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Dying other, dying self: Creating culture and meaning in palliative healthcare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2012

Christopher J. McCann  and
Hector Y. Adames
Christopher J. McCann*
Affiliation:
Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Counseling Department, Chicago, Illinois
Hector Y. Adames
Affiliation:
Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Counseling Department, Chicago, Illinois
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Christopher J. McCann and Hector Y. Adames, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 325 North Wells St, Office: MM-4116, Chicago, IL 60642. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
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Abstract

Dying is an act of creativity, and we each die as cultural beings. Culture helps us create the meaning death requests of us. However, the dominant culture of the healthcare system views death as a failure of modern medicine, an event of unspeakable terror and taboo. Palliative clinicians must honor each dying person's cultural identity (as well as the person's family), not subject it to the dominant discourse of Western medicine. This article offers practical guidelines for palliative clinicians to do so, as well as a case vignette.

Keywords

Palliative careCultureMeaningMulticultural issuesDeath and dying
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 289 - 293
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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References

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