350 CHAPTER 8
for wrapping and the trip to the crematorium (Parkes et al., 1997). In Hinduism, it is
believed that the dead person’s soul will be reincarnated at either a higher level or a
lower level of status, depending upon how the person lived his or her life.- In the culture of the Northern Cheyenne Native American tribe, death is considered
only the end of the physical body, while the self and one’s Cheyenne nature will
persist. The very old and the very young are said to be “close to the spirit,” meaning
that the infant has just come from the nonphysical world and the aged person is
close to returning to it. The Cheyenne, like the Hindi, also believe in reincarnation,
so many infants are seen to be the living embodiment of ancestors. Death itself is a
long process, with various aspects of one’s spirit leaving at different times. The first
such “leaving” results in changes in the behavior and the mental activity of the dying
person, but the person may still be able to walk and communicate. The second
leads to loss of the senses, then consciousness, and finally, breathing. The very last
essence to leave is the life principle, the first life given into an infant but the last to
leave. This life principle stays in the skeleton until the bones begin to crumble into
dust. Thus some Cheyenne believe that bones can become alive again (Strauss,
2004). - In Navajo culture, a person who has died is believed to be in the underworld. Thus
it is deemed possible for a dead person to visit the living; this is a feared situation,
so the living try to avoid looking at the dead, and only a few people are permitted
to touch or handle the body. A dying person is usually taken to a place removed
from others, with only one or two very close relatives staying with the dying per-
son—because to do so is to risk exposure to evil spirits. If a person dies in his or
her own home, the home is destroyed—no one is allowed to live there afterward. At
the time of death, two men prepare the body for burial, but prior to that ritual they
must strip down to only their moccasins and then cover themselves in ashes, which
serves to protect them from the evil spirits. The body is then washed and dressed.
Two additional men dig the grave; only these four men will attend the burial, which is
held as quickly as possible—usually the next day. The men carry the body on their
shoulders to the grave, warning others to stay away from the area. The deceased is
then buried along with all his or her belongings, the dirt is returned to the grave, and
all footprints are swept away. Even the tools used to dig the grave are destroyed
(Downs, 1984).
Questions for Further Discussion- How has your own experience with death, if any, affected you and your outlook on
life? What were the cultural trappings of the days leading up to the death and/or the
funeral arrangements? - How do the customs of the wealthy Hindu family differ from those of the Cheyenne,
and how are they alike? How do the two Native American cultures differ?
Chapter Summary
Studying Human Development
- 1 Compare and contrast the special research methods
used to study development.
- Three special methods used in developmental research are the
longitudinal design, the cross-sectional design, and the cross-
sequential design.
8. 2 Explain the relationship between heredity and
environmental factors in determining development.- Behavioral genetics is a field investigating the relative contribu-
tions to development of heredity (nature) and environment (nur-
ture). Most developmental psychologists agree that development
is a product of an interaction between nature and nurture.
- Behavioral genetics is a field investigating the relative contribu-