Korean Cultural Consideration of Death and Dying - Essay Example

? Korean Cultural Consideration of Death and Dying Korean Cultural Consideration of Death and Dying Introduction Death and dying is considered a universal part of human experience across the globe (Dennis, 2009). Human beings have different beliefs, practices and feelings that vary widely across diverse cultures and religions. The nursing profession is particularly affected by the diverse cultural beliefs concerning death and dying which need to be understood in order to be able to handle patients well. This is so because many patients that come from different cultures tend to believe that the kind of care that they receive must be in line with their cultural beliefs. Most cultures hold the belief that the dying process is never rosy. This being the case, people should be aware that individuals do not need to undergo a lot of pain and suffering only due to cultural beliefs. The paper will explore Korean cultural approaches to death and dying. In particular, the paper will explain unique concepts with regard to the culture in relation to death and dying. It will also look at how the Korean Culture presents death and dying rituals, and the similarities and differences between that culture and American culture. Korean Approaches to death and dying The Asian Health Support Service (2004) notes that customs pertaining to death and dying are much dependent on a person’s age, religion, marital status, manner of death, status in the society and area of residence. These factors greatly affect the manner in which the Koreans perceive death and dying. They perform certain cultural rituals as a way of giving the bereaved an opportunity to abide by the set obligations of the deceased person (Asian Health Support Service). The Koreans have very strong family ties especially when one of the family members is sick. In this case, when one is admitted to the hospital, he receives many visitors who provide them with encouragement and consolation. At the time of being in the hospital, the patient is expected to have somebody by his or her side until the patient is ready to be discharged. In case the condition of the patient gets worse, the community prefers that the patient is discharged before his death so that he/she can be taken back home alive. It is also worth noting that the culture does not prefer a patient being admitted in a nursing home for care (Schwartz, 1997). This is because traditionally, the culture reveres dying at home so as to avoid the dead transforming into a kaekkwi (evil spirit). In this respect, members of the family make every attempt to ensure that any sick person is taken back home before he/she dies irrespective of whether or not the patient is receiving treatment in hospital. The Korean people believe that it is a misfortune to bring a dying patient’s body home. However, doing so before his/her death is a sign of respect, as noted by the Asian Health Support Services (2004). For a long time, this belief was so engraved in the people’s culture to an extent that disobeying it was disrespectful to the deceased and the bereaved family. It is, however, worth noting that within the contemporary setting, the custom is dying off. The Asian Health Support Services (2004) notes that the Koreans’ way of thinking and cultural beliefs are changing drastically, and many hospitals in Korea have rooms established to shelter bereaved families. Some rooms are also specially established for holding funerals for the grieving families. This is one way by which the Korean government and hospitals are ensuring that cultural beliefs of the people do not lead to preventable deaths. The patients in this respect continue receiving specialized treatment up to the time of death. Koreans Present Death and Dying Rituals Koreans present their death rituals in a unique way in line with their culture and customs. Crying and wailing is also a part of the death rituals among the Korean people (Kim & Loyola University Chicago, 2008). When one dies, family members flock the home of the deceased crying to show their helpless grief. Crying is also assumed to be a sign of respect to the dead. This is also done with the aim of passing information to the neighborhood that a family has lost its loved one. Anyone who does not cry is seen as an enemy or one who does not like the deceased. The Asian Health Support Service (2004) notes that when a Korean dies, their culture demands that the mourners dress in a white hemp mourning cloths specifically for the funeral. No one is expected to dress in clothing different from the white hemp. The people believe that it is a sign of respect to the bereaved and the deceased. Anybody who goes against this is met with resistance and may be shunned in the community as he or she is seen to be disrespectful to the culture. To the contrary, the Koreans usually do not put on white hemps when no one has died. Schwartz (1997) observed in his interview with a Korean that wearing white ribbon was meant to pass the message that one’s parent had died. The Koreans also perform certain rituals in commemorating the dead. Schwartz (1997) in his interview with a Korean found out that when a Korean dies, there must be a memorial service organized to mourn the deceased. During this period, Korean women cook food to be eaten by the visitors, and the cooking is done throughout the night. The mourning also involves displaying the picture of the deceased for everyone to get a glimpse of it in memory of the deceased. When a Korean dies, his/her body has to be washed and oil has to be applied on his/her body after which he/she is dressed in a beautiful colorful dress (Schwartz, 1997). Also, when a Korean dies with his/her eyes open, they are to be shut by using cotton wool. The dead is then laid on a cotton pillow. During the mourning period visitors gather at the deceased’s home and engage in intense conversation throughout the night without sleep. Their conversations are mainly centered at the deceased. They also engage in fund raising to help the bereaved family (Schwartz, 1997) and often bow before the dead to show respect to them. Schwartz (1997) notes that during the mourning period, Koreans set a table full of food. Here a bowl served with rice and fish is brought to the table specifically for the soul of the deceased to eat. They are expected to eat using chop sticks placed inside the bowl. During the celebration, the Koreans open the door slightly before starting to eat to give way to the soul of the deceased. Unique concepts that surround the Korean culture's of death and dying The mourning period is a factor that is extremely unique in the Korean Culture. Once a member of a family dies, they ensure that his death is mourned for a period of three or five days. This period can be extended to more than five days depending on the status of the deceased or the season. Schwartz (1997) observed that during summer season the body of the deceased can stay for a period of three day as opposed to winter when the body can stay for about seven days before the body is buried or cremated. It is worth noting that during this period the body of the deceased should be left unattended if it is at home. Any form of attendance is considered a taboo since it goes against their cultural beliefs and customs in relation to death and dying. Age is a factor that determines the manner in which a Korean gets his last send off. When an old Korean dies, tradition demands that he/she should be buried in accordance with the traditional customs. However, this is not the case when a young Korean dies; in this case their culture demands that his/her body should be cremated. This practice is so engraved in the Korean culture as their belief that an elder is a respected member of the family, thus, his/her body has to be buried at home as a sign of respect (Asian Health Support Service, 2004). Also, according to the Korean culture, the death of a child could pass without anyone noticing, apart from the family members. This is because according to the Korean Culture, no one really cares much about a child’s death. Koreans believe that a child’s death is a bad luck. In American culture, death is viewed as a mysterious and unfortunate event as noted by Durkin (2003). Death and dying, although accepted as natural part of life, generate fear and are a source of real discomfort in the American culture (Koenig & Gate-Williams, 1995). Unlike it is with the Korean culture, Americans prefer to have relatives die in hospitals as opposed to home environment. Like it is with the Korean culture, the American culture demands that the dead should be given a lot of respect. Although it is abnormal for the Koreans to attend to the dead body traditionally, this is a norm with the American culture going by the processes that are carried on the dead like autopsy and embalming (Durkin, 2003). Closely related to this, the dead in America are handled by professionals mainly and not laypeople, as in the case of the Koreans. In conclusion, I have learnt that understanding people’s cultures with respect to their approach to death and dying is important in giving the kind of care required. I have learnt that a Korean patient prefers to have a family member close to him/her when he/she is bed ridden or at his/her deathbed. This shows how they value family ties and blood relations. I have also learnt that the Korean culture mostly requires that the patient should die at home; needless to say, this approach as such is in most cases resistant to nursing home care. I have also been able to discover that there are certain similarities and differences in the Korean and American cultural approaches to death and dying. In American culture, professionals handle the dead mainly while laypeople can briefly handle the dead especially when taking them home. References Dennis, D. (2009). Living, dying, grieving. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Kim, H. & Loyola University Chicago (2008). Impact of spirituality and religion on attitudes toward death and dying among Korean seniors living in Chicago. Ann Arbor. Koenig, B. & Gate-Williams, J. (1995). Understanding cultural difference in caring for dying patients. Western Journal of Medicine. 163(3): 244–249. Schwartz, E. (1997). Death practices from a Korean perspective. Retrieved 7 February, 2011 from http://www.indiana.edu/~famlygrf/culture/jschwartz_culture.html Durkin K. (2003) Death, dying, and the dead in popular culture. Retrieved 7 February, 2011 from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/5234_Bryant__Death,_Dying,_Dead,_Popular_Culture.pdf Read More