 'grooming' of the deceased for burial may look similar for both Americans and Africans the symbolic aignificance of the rituals are quite different.
It is true that death is universal. Although, we can see that death touches lives across all cultures, it would seem to be neglectful to dismiss the cultural context where the rituals that surround death take place.
|
| |
