The Social Context of Death and Dying

The friendly mise en scene of last and DyingIntroductionUsing endure materials from decease and Dying, I leave behind discuss the idea that cobblers last is or sothing to be business concerned. I ordain use of goods and services runway material from Block 1, The Social Context of Death and Dying, focusing on units 1 and 2. I will fork up evidence of arguments for and against this nonion and consider separate attitudes of how these views atomic number 18 formed by society. I will excessively illustrate my answers using materials form the course website, reader and audio activities. I crap also incorporated some in-somebody and professional association. in an attempt to illustrate my points.Death is visualised and discussed in various ways by people from all walks of purport, their facts of life and religious views bum perplex an impact on how they perceive conclusion. As discussed in Block 1, one indicator that remainder is something to fear is our use of la nguage. This anxiety is demonstrated in the euphemisms privates use when describing or explaining a shoemakers last. For type when undertaking activity 1.1, Explaining the meaning of death, (Block 1, unit 1, pg 1). I discussed my first experience of death. I recall having to explain to my new-fashionedest sibling that our mother had died. My sister was 8 years old and I sat her down and spoke first of all about angels and the stars. I went on to tell her that God had decided he needed mum to be an angel. I couldnt bear to use the news program loose as I was struggling with mum being bushed(p) and was of the view that using the word dead would have been too terrible and on that pointfore spoke about angels to make it less emotive. Since then I have experienced the death of other relatives and friends and find that I will use euphemisms such(prenominal) as, passed away or gone to a kick downstairs place. I have also heard myself use phrases such as kicked the bucket, however , this is usually when referring to someone I didnt really know.A calculate of examples are provided in block 1 in relation to euphemisms employ to describe what occurs after(prenominal) death. Spiritualist and Mediums use words such as crossing over or passed over as they see the death as the beginning of a journey from this world to what they describe as the spirit world. Komaromy (2005) spoke of how she found that whilst exploring how death and end(p) were managed in anguish homes, was frequently met with difficulty over the use of words death, dying and dead (Block 1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg 13). It would appear the fear of using these words were not necessarily from the residents themselves but by those who cared for them.The imprints instilled in people from a young age from their family, educational professionals and religious sources as well as their personal experience of death can often have a laborious impact on how they perceive death and dying. Roman Catholics a ppear halcyon when speaking about death as they see death as a momentous tear downt that should not be feared. Catholics believe in life after death, stating the soul leaves the body and will normally happen a goal in Purgatory and when the soul is cleansed of the temporal consequences of sin they will enter heaven. However some anxiety stay puts, as for many, there is precariousness of how long their soul will remain in purgatory. They do not fear the next world, but rather the passage, the crossing over.. (Toscani, et al(2003), OU course material, website).prof Douglas Davis research highlighted that gender plays a significant role in the belief in life after death in contemporary British Society. He states that women are far more likely to believe in an afterlife, than men, with a ratio of almost 21. He informs 30% of the universe with a similar gender imbalance believe the dead remain among us and have had contact in one form or another with their loved one. (Audio1, activ ity 1.8, Identity and Belief). This I would argue is base on a persons knowledge of the deceased and is linked to their sense of indistinguishability and the need to continue the link with their loved one, which in turn whitethorn turn comfort and peace of mind to those who are bereaved. People also seek comfort through contact with the dead via spiritualists and mediums, in an squirtbed to communicate with loved ones. Justine Picardie describes this as attending a social gather of the dead (Picardie in Making Sense of Death and Dying and ruin An Anthology, pg 198, Earle, et al).Research and studies regarding the beliefs and views of individuals in life after death vary from person to person directing on their religious or non-religious beliefs. For example the article life at the end of Life beliefs about individual life after death and good death models a qualitive study Toscani, F., et al, highlights two divers(prenominal) models and arguments regarding death and what w ould be classed as a good death. The attitudes and assumptions depend on whether the individual is a believer or non-believer but even then there can be conflicting opinions between faiths.Tibetan Buddhism describes in great detail the process of death and the passage over. Tibetan Buddhists are encouraged to read The Tibetan Book of the Dead and when an individual is dying, there is a common conception that it is good to read this take to the dying person. By understanding the death process and familiarisingour self with it, we can remove fear at the time of death and ensure a good rebirth (Death and Dying in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Hawter V.P mesh source Buddahnet.com). In contrast, Seventh-day Adventist beliefs regarding death are totally different from those of other religions. Adventists believe that people do not die nor do they go to Heaven or Hell. It is their belief that the individual goes to sleep and will stick up again on the Day of Judgement. (Kormaromy, 20 05, Block1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg13). By this they mean the person will remain unconscious until the return of Christ.The views of atheists vary, although the consensus is that there is no life after death, that when we die, we die, and that is it. If I am, death is not if death is, I am no protracted why, then, fear death? (Toscani,et al(2003), OU course website, pg 8). This does not mean that atheists do not have a fear of death, like believers there are similarities with regards to how they will die and where they would like to die. I worked with a family whose child was dying. When trying to support the family through this difficult period they spoke of feeling angry at individuals who had moveed why they were not in church praying. They informed me that as far as they were concerned that when their child died that was the end. They stated their altogether fear was that their child would die alone if they left-hand(a) his side.The management of death and dying has changed over time. French Historian, Phillipe Aries claimed that in the Middle Ages people appeared more optimistic with regards to death, as they acknowledged death as part of life, as it unavoidable. The death affected not sole(prenominal) the family of the deceased but the community as a whole. With individuals being assign particular roles, for example, preparing the body for interment, announcing the death and it was customary to view the body of the deceased. Death was a common occurrence and this may explain why death was seen as inevitable and therefore not feared.Aires argued that after the 19th light speed death in western society was hidden and following the commencement World War, death became a taboo subject and was no longer seen as a natural process of life. (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 38). The explanation for this could be that it was due to what we know as the nuclear family era? Norbert Elias (1985) would argue that in todays society the role of preparing the deceased has been taken over by funeral directors who offer a wide range of services to the family. This includes collecting and preparing the body for burial or cremation. In my own recent experience of the death of my son, the only duty the funeral director could not undertake was to register the death. Elias argument is that dying people are now more isolated than in the prehistorical (Block 1, Unit 2.2 pg40).It should be noted that some traditions continue, for example, the viewing of the deceased carcass within many faiths be it within a church setting or funeral directors chapel of rest, although this is usually by family and close friends. This could explain why Aires theory that death after the 19th century did not have an overall impact on the community but rather than on a smaller network, family and friends. German Sociologist, Norbert Elias (1985), (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 40) challenged Aires ideas, that in the past, death was judge as being a natural process. Elias claimed death was painful as life was much shorter and more dangerous.ConclusionPerhaps the idea of life after death allows us to cope with what can only be seen as a natural fear as the alternative, non-existence is unimaginable and we are psychologically inept to deal with this. Therefore we need to ask the question is death something feared by all? Is this a hypothesis or could it be that for many individuals, especially, those in old age or with a terminal illness that death could be the beginning of something better. It can therefore be argued that whilst individuals and society have diverse opinions regarding death and what happens to them when they die, the majority do have a fear of how they will die. For example being alone, suffering pain, dying young or, being forgotten.