Deck 2: The American Experience of Death

Question 1

The meaning of death

A)varies from culture to culture.
B)is the same in every culture.
C)is the same in every religion.
D)is the same for every individual.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The _______________ meaning of death consists of symbols that are socially created and socially used.

A)social meaning
B)philosophical meaning
C)biological meaning
D)psychological meaning

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the key factor that unites biological entities?

A)Social role
B)Relationships
C)The situation
D)Shared meaning

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The Puritans encouraged each other to _____________ death.

A)look forward to
B)think about
C)be anxious toward
D)fear

Question 5

The centralist theory of the diagnosis of death

A)was the prominent view in the 14th century.
B)proposed that the entire body and every organ and cell possessed the life force.
C)has been resurrected by the modern theory of brain death.
D)was that death was not permanent.

Question 6

According to Leming and Dickinson, which of the following is true?

A)People who have weak religious commitments are most likely to fear death.
B)People who have strong religious commitments are most likely to fear death.
C)People who have moderate religious commitments are most likely to fear death.
D)Atheists are more likely to fear death.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is false ?

A)In most areas of America, a basically "Puritan Way of Death" persisted until the 19th century.
B)The "ideology of separate spheres" contributed to more open discussion of death in American society.
C)At the turn of the 20th century, the funeral industry attempted to keep death out of sight and out of mind.
D)Middle-class Americans wished to experience death with order .

Question 8

Death was "resurrected" after 1945; why?

A)The atomic age brought about the possible annihilation of the entire human race.
B)The losses of millions of soldiers in WWII "brought death home" for the world.
C)People began to fear death more because of the increase in infant deaths.
D)Society began to look inward for answers, and death as a topic naturally evolved.

Question 9

Cremation has gained increased acceptance because of __________________.

A)changes in religion
B)unavailability of space for earth burials
C)availability of technological devices
D)behaviors of society

Question 10

Decentralism

A)proposed that the entire body and every organ and cell possesses the life force.
B)was the prominent view in the 17^th century.
C)proposed the theory of brain death.
D)proposed that death was once in a lifetime experience.

Question 11

_____________________ are the means by which socially created meaning is shared in the process of human interaction.

A)Societies
B)Dyads
C)Symbols
D)Cultural expectations

Question 12

Which of the following statements is false concerning death-related behavior of the Puritans?

A)Puritans felt that an awareness of death could improve the quality of life.
B)Puritans encouraged each other to fear death.
C)It was customary for Puritans to embalm the body before the burial.
D)The Puritans felt that death was a living part of the American experience.

Question 13

Which is not evidence that the United States is a death-denying society?

A)Euphemisms are used for death
B)A taboo on death conversation
C)Cryonics
D)Having life insurance

Question 14

The middle class in the late 19th century achieved "death with order" by

A)making sure the death of loved ones occurred in full view of the family.
B)preparing funeral arrangements far in advance.
C)creating separate sphere ideology: men's work away from the home, women's work from men's, specialists (medical, clerical, etc.).
D)None of the above.

Question 15

The Harvard definition of death refers to

A)no heartbeat.
B)no longer breathing.
C)brain stops functioning.
D)no coma.

Question 16

The President's Commission for the study of Biomedical and Behavioral Research to study ethical and legal implications regarding death definitions was established by President

A)Carter.
B)Clinton.
C)Bush.
D)Reagan.

Question 17

During the Dying of Death Period (1830-1945), which did not occur?

A)Landscaped rural cemeteries
B)Life insurance
C)Fall of the middle class
D)Professional funeral organizations

Question 18

What country believes that a person dying may return to life at any time after the dying process begins?

A)South Africa
B)Papua New Guinea
C)Canada
D)England

Question 19

Which of the following statements is false concerning death-related behavior of Americans during the Victorian period of history?

A)Grievers were encouraged to express their emotions in response to the death of a loved one.
B)A more elaborate funeral ritual involving "therapeutic self-indulgence" was encouraged.
C)Mourning clothes were worn as one method for extending the period of lamentation.
D)Grievers were not encouraged to express their emotions in response to the death of a loved one.

Question 20

According to the World Health Organization, death was defined as

A)when a person is unable to breathe on his or her own.
B)when a person is connected to a ventilator because they are unable to breathe on their own.
C)the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life any time after birth has taken place.
D)the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life even before birth has taken place.

Question 21

What factors have contributed to the American avoidance of death and dying?

Question 22

The relationship between the variables of religiosity and death anxiety tend to be which of the following?

A)Linear
B)Curvilinear
C)Collinear
D)Skewed

Question 23

According to your textbook, which of the following is a fear of death, according to Leming?

A)Unaccomplished goals
B)Cause of death
C)Financial obligations
D)The finality of death

Question 24

What types of death fears are the most salient for Americans? How might you explain why these fears are more intense than other fears?

Question 25

Why is death in the United States viewed as fearful?

Question 26

A worldwide phenomenon to address the issue of limited death conversations is ______________________.

A)cryonics
B)death seminars
C)death cafes
D)death retreats

Question 27

Discuss the differences between biological and symbolic death.

Question 28

In making decisions about death meaning, how does the treatment of the dying patient affect that patient's understanding of death and his or her role in the dying process?

Question 29

How has the definition of death changed over the years? What complications has this created for the American way of dying?

Question 30

An example of a euphemism used when someone dies is _____________.

A)pushing up daises
B)dead
C)dying
D)death

Question 31

Which of the following is true ?

A)According to Radcliffe‑Brown, religion provides individuals with a sense of comfort and anxiety relief.
B)What a person believes about dying has more influence than how deeply he or she believes it.
C)George Homans disagreed with both Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown, arguing that death anxiety is highest for both the very religious and the nonbeliever.
D)The empirical research by Leming supported Homans's theorizing on the relationship between religion and death anxiety.

Question 32

What is meant by the "medicalization of death"? Cite specific examples.

Question 33

Refute or support this statement: "The United States is a death-denying society."

Question 34

What are some of the meanings of "Not Dying"?

Question 35

What effect did the dropping of the atom bomb during WWII have on American death conceptions?