As children get older they gradually reach a mature understanding of death. This means that the child understands that death is universal, is irreversible, renders the person nonfunctional, and is caused by biological reasons.
Theoretical frameworks such as Erikson's psychosocial development and Piaget's cognitive transformations are useful for comprehending the developmental sequence of the acquisition of a mature concept of death.
Agents of socialization regarding death include family, school and peers, mass media, religion, and early experiences with death.
Life experiences--particularly those that involve an encounter with significant loss or death--are powerful in shaping attitudes and beliefs.
Teachable moments in death education involve adults who take advantage of a spontaneous or planned event by teaching a child something about death.
Three sociological theoretical perspectives are useful in helping us understand how social and cultural factors influence our attitudes and behaviors relative to death: structural-functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and social learning.
By recognizing the richness of cultural diversity in the United States, we can also appreciate the vast array of subcultural death rituals, beliefs, and attitudes.
Hawaii is a unique example of cultural diversity in death customs and practices.
