Death,+Religion+and+Health+Care


 * Jeffrey Davies**
 * n8310963**
 * Judith Meiklejhon**



The Artifact is a picture of the top portion of a man’s body in the praying position, it is titled “Freedom of Religion” and means that anybody should be able to worship whatever religion they want. Within this picture there are two faces one man and one woman in praying the praying position; amongst the faces are various religious symbols that represent different religions. Christianity is represented through the cross, Islam is represented through the star and crescent moon, the six sided star indicates Judaism, Buddhism is represented through the Eight-Spoke Dharma Wheel or 'Dharmachakra and the Aum is the symbol for the Hindu faith.
 * Artifact**


 * Public Health Issue**

Australia is well known as a multi-cultural country. While this has its benefits it makes it difficult for the Australian heath care system to serve the public effectively (ABS, 2001). Having such a religiously diverse society means that there are many different beliefs towards health care that should be respected and more specifically around death and the treatment the deceased (ABS, 2001). The issue is that within the health care industry the hospital and pre hospital workers do not have sufficient knowledge on the different religious attitudes and practices with regards to death. The Issues arise in the health care system when a paramedic or hospital staff makes a simple unknowing mistake in the handling of a dead body that causes religious or cultural disrespect to the deceased and outrage to the effected community. So this is why having culturally/religiously educated health care workers is an issue for currant health care.


 * Literature Review**

Australia is a very multicultural country which has become home to many immigrants and their families. The Australian population has been split into 5 major strands of religion Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, atheism and Christianity (ABS, 2001). These beliefs hold different values and beliefs towards a deceased body, the circumstances around it and the handling of the body (Bauer-Wu, 2007). The Australian population is predominantly Christian with nearly 67% of all Australians believing in one of the numerous strands of Christianity (ABS, 2001). The next biggest religious group in Australia is Buddhism which has only 1.9% but this does not mean that Australians can afford neglect the proper cultural care for religious/cultural groups other than Christianity. The percentage breakdown of religions in Australian is 67.5% Christianity, 1.9% Buddhism, 1.5% Islam, 0.5% Hinduism, 0.4% Jehovah witness and 0.4% Judaism (ABS, 2001). The differences in beliefs around death can vary greatly when it comes to handling of the dead. For example the Judaism believes that immediately after death the eyes of the deceased should be closed and to leave a body alone or eat or drink in front of a dead body is a great sign of disrespect to the deceased (Rich, 2011). Some of the beliefs that Judaism holds are the same as Islam, they share that eyes should be closed immediately after death and go to ask further modesty by requesting that a sheet should be placed over the dead body immediately after death and the deceased should be buried as soon as possible. The Muslims also believe that breaking of the bone of the dead is just as bad as if they were alive so this lead to many complication when issues such as autopsy and organ donation arise (Rules about burial… n.d.). Organ donation and autopsy are extremely controversial issues and if knowledge of these issues is not taught to professionals involved this could bring about many cultural problems. Hinduism believes that there should be no life support, no autopsy and no organ donation (Hind way of life, n.d.). Hinduism teaches that straight after death there are strict instruction on the handling of the dead, where possible the deceased should be put as close to the ground as possible and with feet facing south and there should be minimal physical contact with the body. An oil lamp is sometimes also placed at the feet of the dead body but is not essential (Hind way of life, n.d.). The most disrespect full handling of a dead body would be if a married women’s pendant is removed or the sacred cloth is removed from the shoulder of a man (Hind way of life, n.d.).The predominant religion in Australia is Christianity, which only ask that the deceased is shown common respect for a dead body (closing of eyes and modesty) (Bauer-Wu, 2007).

As seen there is a lot of ways the health industry can cause disrespect to the deceased and family that believe in minority religions and may even jeopardize the position in heaven for these individuals. An account of this occurred in the United Kingdom where a 15 year old boy was involved in a car accident and lost vast amounts of blood and was in need of a desperate blood transfusion. The boy still remained conscious and refused to take a blood transfusion on account of his Jehovah witness faith (Schlesinger, 2010). Jehovah witnesses who are sometimes referred to a strand of Christian faith believe that the acceptance of donation of blood or blood product such as organ donation will jeopardize their position in heaven (Schlesinger, 2010). A problem like this may be wrongly dismissed under the pretense that it is highly doubtful that this would occur due to the unlikely probability of such an event occurring in Australia. When looking at the census data in relation to religion and total population it was discovered that approximately one million people in Australia believe in a religion other than atheism and Christianity, which means that close to one in 20 Australians are of the hold a religious beliefs other than Christianity and atheism (ABS, 2001). A statistic like this indicates that the likelihood of a death of someone who holds a belief other than Christianity or atheism occurring in hospital or pre hospital care is actually quite likely. Thus with large differences in how these non-Christian religions approach death and the treatment of the deceased, the need for education of hospital and pre hospital workers in handling dying and deceased patients is evident so as to avoid disrespect to deceased’s family and culture.


 * Cultural and social Analysis**

The lack of cultural education for hospital and pre hospital staff will mostly affect the minority religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Jehovah witness, Islam and Judaism (ABS, 2001). The affect that will be felt because of not having culturally ignorant paramedics and hospital staff is that these religious minorities will start to lose trust in the healthcare industry and may even start to fear the hospital and paramedics (Dezutter, 2009). This loss of trust combined with confusion generated through having possible language barrier will create a large deterrence for immigrants from a religious minority, leading to possible avoiding of hospitals and paramedics. The avoidance of hospitals and paramedics could eventually be detrimental to the patient’s health (Rich, 2011). Not having a public health care system that adequately provides for religious minorities is an act of discrimination to these religious communities. This discrimination is the exact opposite of the social theory of egalitarianism (Ruger, 2004). The egalitarianism social theory is about equality or all people in all aspects of life. Egalitarianism in a health care setting would mean that all patients should receive equal quality of care and this would also apply to the handling of the deceased (Ruger, 2004). Australia is a democratic society meaning that all people have equal rights and responsibilities and this should be reflected in the hospital and pre hospital environment where the egalitarianism theory should be applied. If the egalitarianism theory of equal quality of care was to applied to the health care industry, than this would require culturally educated hospital and pre hospital staff (Ruger, 2004). Having culturally/religiously sensitive healthcare workers in relations to death and religion would help to limit the number of offences to religious minorities and disrespect to their dead (Dezutter, 2009). Reducing the number of culturally disrespectful and offensive accidents occurring would help to reinstall trust in the health care industry and thus make hospitals and paramedics more approachable for immigrants and or minority religions. Having culturally sensitive paramedics and hospital staff could also avoid public outrage and or litigation for offences caused accidently. Not having culturally sensitive health care worker could be seen as an act of social discrimination and restricting the health care industries capacity to serve such a culturally diverse Australia public.


 * Analysis of Artifact**

The artifact is a picture depicting a man praying with two faces inside his face and within the picture there symbols for the 5 main religions in the Australia (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity) (ABS, 2001). This artifact means, as it says in the title, “religious Freedom,” this means that anybody can believe in any religion. In a health care setting religious freedom should be shown in the way that nobody is disadvantaged by their beliefs (Ruger, 2004). This artifact is thus showing that having culturally clued in paramedic is important so as to avoid religious minority discrimination. This discrimination is direct opposite of what social theory of egalitarianism is about. Egalitarianism is that everybody should be treated with equality, which in the health care setting is providing the best possible individual health care no matter what religion is followed (Ruger, 2004). What has been discovered is that there is 5 main strands of religion in Australian Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, behave wittiness and Judaism and that each religion has different belies on the handling of the deceased and what is acceptable and what is disrespectful(ABS, 2001). This mean that in Australia it is necessary for further training to be delivered to existing health care workers in the hospital and pre hospital so that public health services can best serve the public in relation to death, culture and religion.

Topic: Alcohol drinking badass Student: Amanda Giang Student Number: 07388187
 * Comments**

I enjoyed reading your view on alcohol consumption among Australia's Generation Y. Interesting use of such an abstract artefact that linked in very well with your health issue. I also like how you had a large wealth of knowledge and backed up you argument with a wide variety of statistics. The conclusion was very good as it was to the point and summed up and finished the assignment strongly.

Topic: Generation Y - The Peter Pan Generation, or are we? Student **: ** Hiu Kwan Tung Student Number **: ** n7691882

I found I fascinating to see your outlook on generations y’s health in relation their individualism. I found the article a interesting read because I have never thought about individualism and health and how they relate. A good point you made was about that gen y is the most highly educated generation but it is still hard to find jobs. I think you concluded well when you touch on gen y having too much self-construction from their parents. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001). Religious Affiliation. Retrieved from


 * References**

[]

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Dezutter J.(2009). The role of religion in death attitudes: distinguishing between religious belief and style of processing religious contents. Death studies(0748-1187), 33(1) ,  p.73. Retrived from: [|http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=2b94e2a8-0f36-4c17-ba39-35f2730c7f92%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&jid=DEA]

F. Paxton (2011). Christianity Death Rites, History of. Retrieved from []

F. Schlesinger (2010). Jehovah's Witness, 15, crushed by car dies after refusing blood transfusion because of his faith. Retrieved from []  (0269-9702) Fulton, Robert L (1958). "The Sociology of Death: A Neglected Area of Research". //Social forces //, 36 (3), p. 205.

Gibson M(2007). "Death and mourning in technologically mediated culture.” Health sociology review(1446-1242), <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">16(5) , <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">415 . Retrived from: []

Hindu way of life(n.d.). Hindu death rituals and beliefs. Retrieved from []

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Hussein H (2009). <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Influences of religion and culture on continuing bonds in a sample of British Muslims of Pakistani origin. Death studies, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">33 (10) , <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> p. 890. Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=106&sid=60213efa-b40e-4997-a3ae-d07708fe07bf%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=c8h&AN=2010455659]

Ruger, J. (2004). Health and Social Justice. The Lancet, 364, retrived from : []

Rules about Burial of the dead Body (n.d.).Rules about Burial of the dead Body. Retrieved from []

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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Waldrop, Deborah P. (2011). <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Denying and Defying Death: The Culture of Dying in 21st Century America. The Gerontologist, <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">51 (4) , <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> p. 571. Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=106&sid=60213efa-b40e-4997-a3ae-d07708fe07bf%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=c8h&AN=2011231189]

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Zeiler K.(2009). <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Deadly pluralism? Why death-concept, death-definition, death-criterion and death-test pluralism should be allowed, even though it creates some problems. Bioethics(0269-9702), <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">23(8) ,<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;"> p.450. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2008.00669.x