Attitudes of Senegalese Secondary School Students toward Death

Abstract

This questionnaire study investigated attitudes toward death of 340 Senegalese boys and 340 girls and their families, together with the ideals for which they might sacrifice their own lives and the time at which they would like to depart. The students, aged from fifteen to twenty-two years, described the following attitudes: 1) of their family toward death–resignation (26%), fear (23%), serenity (20%), and moralizing tendencies (19%); 2) their own attitude toward their own death–resignation (40%), fear (33%), serenity (14%), and moralizing tendencies (8%). Half the students might eventually lay down their lives 1) to defend their family (30%), 2) for some lofty ideals (21%), 3) for a better future (21%), 4) for love (11%), 5) for honor (9%) and 6) to save a person in danger (8%). Less than a third of our participants would like to know the exact date of their deaths. The main attitude of respondents and their parents, described as resigned and highly moralizing, was assumed to be the result of a four-century old Islamization which supersedes the serener attitude of the traditional society. This influence did not seem to be as significant concerning the sacrifice of one's life; half the students overlooked Islam's prohibition basically for reasons of solidarity.