Culture and Death: A Multicultural Perspective

The factor of culture plays a critical role on how people perceive and deal with death, dying and bereavement. Each culture is unique and holds different and authentic beliefs and customs. This literature review will provide information from different cultural backgrounds among the population of Hawaìi regarding death, dying and bereavement (beliefs, customs, rituals, expectations, processes, etc.). The information aims to provide social workers and other helping professionals with appropriate knowledge and skills applicable to the culture they are working with. Thus practitioners can increase their cultural competence.