Death and Dying: Exploring Theoretical Concepts and Cultural Views

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of death and dying, encompassing theoretical concepts, cultural perspectives in Australia and overseas, and the role of palliative care. It explores the biological and spiritual aspects of life and death, including the five stages of grief, the concept of dying well, and the impact of cultural beliefs and customs on death rituals. The essay also examines the ethical frameworks of palliative care, the presence of death in everyday life, and the impact of sudden death on individuals and families, including SUDI and child palliative care programs in Australia. The essay draws on various scholarly sources and concludes by emphasizing the diverse ways in which individuals experience and approach death, highlighting the significance of cultural and religious beliefs and the importance of palliative care in providing quality of life for those approaching the end of life.

Running head: DEATH AND DYING
DEATH AND DYING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Death is regarded as one of the certainty in everyone’s lives and accordingly death is
analysed by individuals in various ways such as religious views can have an impact on how
individuals perceive death. Prior to that, the important action relates to death is that, one
should try to fulfil the wishes of a dying person (Colbert 2004). Many person analyses death
as something to fear about while others sees it as a momentous event. For instance, the
Roman Catholics do not fear death, as they welcome it as a momentous event. The essay
covers theoretical aspects of life, death and dying, cultural perspectives of death and dying in
Australia and overseas and the presence of death in every person’s life.
Discussion
As per the discussion from week 2, the essay covers the theoretical concepts of life,
death and dying. In order to understand the concept of death, it is important to analyse the
concept of life. From the biological point of view the natural phenomena mainly at the
cellular level constitutes the biological phases of life. Accordingly, from biological view
point, things within life have their own capacity to develop or maintain themselves by
engaging in processes like photosynthesis, cell generation and more (Glare and Virik 2001).
Apart from this, religion also plays a major role in the concept of life by explaining life
through spiritual components such as, the reason behind illness of individuals. As per the
concept of death, there is no clear explanation that a death person can come back to life to
share information regarding death. Death is categorised as real or not real, in case of real,
death is regarded as a simple termination, whereas in case of not real situation, the death is
regarded as the end of physical lie, but the soul remains immortal. In case of understanding

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death by children and young adults vary, as adults’ sees death from more realistic view
than young children. As per the theory of Tantalogy, it primarily focuses on the
psychological and social aspects of dying and death. Tantalogy main focuses on the changes
that take place in body while dying and experience the grief and death visions in large and
small groups. The five stages of death as proposed by DR. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross include
denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Sometimes it becomes difficult for
individuals to accept reality, whereas people when dealing with emotional dilemma can get
angry with others or with themselves. Bargaining tends to give sustainable solution in case of
life or death. The idea of dying well focus on making death as a positive experience and
accordingly tries to understand the priorities of the dying person, so that the goals can be
achieved. Dying in Australia is more institutional from other countries, as majority of people
dies in hospital because of lack of funds and medical facilities (Hegarty 2007). They mainly
experience lonely and impersonal death. Through death and life, humans tends to search for
the meaning of life, and as per this meaning of life is not judged by the days individuals
spend on the earth but by the quantity of positive vibration that radiated in individual’s life.
The concept of fear of death entangled with beliefs and customs, that is individuals tries
questioning their own beliefs and ideals. The myth about death and dying underpins the
role of ancient culture that explains natural occurrence of death such as it tries to explain that
dying is painful. Medication and medicalisation helps individuals to overcome death
through treatment and medication and uses marijuana and opioid based drugs in the treatment
of individuals (Green and Vries 2010). Prior to that medicalisation is considered as the new
death in the modern world.
The cultural perspectives of death and dying in Australia and overseas as discussed in
Week 3, explains behaviour and attitudes of individuals at the time of his own death. In
Australian context, religion does not play a significant role in case of death, but religions and

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beliefs plays a major role for overseas when individuals are analysed with life threatening
disease. As per the research, it has been proved that stronger the beliefs of people, individuals
are dedicated in completing the rituals as per their religious. For instance, grief and
physiologic expression among Mexican American students is more than Anglo students.
Similarly death rituals vary among different countries as per their beliefs and customs. In
case of Australia, when someone dies, crying is done silently and as per their tradition black
is wear at funeral time (Hansen, Mortensen and Olsen 2003). Apart from this, it is the
tradition of Australia, to leave flowers and cards to the closed ones as well to the strangers in
order o express sympathy. One such example is when Phillip Hughes passed away in
Australia, bats and caps were kept in front of people’s house. Monotheistic religion believes
that death is a glorious event, and through death individuals can see God. Palliative Care for
all Australians (2005) states that “Palliative care is care provided for people of all ages who
have a life limiting illness, with little or no prospect of cure, and for whom the primary
treatment goal is quality of life.” In case of dignified death, Euthanasia (EAPC 2005) is the
act that intentionally causes death of any individuals as per their request, to relieve the person
from suffering (Mitchell, Kiely and Hamel 2004).
From the discussion in Week 4, ethical framework of palliative care that tends to
provide quality life to patients by controlling their pain. As per the study, palliative care
provides positive results to families, patients and the hospitals. The lacks of palliative care in
other countries are distinguished as ethical failures. Australia delivers a large number of
palliative cares to patients in various health care settings (Swierssen and Duckett 2014). The
Australian Government, integrated legal framework for palliative care that will aim to
provide best ethical practices for individuals under palliative care and the palliative care was
introduced in order to complement the National Palliative Care Strategy. The palliative
framework covers four ethical values such as clinical integrity, justice, and respect for

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persons and providing benefits to person (Dolgoff, Lowenberg and Harrington 2009). In
relation to the palliative care policy of Australia, 2010 introduced new policy “Supporting
Australians to live well at the End of Life” that aims in creating awareness among people
and to implement appropriate method to treat people.
Week 5 mainly discuss about the presence of death in life that can bring shock by
sudden death of closed ones. Sudden death can result from traumatic death or from suicides.
In traumatic death the mourner has delicate encounter with the death person and this can raise
large number of issues. This can lead to severe problems such as Post traumatic Stress
Disorder, whereas suicide results in shame and guilt for closed ones or family members
blamed themselves for their death (Johnstone 2012). Immediate death might leave post
feelings that the person died did not get time to prepare for the death. SUDI explains infant
death that results from infant death syndrome (SIDS) and according to World Health
Organization (WHO), “children’s palliative care represents overall care for child’s mind,
body and spirit.” The Australian Department of Health and Ageing interlinked the
palliative care with curative care so that better care facilities can be provided to patients
(Doyle and Woodruff 2013). Australia provides special palliative care services to child’s
families suffering from life ending diseases and accordingly introduced child care programs
such as Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program (VPPCP). Prior to that, Australia
has introduced standards for children and adolescents care in heath sector that will provide
quality care and safety for patient.
Conclusion
From the above essay it could be concluded that the concept of life and death varies
for different person according to their customs, beliefs and religion and accordingly
Australian follows certain traditions while performing death rituals. Apart from this,

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Australia also introduced various palliative care policy to provide better quality life to
patients, approaching towards death.

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References
Colbert. M., 2004. The Medicalization of Death & Dying. in Life and Learning XIV, pp. 227-
238
Dolgoff. R., Lowenberg. F. and Harrington, D. 2009. Ethical decisions for social work
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Doyle. D. and Woodruff. R., 2013. The IAHPC Manual of Palliative Care. 3rd Edition.
IAHPC (International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care) Press. Houston, Texas.
Glare. P. and Virik. K. 2001. Can we do better in end of life care? The mixed management
model and palliative care. Med J Aust 2001; 175: 530-536.
Green, A.J., and de Vries, K. 2010. Cannabis use in palliative care—An examination of the
evidence and the implications for nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, pp. 2454–2462.
Hegarty, M. 2007. Care of the spirit that transcends religious, ideological and philosophical
boundaries. Indian Journal Palliative Care,13,42-7.
Johnstone,M.J.J. 2012. Advanced Care Planning for CALD Communities. Golden Years
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Li. J., Hansen. D. Mortensen. P. and Olsen J. 2003. Mortality in parents after death of a child
in Denmark: nationwide follow-up study. Lancet 2003; 361: pp. 363-366.
Mitchell, S., Kiely, D. and Hamel, M. 2004. Dying with Advanced Dementia in the Nursing
Home. Archives of Internal Medicine, 164, pp. 321-326.,

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Swerissen, H., Duckett, S. and Farmer, J., 2014. Dying well. Sydney, New South Wales,
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