[Openid-digital-directives] Cultural sensitivity when referring to death, dying, and the deceased

[Miki Brotzler]

Hello all

Once again I’m afraid I can’t join the discussion today with too many clashes - I do hope to get there one day!

With regards to my Japanese background I don’t think there are any “taboos” about speaking about death matters as long as it’s dealt with in a tactful way and without embarrassing anyone - as you’d expect from a country that puts a heavy emphasis on respect and honour.

On another note, when my father passed away during COVID my sister in Japan had to deal with a whole bunch of bureaucracy around bank accounts, land titles etc that she’s still sorting out - so I’d be keen to share some insights from that.

cheers

Miki Brotzler
0414 781 851

> On 6 Mar 2025, at 7:17 AM, Dean Saxe via Openid-digital-directives <openid-digital-directives at lists.openid.net> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> On recent calls, we have discussed the issue of the words used by different people, languages, and cultures to refer to death, dying, and individuals who have passed.  Out of these discussions I have learned that there are cultural taboos to discussing these topics and, in some cases, an aversion to specific words or words that sound similar.
> 
> As an American raised in a Jewish home, my perspective reflects the tradition in which I was raised.  While there is no aversion to speaking of deceased individuals or discussing the topic in Judaism as it was practiced in my home, there are specific rituals attached to a person’s passing.  I don’t believe any of those rituals will be of relevance to DADE CG.
> 
> However, I can only approach this topic from my personal understanding and background, which I suspect is true of most of us taking part in DADE CG. With this in mind, I’d like to open a discussion to understand how different people approach the topic from their cultural and religious backgrounds with the goal of finding suitable language that we can use within DADE CG during our discussions and in our written documents. The DADE CG co-chairs want to be able to discuss the topic while minimizing discomfort to DADE CG members and those who consume the work of DADE CG.    
> 
> My request to the DADE CG members follows:  
> 
> Can you please share a perspective based on your personal background (culture, religion, language) regarding our choice of language to refer to the concepts of death, dying, and the deceased?  Are there any rituals that might intersect with DADE CG that we should be aware of as we write guidance or discuss DADE CG in public forums?  
> 
> If you can respond to the mailing list, that would be great.  However, if a public response on the mailing list is not within your comfort zone, please feel free to respond to me or the other co-chairs directly.  We will take all of your feedback to find a path forward that allows us to talk openly with respect for one another.
> 
> I will raise this topic on today’s call, as well, to get the discussion started.
> 
> Respectfully,
> -dhs
> 
> --
> Dean H. Saxe, CIDPRO <https://idpro.org/cidpro/> (he/him)
> Principal Engineer
> Office of the CTO
> Beyond Identity
> dean.saxe at beyondidentity.com <mailto:dean.saxe at beyondidentity.com>
> 
> 
> -- 
> Openid-digital-directives mailing list
> Openid-digital-directives at lists.openid.net
> https://lists.openid.net/mailman/listinfo/openid-digital-directives

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