American Attitudes Towards Death and DyingFrom Visible to Invisible DeathSlide 3John D. Morgan Canadian philosopher and thanatologistFactors influencing invisible deathSlide 6Slide 7Attitudes of Invisible DeathSlide 9Slide 10Ethnic variations in attitudes towards deathSlide 12Slide 13Death, Dying and AcculturationFinal issuesHerman Feifel editor of the book ‘The meaning of Death’ – seminal work bringing death and dying to the American scholarly communityAmerican Attitudes American Attitudes Towards Death and DyingTowards Death and DyingDusana RybarovaDusana RybarovaPsyc 456 Psyc 456 July 2007July 2007From Visible to Invisible From Visible to Invisible DeathDeath•Visible deathVisible death–Death recognized and orchestrated by the dying person, Death recognized and orchestrated by the dying person, preparing for dyingpreparing for dying–Manual for a dying person ‘Ars moriendi’ to achieve Manual for a dying person ‘Ars moriendi’ to achieve peaceful and graceful death (dying and funeral as public peaceful and graceful death (dying and funeral as public rituals with personal assistance of close ones, forgiveness, rituals with personal assistance of close ones, forgiveness, meditation)meditation)•Filtered death in Early AmericaFiltered death in Early America–Between 1600 and 1830Between 1600 and 1830–Funeral processions, awareness of deathFuneral processions, awareness of death–Postmortem photography publically displayedPostmortem photography publically displayed–Increased value in family relationship shifted the initiatives Increased value in family relationship shifted the initiatives surrounding death from the dying person to the familysurrounding death from the dying person to the family–Shift from personal psychological event to collective Shift from personal psychological event to collective sociocultural eventsociocultural eventFrom Visible to Invisible From Visible to Invisible DeathDeath•Invisible DeathInvisible Death–Current funeral practices adopted by European Current funeral practices adopted by European AmericansAmericans–Feelings and thoughts are kept privateFeelings and thoughts are kept private–health and funeral institutions dominate the health and funeral institutions dominate the procedures surrounding deathprocedures surrounding death•ThanatologyThanatology-Interdisciplinary study of death and dyingInterdisciplinary study of death and dying-Established in the wake of WW IIEstablished in the wake of WW II-Has roots in psychology, sociology, anthropology, Has roots in psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, theology, biology, medicine, social philosophy, theology, biology, medicine, social work, ethics, law and other disciplineswork, ethics, law and other disciplinesJohn D. MorganJohn D. Morgan Canadian philosopher and thanatologistCanadian philosopher and thanatologist‘‘Our North American death system, … is the Our North American death system, … is the result of our limited exposure, which is a result of our limited exposure, which is a result of our high life expectancy, … but in result of our high life expectancy, … but in many ways, our life is no different from many ways, our life is no different from that of the peasant in the 14that of the peasant in the 14thth century. The century. The peasant missed a fully human life because peasant missed a fully human life because he or she was inundated with death. We he or she was inundated with death. We do not live fully because we reject death. do not live fully because we reject death. (1995:40-42)(1995:40-42)Factors influencing invisible Factors influencing invisible deathdeath•IndustrializationIndustrialization–Increased living standardsIncreased living standards•food production, better housing, expanding public food production, better housing, expanding public education, improving water and sewage facilities, new education, improving water and sewage facilities, new communication and transportation meanscommunication and transportation means•Modern medicineModern medicine–New medical technologies, immunization programs, New medical technologies, immunization programs, sterile treatment facilities, hospitalssterile treatment facilities, hospitals–% deaths in US. Hospitals (1900 – 20%, 1994 – 80%)% deaths in US. Hospitals (1900 – 20%, 1994 – 80%)•Life expectancy and the familyLife expectancy and the family–After WWII life expectancy increased by 20 yearsAfter WWII life expectancy increased by 20 years–Infant mortality decreased from 29.2 per 1000 live births Infant mortality decreased from 29.2 per 1000 live births in 1950 to 8.2 in 1992in 1950 to 8.2 in 1992–We view death as an event that happens in old ageWe view death as an event that happens in old ageFactors influencing invisible Factors influencing invisible deathdeath•Geographic MobilityGeographic Mobility–Distance often separates family and friends as Distance often separates family and friends as changes in employment and lifestyle require changes in employment and lifestyle require moving (decline in personal contact with extended moving (decline in personal contact with extended family)family)•Death and LanguageDeath and Language–Approach avoidance conflictApproach avoidance conflict–Obsessive fascination with death in literature, TV, Obsessive fascination with death in literature, TV, film, humor film, humor –Obsessed not to speak about death directly (using Obsessed not to speak about death directly (using the word ‘death’ more often when we are not the word ‘death’ more often when we are not speaking about death than when we arespeaking about death than when we areFactors influencing invisible Factors influencing invisible deathdeath•Death and the MediaDeath and the Media•Death is abstract and superficially Death is abstract and superficially portrayedportrayed–Death is fun and revocableDeath is fun and revocable•Cartoon charactersCartoon characters–Death is brutal but fastDeath is brutal but fast•Death is resolved in 60-90 minutesDeath is resolved in 60-90 minutes–Death is horrible but distantDeath is horrible but distant•Happens to people other than usHappens to people other than usAttitudes of Invisible DeathAttitudes of Invisible Death•AttitudesAttitudes–Relatively lasting patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving Relatively lasting patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving towards somethingtowards