Final answer:
Americans are characterized as death avoiders and deniers, viewing death as a loss with strong emotional reactions. Religious beliefs can influence the coping process, offering consolation and community support. Rituals surrounding death vary between cultures, with Americans having distinct practices such as funerals with elaborate gravestones.
Step-by-step explanation:
In contrast to many other cultures, people in the United States are often characterized as death avoiders and death deniers. American society generally prefers not to focus on death, and there may be a resistance to acknowledging it. This is distinct from certain cultures where death is integrated into everyday life and accepted as a natural part of existence. Americans generally view death as a loss and may experience more pronounced emotional reactions to the death of loved ones. Religious beliefs also play a role, as those with spiritual convictions may find more comfort through the belief in an afterlife and the social support from religious communities.
While American rituals surrounding death, such as funerals, do exist, there may be less exposure to these rituals compared to cultures that have more frequent and open traditions relating to death. Legacy memorials, like lavish gravestones in the United States, indicate evolving attitudes toward how Americans commemorate the deceased. Contrastingly, in other societies, there may be more direct and communal engagements with death, as evidenced by cemeteries being used as public spaces or sites for family gatherings in some cultures. Bereavement in the United States is often personal and internalized, possibly reflecting the individualistic nature of the society.