Although death itself is a human universal, the process of dying is a cultural variable. This paper examines the process of dying in a Squamish Indian society, a Plains Indian society, and an Irish society. It shows that the concepts and processes surrounding death are mediated by a plethora of socioeconomic, political, and religious factors. The case examples also show that the process of dying has several stages which span many years before death and continue long after. Essential to participation in these cultural processes is the enculturation of appropriate and specific behaviors, values, and ideologies.
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