Dying as a Cultural Concept:A Nursing Perspective

In the world today, there exists many different types of cultures. Society is composed of many different people from all types of backgrounds that make it culturally diverse. This paper will discuss the meaning of culture, as well as significant interpretations and theories of this term. This paper will also discuss dying, its meaning, interpretations that theorists may have on this topic, and end with an examination of culture and death and the relationship that they have.
Culture can mean various things. Culture can be thought of as a system of shared values, beliefs, and understandings about what words and actions mean, and the ways in which these values and beliefs are expressed (Showalter, n.d., para.10). Culture can also refer to the distinctive knowledge, habits, responses, ideas, language, and ways of living, working, or playing shared by a group of people (Showalter, n.d., para.10). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Culture and Diagnosis Group defines culture as ...