Cultural Bereavement
 Migrating
from one’s home country can pose multiple stresses to an individual. Mental
health experts have coined a term known as “cultural bereavement” which can
occur when an individual immigrates to
another country and leaves many things of value behind - from family and friends
to culture and language. Cultural bereavement can be described as a type of
grief reaction relating to the loss of one’s social structure and culture.
Symptoms of cultural bereavement include feelings of guilt over abandoning one’s
culture and homeland, constant images and a preoccupation of the past, and
feelings of anxiety.
Refugees, or migrants that leave their home
country due to civil unrest or political upheaval, are especially at risk for
cultural bereavement. Because they probably can never return back to their home
country, grief might be especially apparent. Moreover, refugees might present
with feelings of guilt over abandoning their family and friends who are still
living in their country of origin. Sometimes, refugees might experience an
initial period of well-being, but then continue to become alienated from
mainstream society and even demonstrate antisocial behavior.
Cultural bereavement can be mitigated or aggravated by factors relating to
cultural identity, ethnic density, and cultural congruity. In regards to
cultural identity, culturally bereaved individuals might show improvement as
they become acculturated and develop more of a sense of belonging to their new
country. Also cultural bereavement is often alleviated when an individual
develops the linguistic and social skills that are prevalent in mainstream
society.
It is also believed that the more differences that exist between an individual’s
home country and country of residence, the more difficulties
immigrants might
face and the more likelihood of experiencing feelings of grief and loss towards
their original culture. The level of collectivist culture in the society can
also play a part in cultural bereavement. For example, if an individual migrates
from a collectivist society that values collective identity and inter-dependence
to an individualistic society that stresses individualism and independence, they
might experience more adjustment difficulties than a person migrating to a
country that shares the societal values of their country of origin.
Cultural bereavement could be alleviated if
immigrants maintain a level of
connection to their country of origin, or maintain a high level of ethnic
density. For example, A Vietnamese migrant living in the United States might
experience less feelings of grief over the loss of his Vietnamese culture if he
works at maintaining and promoting his culture. This could be through
socializing with other Vietnamese migrants living in the US, and organizing
Vietnamese cultural events in his community.
Related Articles:
|
Back to Immigration Articles
