There are many cultural differences for bereavement, death, and dying across religions and ethnicities

There are many cultural differences for bereavement, death, and dying across religions and ethnicities

Courtney Privette
There are many cultural differences for bereavement, death, and dying across religions and ethnicities. As a counselor, it would be important to know how different religions, ethnicities, and races view death and the services for the bereaved after the loss. One difference I know of is with people of the Jewish faith. Funerals must be done quickly after the death, it used to be custom to do a burial within 24 hours, though now I think people do not follow that as strictly to give people allow time for travel. This is important for their faith as well as the handling and washing of the body after death. Since I hope to be a Hospice counselor the topic for death and bereavement will be a major part of my duties. I will have to help families prior to death and help to ease their arrangement making by being able to work with the terminally ill patient. I will be able to ask them if they have arrangements and how I can help assist with the process to ease the burden on their family. I think the best way I could ask would be a simple, “What ways could I help you and your family to prepare for services or arrangements? Are there any calls or resources I can provide you and the family to help when the time comes?” I know that hospice has many options to help people prepare, but I know how difficult it is after the death of a loved one. My family has utilized hospice at least 4 times that I can recall: my dad, my maternal grandparents, and my beloved adopted grandmother. The counselors with Hospice were fantastic and really helped our family during the deaths of my loved ones. I hope to be able to use my empathy to assist others in their time of grief. As Chatraw and Prior (2019) say, it’s all about love, love makes.

In the video The Power of Empathy, the definition of is to have the ability to walk in another’s shoes and is important in maintaining relationships. Hook et al. (2017) discusses that we need to be aware of our limits and recognize those limits. Empathy bonds us with others according to the lecture video. I know this is true and I am an empathetic person. I often feel great emotion when others are upset or sad, I can cry with someone else. As a public-school educator and Christian, I try to be empathetic with my students when they discuss issues with me. I may not always understand or agree, but I try to understand the walk in their shoes when dealing with them. Students deal with different issues than I did as a teen, but I try to empathize with them in their walk to become an independent adult. I may not completely understand the conflict but I try to be genuine and express warmth to them. I pray for my students and during the summer, I worry about them and hope that my prayers keep them safe. I try to model Christianity to others, just by being loving, caring, and showing compassion. I am still a work in progress for sure, though I hope as I become stronger in my faith, I can help lead others to Jesus by just being loving and empathetic.

Chatraw, J. D. & Prior, K. S. (2019). : A crash course in contemporary issues. Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI.

Hook, J. N., Davis, D., Owen, J., & DeBlaere, C. (2017). Cultural humility: Engaging diverse identities in therapy. American Psychological Association.

Liberty University Online. (n.d.). HSCO 509 Week Six, The Power of Empathy, Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University.

Answer preview to There are many cultural differences for bereavement, death, and dying across religions and ethnicities

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