มานุษยวิทยาว่าด้วยความตาย (Anthropology of Death) โดย ผศ. ดร.ดำรงพล อินทร์จันทร์ (Eng Sub)

Summary

This script explores the multifaceted nature of death across cultures, touching on medical, philosophical, and religious perspectives. It delves into the social impact of death, including legal implications and emotional responses, and discusses various death types and rituals. The script emphasizes death as a natural process intertwined with cultural practices, highlighting the importance of studying death for a holistic understanding of human life and society.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Death is a universal aspect of human life with various cultural interpretations and definitions.
• 💔 The impact of death extends beyond the individual, affecting society through legal, emotional, and religious dimensions.
• 🏥 Medically, death is declared when the heart stops beating or the brain ceases to function, but philosophically and religiously, it's seen as part of a larger journey.
• 📜 Legal declarations of death are crucial for relinquishing social rights and managing the deceased's affairs.
• 🕊️ Natural and unnatural deaths are distinguished by their causes, with natural death resulting from bodily malfunction and unnatural death from external factors.
• 🔍 Anthropology and sociology of death explore the cultural, religious, and social practices surrounding death, rather than the scientific or psychological aspects.
• 🏺 Archaeological findings suggest ancient burial practices reflect beliefs about the afterlife and the immortal soul.
• 🔥 Cremation practices vary, with dry and direct cremation methods indicating cultural beliefs about the handling of the deceased's body.
• 🦅 Tibetan funerals, including sky burials, demonstrate a belief in the immediate departure of the soul and the donation of the body to nature.
• 👻 Societal rituals and mourning practices often stem from a fear of the dead and a desire to appease or disguise oneself from spirits.
• 📚 Studying death is essential as it helps to understand the taboos, emotions, and cultural practices associated with it, and promotes empathy in medical care.

Q & A

What are the two main perspectives on defining death mentioned in the script?

The script mentions two main perspectives on defining death: the medical perspective, which declares death when the heart stops beating or the brain stops functioning, and the philosophical or religious perspective, which views death as a part of the life journey with an afterlife.

How does the script describe the impact of death on society?

The script describes the impact of death on society as both tangible and intangible. Legally, it's important to declare a person's death to remove their social rights. Emotionally, it brings grief when people lose loved ones. It also influences the worldview, thoughts, and emotions of the living through religious beliefs, leading to rites and rituals.

What are the two types of death discussed in the script?

The script discusses two types of death: natural death, which occurs through the natural process such as senility or illness, and unnatural death, which is caused by causes other than senility and illness, like suicides, murder, accidents, and other unknown causes.

What is the exception to unnatural death mentioned in the script?

The exception to unnatural death mentioned in the script is execution, which is considered a form of social control through the death penalty for committing a felony.

How does the script differentiate between the natural and cultural aspects of death?

The script differentiates by stating that death is a natural process and a phase of life, making it a natural phenomenon. However, the social patterns, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and economic and political institutions associated with death make it a cultural phenomenon as well.

What is the script's stance on whether death is an individual or a social matter?

The script posits that death is a social matter rather than an individual one. It affects not just the deceased but also their community and is managed by the living through rituals, beliefs, and social institutions.

What are the two types of burial practices described in the script?

The script describes primary burial, where the body is laid in a supine or crouched position, and secondary burial, where skeletons are collected after some time and reburied.

How does the script explain the significance of the cremation ceremony in certain cultures?

The script explains that the cremation ceremony, practiced by Brahman and Buddhist cultures, is significant as it reflects beliefs about the immortal soul and the afterlife. There are two types: dry cremation, where the body dries up before cremation, and direct cremation, which is done immediately or after storing the body for a few days.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between the management of dead bodies and beliefs about the afterlife?

The script suggests that the management of dead bodies, such as mummification by the Egyptians, reflects beliefs about the afterlife and the immortal soul. It indicates that even before the emergence of religions, there was a belief that the spirit lingers after the body has expired.

How does the script describe the role of anthropology and sociology in studying death?

The script describes the role of anthropology and sociology in studying death as focusing on the relationship between humans and death across various aspects like religion, traditions, beliefs, rituals, and family. It emphasizes the cultural dimension of death over the scientific, psychological, or philosophical.

What are the three main types of Tibetan funerals mentioned in the script?

The script mentions three main types of Tibetan funerals: water burial for commoners, fire burial for the rich, and sky burial, which is the most common and involves donating the body to vultures.

Outlines

00:00

💀 Perspectives on Death and its Social Impact

The script begins by acknowledging death as an inescapable aspect of life, viewed differently across cultures and disciplines. Medically, death is declared when vital functions cease, while philosophical and religious perspectives see it as a transition to an afterlife. The paragraph delves into the societal effects of death, including legal implications, emotional responses, and the influence of religious beliefs on rites and rituals. It distinguishes between natural and unnatural deaths, with the latter encompassing a range of causes outside of aging or illness. The script also touches on unique forms of death, such as martyrdom and capital punishment, and raises the question of whether death is a natural or cultural phenomenon, concluding that while it is a natural process, the associated emotions and social patterns are deeply cultural. The paragraph introduces the fields of anthropology and sociology of death, which examine the cultural dimensions of death-related practices and institutions.

05:02

🕊 Cultural and Historical Death Practices

This paragraph explores various cultural practices and beliefs surrounding death, from prehistoric burial customs to modern funeral services. It describes primary and secondary burials, as well as the practice of cremation, highlighting the significance of these methods in different cultures and religions. The paragraph also discusses the Egyptian practice of mummification, reflecting a belief in the immortality of the soul and the afterlife. It touches on the concept of the anatomical theatre and the communal response to death, emphasizing the importance of rites and rituals in societies such as the Tibetan community, which practices water, fire, and sky burials. The script also examines the fear of the deceased's spirits and the methods employed to cope with this fear, such as disguise and rituals. The paragraph concludes by questioning the necessity of studying death, noting its taboo status and the emotional and social complexities it entails.

10:04

🌟 The Evolving Understanding of Death

The final paragraph discusses the multifaceted nature of death, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding that incorporates medical, emotional, and cultural perspectives. It outlines the various lenses through which death is perceived, from medical professionals to the general public, and the importance of empathy in medical practice. The paragraph also addresses the communal aspect of death, suggesting that it is a shared experience that requires collaborative understanding and support. The script reflects on the evolution of death's definition in medical terms and the impact of societal changes on death-related practices. It concludes by examining the commercialization of funeral services and the broader implications of death on lifestyle choices, suggesting that while humans strive to prolong life, death remains an inevitable and uncontrollable part of the human experience.

Keywords

💡Death

Death is the permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. In the video, it is discussed from various perspectives, including medical, philosophical, and cultural. The script mentions that death is a natural process but also a social and cultural phenomenon, affecting society and individuals in profound ways, as seen in the discussion of grief and rituals.

💡Afterlife

The concept of an afterlife refers to a belief in a realm or state of existence after death. The script explores this idea through philosophical and religious lenses, suggesting that death is not the end but a transition to another form of existence, such as heaven or hell, which influences cultural practices and beliefs about the soul.

💡Rites and Rituals

Rites and rituals are formalized practices or ceremonies performed in connection with significant events, such as death. The video describes how these cultural behaviors are not only a way to honor the dead but also serve as a means for the living to process grief and maintain societal peace, as exemplified by the mourning ceremonies and the Tibetan sky burial.

💡Natural Death

Natural death is the result of the body's natural decline due to aging or illness. The script distinguishes it from unnatural death, noting that natural death is often seen as an expected part of life's cycle, which is reflected in the legal and societal acceptance of the end of life due to organ malfunction or senility.

💡Unnatural Death

Unnatural death refers to fatalities resulting from external causes rather than natural biological processes, such as accidents, murders, or suicides. The video script discusses this concept to highlight the variety of ways death can occur and the different societal and legal responses it elicits, including investigations and the classification of certain deaths like executions.

💡Martyrdom

Martyrdom is the act of suffering death or persecution for a cause or belief. The script mentions it as a form of death that carries a specific cultural or religious significance, where the individual willingly endures death for their convictions, often viewed with reverence and respect within their community.

💡Cremation

Cremation is a funeral practice that involves burning a corpse to ashes. The video describes two types of cremation practices, dry and direct, which are part of certain religious and cultural traditions, such as those of Brahmanism and Buddhism, reflecting beliefs about the soul and the afterlife.

💡Mummification

Mummification is a preservation method used in ancient Egyptian culture to prepare bodies for the afterlife. The script explains that this practice was based on the belief in the immortality of the soul and the need for the body to house the soul upon its return, demonstrating a deep cultural and religious connection to death.

💡Anthropology of Death

Anthropology of death is the study of human cultural patterns and behaviors surrounding death. The video emphasizes this field of study as a way to understand the social and symbolic aspects of death, including rituals, beliefs, and societal institutions, rather than focusing solely on the biological or medical aspects.

💡Social Control

Social control refers to the regulation of individual behavior through various means to ensure conformity to societal norms. The script mentions the death penalty as a form of social control, where the state imposes capital punishment for severe crimes, reflecting the power dynamics and moral judgments within a society.

💡Taboo

A taboo is a social or cultural prohibition or ban on a particular practice or topic. The video discusses death as a taboo subject in contemporary society, which is often avoided or hidden from public discourse, leading to a disconnection from everyday life and a lack of open discussion about the end-of-life issues.

Highlights

Death is viewed differently across cultures, with varied definitions in medical, philosophical, and religious contexts.

Death's impact extends beyond the individual to society, affecting legal, emotional, and religious aspects.

There are two main types of death: natural, caused by organ malfunction, and unnatural, resulting from external causes.

Execution is considered a unique form of death, distinct from natural and unnatural causes.

Death raises the question of whether it is a natural or cultural phenomenon, with the answer leaning towards its natural process and cultural expressions.

Anthropology and sociology of death explore the relationship between humans and death, focusing on cultural dimensions over scientific or psychological perspectives.

Archaeological findings show early human burial practices, indicating a prehistoric belief in the afterlife.

Cremation ceremonies have historical roots, with dry and direct cremation methods reflecting cultural beliefs about the soul's journey.

Egyptian mummification practices reflect a strong belief in the immortality of the soul and the need for the body as a vessel for its return.

Tibetan funerals, including water, fire, and sky burials, demonstrate unique cultural beliefs about the soul's departure and the body's disposition.

Death rituals and ceremonies are crucial for societal peace, providing a framework for grief relief and honoring the dead.

Studying death involves understanding its emotional, social, and cultural dimensions, and the need for sensitivity towards the bereaved.

Death is perceived differently by various stakeholders, including doctors, academics, and the general public, based on their experiences and worldviews.

The study of death is an art that requires adaptability and an understanding of the social and cultural context of each case.

Modern medical definitions of death have evolved to include brain death, facilitating organ transplants and reflecting societal and technological advancements.

Empathetic doctors play a crucial role in understanding death, incorporating social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions beyond the physical.

Death is a communal matter, involving not just the dying but also their intimate circle and community, necessitating collaborative understanding and support.

Contemporary funeral services have become commercialized, offering convenience and a range of packages, reflecting societal changes in dealing with death.

Death management in modern society is reflected in lifestyle choices aimed at prolonging life and temporarily forgetting about mortality.

Despite human efforts to control death, there remain uncontrollable instances such as accidents and natural disasters, highlighting the ultimate limits of our power over life.

Transcripts

When talking about some of the most universal aspects of human life,

it's unavoidable to talk about birth,

consumption,

senility,

illness,

and death.

Each culture has a different take on these topics.

The same holds true for death.

Even though everyone must face death,

its definitions are varied.

For example,

in medical terms,

death is declared when the heart stops beating or the brain stops functioning.

In terms of philosophy or religion,

death is just a part of the life journey,

because there is more that awaits beyond death

like the afterlife, the soul, hell, and heaven.

Although death is a personal matter,

but it doesn't affect just the individual.

It inevitably also affects the society

in both tangible and intangible ways.

For example,

legally, it's important to declare a person's death,

so that the person can no longer claim any social rights.

There's also the grief that occurs when people lose their loved ones.

Or the religious beliefs that determines the worldview,

thoughts, and emotions of the living,

thus leading to commonly known rites and rituals.

There are basically two types of death:

natural death and unnatural death.

Natural death occurs by the natural process

such as

senility or illness,

though, legally, senility is considered an illness.

Thus, this type of death is caused by the malfunctioning of certain organs.

Meanwhile, unnatural death is defined by other causes apart from senility and illness.

For example,

suicides,

murder,

animal attacks,

accidents,

and other unknown causes of death like dying in one's sleep.

One exception, however, is execution.

Besides, there are still other interesting manners of death.

such as

martyrdom,

which is the willingness to suffer for one's belief,

[Hara-kiri]

or executions

for committing a felony, aka the death penalty,

which is a form of social control.

From all of the above,

an important question emerges

about whether death is a natural or a cultural phenomenon?

The answer is,

death is a natural process as it's a phase of life.

So too are the feelings and emotions

that are expressed in relation to death

like sadness,

grief,

weeping, and others.

Then there're also social patterns that are associated with death,

whether it be rituals,

symbols,

beliefs and religions,

or economic and political institutions.

Death is consequently a social, rather than individual, matter.

Any arrangements associated with death

are made by the living for the dead,

namely, honoring,

mourning,

or observing the silence.

These all are examples of cultural behaviours.

Anthropology and sociology of death

focus on the relationship between humans and death in various aspects

such as religion,

traditions,

beliefs,

rituals,

family,

and make connections to relevant social institutions

that concerns death,

such as temples, schools, political institutions,

and economic institutions,

including the relationships between the living and the dead.

In other words,

anthropology inspects death in the cultural dimension more than the scientific,

the psychological, or the philosophical.

Next, we'll discuss the social characteristics, attitudes, and conceptual development regarding death.

As we know,

death is part of the human society since prehistoric times.

From archaeological excavations,

it's found that humans are often buried with their belongings, jewellery, or other valuables.

And for the burial, there is first the primary burial,

which is to lay the body in a supine or a one-sided crouched position.

Sometimes, the corpse can be found buried in a large earthenware container.

In the secondary burial,

the skeletons are collected after some time and then reburied again.

Next, the cremation ceremony

is a Brahman and Buddhist practice

which started from the late prehistoric and historic periods.

There are two types of cremation.

The first type is dry cremation.

It's a process where the body is left to dry up completely

before cremating,

then the ashes are put in a large earthenware container

which are then buried.

The second type is direct cremation.

The body will be instantly cremated or stored for 5 - 10 days before cremation.

The ashes are then put in an earthenware container and buried.

In addition, there are beliefs about the immortal soul and the afterlife

that are reflected in the Egyptian's mummification.

They believe that,

after people die, their soul leaves the body temporarily

to meet their gods in the afterlife and would return someday.

When the soul returns, it will need a vessel, and it must be its original body.

It can be seen that

the management of dead bodies reflects the belief about the afterlife which existed even before religions emerged.

This includes the belief about the body

that there's something possessing it.

Though the body has expired, the spirit still lingers.

It just changes to other forms.

In addition, a space is needed to manage the human body.

This is called the anatomical theatre

which was created for studying how the human body works.

Human beings view death as follows:

the dead and death means the end of life.

When a person dies, the living will step in and take care of it,

and not just one person but the whole family or community.

Therefore, the social practice indicates the community's view on death

and how they deal with it which leads to many rites and rituals that associate with death in that society.

For example,

the Tibetan funerals consist of three main types;

1. Water burial,

a funeral for commoners who are quite poor in Tibet;

2. Fire burial,

a funeral for the rich;

and lastly,

3. Sky burial

This method is chosen by more than 80% of Tibetans,

and it's only found in Tibet.

Tibetans believe that,

after death, the soul will instantly leave the body, leaving no reason to preserve the vacant body.

So, one important ritual that Tibetans prefer is to donate their body to the vultures.

To Tibetans, vultures are the dancers of the sky.

Their status is akin to god, so they can take the soul to heaven.

Apart from those mentioned earlier,

there are numerous other worldviews in diverse societies with various ritual patterns,

but in the end, they all share certain common points, which are

the relationship between the dead and the living,

the guiding of the soul to heaven,

and grief relief, which is a crucial part to uphold societal peace.

For example, the mourning ceremony

which stems mostly from fear of ghosts or the spirits of those who died.

Let's look at how humans deal with this fear.

We can see that there are attempts to dress differently to disguise themselves

so that the ghosts won't recognize them.

Some countries prefer to shave their head and wear odd clothes,

like wearing a sack or using the sack as a veil.

Some put makeup or fake scars on their face and body to look flawed.

At this point, you may be having some questions.

Why do we have to study death?

The first reason is that death has become a taboo topic

because it's something that needs to be covered up from the public or non-relatives.

As a result, death has become dissociated from present human life.

Death has been constructed to form a part of certain binary opposites like dirty and clean,

the dead and the living,

fortune and misfortune,

not to mention the disconnection between dead people and the home.

The responsibility is relegated to religious services and hospitals

to take charge of the dying from sickness to death.

Furthermore, death is the divide between human sadness and happiness

and is separated from social spaces to cemeteries and crematoriums.

Second, we do not deal with death rationally.

Death is full of emotions like sadness, grief,

loss, and separation.

Therefore, studying death requires a sensitivity

towards the feelings of family members as well as our own.

Third, death has social and cultural dimensions.

There are patterns and behaviours regarding death,

like rituals about death,

architecture and monuments that honour the memory of the dead, which vary in each society and culture.

Fourth, death is usually perceived through different lenses.

Whether a doctor, an average person, an academic, or a rural resident,

everyone views death differently according to their knowledge, experience,

and their perception of the world and human society.

Fifth,

to fathom death requires learning various case studies.

Diverse cases will allow us to fathom death

because every case involves different shades of emotions,

beliefs, and social and cultural context.

Sixth,

the study of death is an art.

Studying death isn't just about finding a fixed pattern behind it

but should take into account the flexibility and adaptability to the surrounding context.

This is the art of learning about death in each case appropriately.

Hence, death is a sophisticated and artistic topic

because it will always adapt to the social and cultural changes

and resists rigid definitions.

For example,

the medical definition of death has changed, for example,

from the state where the breathing stops to include brain death which allows for organ transplant surgeries.

Seventh,

death can benefit from doctors who have empathy.

It involves social and cultural dimensions,

not only just the physical dimension.

These include feelings and emotions.

Medical technologies aren't always the answer. Sometimes, a spiritual dimension has to be incorporated

for a better understanding of the patient's condition.

Eighth,

death is not a private matter but a matter for the community.

It's not just a personal matter of the dying

but concerns their intimate circle

relatives, and other community members.

Therefore, understanding it should be a collaboration

in order to understand human life and health and take care of terminal patients.

Thus, anthropology of death is the study of humans through death

which is present in human societies in the terms of their rituals,

beliefs, symbolic systems,

knowledge about death, and the power to manage death in modern society.

As mentioned before, death is usually perceived through various lenses

that change accordingly to each society or era.

And in this contemporary era, funerals have become a type of product and service.

In the past,

to organize funerals, arrange locations, find helpers, and put up decoration

are something that the host, relatives, or close friends in the community will arrange for the dead.

But in modern society,

funeral services are providing convenience for the host.

They will contact religious institutions or other service providers, offer different packages, and then charge money.

The funeral arrangements under capitalism

are not limited to humans only but also include pets like cats and dogs.

In modern society,

the meaning of death is dispersed and changes through the periods.

Death is both terrifying and pleasant at the same time

and is what humans have been trying to overcome.

Therefore, the management of death appears in many forms,

as individual arrangements or even governmental intervention.

That's why death is reflected in people's lifestyle,

in their anti-aging efforts,

life extension,

aerobic exercise,

yoga,

spa trips,

massages,

vegan food,

beauty enhancements, etc.

These lifestyles make humans forget about death temporarily

and have the strength to enjoy life

while ignoring for a moment that all these efforts can only prolong life

but not overcome death.

There remain many deaths that humans can't control

like accidents or natural disasters.