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changing attitudes toward death

Death Related Concerns. Four major concerns reappear consistently throughout history (at least from European perspective).One's own dying: often a reflection of fears and anxiety (e.g., long and painful death). One result is a living will.The death of one's self: what happens to the self at the moment of death. Does death equal a battle for your soul? Absolute nothingness?.

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changing attitudes toward death

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    1. Changing Attitudes Toward Death How our ancestors thought about death.

    3. More Death Related Concerns What happens to the self after death? Nothingness? Judgment? Spiritual reward? Dying, death, or bereavement of another For instance, a child wondering what happens if his/her parents die, or a husband wondering if the life insurance policy is large enough.

    4. Philippe Aries: Historical Western attitudes toward death and the dead Ancient History: the dead are impure. Bodies are placed outside of towns. Why does this make sense? Tame Death (500-1100 AD). Death is a familiar and public event. One calmly accepts the inevitable, the rationale is that death is merely “sleep” until the second coming. Poor are buried in common grave, rich in churches. Cemeteries are the public squares.

    5. Western attitudes toward death Death of the self (1100-1600) In the 12th century the emphasis on the last judgment became more important. Thus, death can now be a threatening event. Moment of death was now viewed as a threatening ordeal where your soul’s fate was decided. A key element of this philosophy is a view of the self as unique and distinct. Combination of fascination with and revulsion of the body. Coffins are used, faces are shrouded.

    6. Western attitudes toward death Remote and imminent death (1600-1800) Transition period. Renaissance and Reformation leads to a loosening of religious controls. Death is viewed as natural and beautiful, but also as fearsome and dangerous. Fascination with cadavers. Eroticisation of death as people keep parts of the dead (e.g., heart, or hair) Cemeteries are moved outside of town, no longer viewed as social places.

    7. Western attitudes toward death Death of the other (1800-1900) Focuses on the relationships broken by death. Death is beautiful and a release from suffering. Death is “sleep” until you are reunited with loved ones. The afterlife does not involve suffering. The dead are “pseudo” living. May haunt places, leading to rise in spiritualism. Cemeteries are still outside of towns. They are feared (haunted) and unclean. However……

    8. Death of the other Government takes role of burial away from church. Private graves and markers become the norm. Now cemeteries are decreed clean and the idea of the family visit to the cemetery is born. All this leads to the “cult of the dead” (e.g., tombs, ornate private markers, private plots)

    9. Western attitudes toward death Death denied, forbidden death, invisible death (1900-today) Death is medicalized and banished from the home. Death is not natural, instead it is a failure of the doctor. It is offensive and should occur in private. Daily life is unmarked by death. Emotion is frowned upon. Often the dying and bereaved are isolated. Morticians create the illusion of life.

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