32. DEATH AND DYING (PART 2) Flashcards
1
Q
- What social aspects can you identify in this case?
A
- the path to death
- how the doctors are handling the situation
2
Q
- What does Christine mean by saying: “It is a torture for all of us.”
A
- the lack of communication by the doctors has lead to uncertainty
3
Q
- What are the two types of death that are talked about in Sociology?
A
- Biological Death
- Social Death
4
Q
- What is Biological Death?
A
- it is the end of life
5
Q
- What is Social Death?
A
- this happens when a person is no longer capable of mastering their own life
- they rely on others to act on their behalf
6
Q
- What are some conditions that are associated with Social Death?
A
- brain injuries
- coma
- brain death
7
Q
- In the past, what was the relation between Social and Biological death?
A
- biological deaths used to occur before social death
- funerals and mourning customs were used to help people cope with unexpected loss and uncertainty
8
Q
- In the present, what is the relation between Social and Biological Death?
A
- social death is likely to happen before Biological death
- some families may find it to be a difficult separation before the biological death occurs
9
Q
- Are there any coping contexts for social death?
A
- no
- this period is often characterised by uncertainty and confusion for the relatives of the patient
10
Q
- How is death perceived currently?
A
- it is wild, feared and unfamiliar
- it has been privatised
- it is not observed in public spaces
- there has been a huge decline in the exposure to
death and dying - death has been moved into hospitals
- it is not seen within the community
- we fear death because we do not casually see it
11
Q
- What kind of approach is there to death, with regards to modern societies?
A
- a scientific understanding
- there has also been a decline in the importance of the sacredness of death
- science has taken over religion
- there is no longer an explanation of death within
communities
12
Q
- What is Medicalisation?
A
- it is a process that ensures that more aspects of daily life are brought into the biomedical sphere
- these aspects of life are now influenced by the medical sphere
- this means that some normal events have been turned into controversial and problematic idea
- a scientific approach can cause many arguments
13
Q
- What are some examples of aspects of daily life that have been Medicalised?
A
- pregnancy
(women and children have been saved by medicine) - ageing
- dying
(less people are dying from brain injuries)
14
Q
- What is the negative side effects of Medicalisation?
A
- Cultural Iatrogenesis
15
Q
- What is Cultural Iatrogenesis?
A
- biomedicine undermines people’s ability to:
- manage their own life
- the ability to cope with pain
- the ability to cope with suffering and death - it creates a culture of individuals being dependent on the medical world
- this stops them from being independent in the way they deal with their own issues
16
Q
- What does it mean when we say that death is hospitalised?
A
- dying is presented as a disease
within the hospital - death is seen as curable
- death is now viewed as something abnormal
17
Q
- Which phenomena now characterise the treatment of dying?
A
- over treatment
- heroic medicine
18
Q
- Which regards to the case, if the patient could communicate and understand, would you let him know that he was dying?
A
- yes
- he has the right to know
- this allows the patient to have some say in their
treatment plan - this can bring about a holistic decision
- telling the patient can have a negative impact on their treatment process
19
Q
- What were the 4 forms of Awareness Contexts that were termed by Glaser and Strauss in 1965?
A
- Closed
- Suspicion Awareness
- Mutual Pretence
- Open Awareness
20
Q
- What is Closed Awareness?
A
- this is where the staff knows about the patient’s impending death
- the patient does not know about their death
- it is based on the idea that the patient’s do not want to know that they are dying
21
Q
- What is Suspicion Awareness?
A
- the doctors and the nurses behave in a way to avoid talking about the topic of death
- the patient does not press the issue of death
- they assume they are dying, but do not talk about it
- the patient does recognise that they are terminal
22
Q
- What is Mutual Pretence?
A
- the doctor and the patient pretend that nothing is wrong
- there may be some pressure on the doctor from the
family - they want the doctor to tell the patient about their
condition
23
Q
- What is Open Awareness?
A
- the patient is openly informed that they are dying
- they are informed by health care professionals
- this requires a much greater emotional commitment by nurses and the medical staff
24
Q
- What is Open Awareness associated with?
A
- the concept of good death
25
Q
- Who termed the idea of the Good Death?
A
- Kellehear
- in 1990
26
Q
- What is meant by the idea that a death can be good?
A
- the patient can settle all their affairs because they are aware that they are dying
- they leave behind no pending issues
27
Q
- What are the 5 features of a good death?
A
- Awareness of Dying
- Personal Preparations and Social Adjustments
- Public Preparations
- The Relinquishing of Formal Roles
- Farewells
28
Q
- What is the Awareness of Dying?
A
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THE PATIENT IS DYING:
- the dying person
- family
- friends
- health care professionals
29
Q
- What are Personal Preparations and Social Adjustments?
A
- the dying individual has the chance to settle their
accounts - they can resolve any family disputes
- this can put them at peace
30
Q
- What are Public Preparations?
A
- the dying individual can settle practical accounts
- they can sort out their will
- they leave nothing unfinished behind
31
Q
- What is the Relinquishing of Formal Work Roles?
A
- this allows the dying individual to prepare a soft
withdrawal from their work place
32
Q
- What is meant by Farewells?
A
- a good death involves formal and informal farewells
- these can be to:
- family
- friends
- staff
33
Q
- What type of death has been experienced?
Why?
A
- a social death
- he cannot communicate with other people
- he has to rely on others
34
Q
- Has his imminent death been medicalised?
In which ways?
A
- yes
- the doctors continue to treat him
- even though he is dying
35
Q
- What type of death awareness could be used in his case?
Which is most beneficial for the patient?
A
- Open Awareness is the most commonly used form of awareness in Western Hospitals
- Open Awareness is linked with the concept of a good
death - this gives the dying person the opportunity to close
their pending matters - they get the chance to say goodbye
