SOCIOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING 2
Sociology of Death and Dying
Following the American Psychological Association Style Guide
Name
Professor
Introduction
Using the required textbook Death, Society, & Human Experience(Kastenbaum, 2012), I will respond to five of the proposed questions for this assignment. The questions I will respond to include Denial and Denial-Like Responses to Death, Functions of the Death System, When Does Dying Begin?, Brain Death and The Cryonics Alternative.
Denial and Denial-Like Responses to Death
In this section I will identify and describe at least four other types of responses that resembles denial in some way, but which actually represents very different types of strategy in coping with threat.
One of these four other types of responses that resembles denial in some way, but which actually represents very different types of strategies in coping with threat are divorce and the end of a relationship (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Another type of responses that resembles denial in some way, but which actually represents very different types of strategies in coping with threat is when people lose their health (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Another type of responses that resembles denial in some way, but which actually represents very different types of strategies in coping with threat is when people lose their job (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Finally, another type of response that resembles denial in some way, but which actually represents very different types of strategies of coping with threat is when people experience a loss in their financial stability (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Functions of the Death System
This section will identify all of the functions of the death system and also discuss which of these functions I consider to be changing most rapidly in the United States. I will support my answer.
The functions of the death system include five (Kastenbaum, 2012). The first part of the death system is people (Kastenbaum, 2012). The second part is places (Kastenbaum, 2012). The third part is times, such as holidays, anniversaries, etc. (Kastenbaum, 2012). The fourth part is objects such as death certificates (Kastenbaum, 2012). The fifth parts are symbols such as language, actions and behaviors (Kastenbaum, 2012).
What I consider to be the death function that is changing most rapidly in the United States are the objects. Now with social media, many people who have online visibility will live forever online unless their families and/or close ones make an effort to remove their information from the Internet.
Despite this, objects continue to proliferate and to change quite rapidly also not just with social media but through computer applications, email accounts and online subscriptions which can be difficult to manage in order to terminate for one person who has died.
When Does Dying Begin?
One answer to this question is "Dying begins with life." Another answer is "Dying begins when we start to age." I will not pay attention to these answers. I will identify at least three of the four other answers presented in Kastenbaum (2012).
There is a word called dye, also known as dighe that was used in Holland to identify the Black Death that was occurring there (Kastenbaum, 2012). Renaissance singers would sing songs about dying in poetic terms (Kastenbaum, 2012). The term dying is also used as metaphor in literary or spoken terms commonly (Kastenbaum, 2012).
In the early 20th century, the occupation of Funeral Directors became more common (Kastenbaum, 2012). The term “dying” took on a more sensitive nature (Kastenbaum, 2012). In the 1960s there was a movement of awareness when it came to dying (Kastenbaum, 2012). End-of-Life has become another important term in understanding terminal illness (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Another understanding of the word dying is end-phase-of-life where this is the stage of life when the body starts to fall apart and prepare for end of life (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Brain Death and Related Concepts
In this section I will discuss the Harvard criteria for Brain Death (Kastenbaum, 2012).
One of the criteria is unreceptive and unresponsive (Kastenbaum, 2012).
Another criterion is no movements of resuscitation and/or muscular movements (Kastenbaum, 2012).
No reflexes are also another criterion of brain death (Kastenbaum, 2012).
A flat EEG is also another criterion of brain death (Kastenbaum, 2012).
A lack of circulation to the brain and also within the brain is also another criterion of brain death (Kastenbaum, 2012).
The Cryonics Alternative
In this section I will describe the cryonics alternative to end-of-life decisions. I will describe clearly and in adequate detail what is involved in the cryonic approach. I will include recent developments in the process of preservation.
Cryonics is the preserving of the brain that can be done for as little as $30,000 (Kastenbaum, 2012). Many people prefer to use cryonics rather than to choose suicide because when someone commits suicide their brain is dissected.
With cryonics, the brain is cooled down and is preserved. Other people do discuss other alternatives to cryonics which have not been scientifically proven as of yet.
Time travel has been posed as an alternative to cryonics, however there is no scientific proof that time travel can actually be done (Kastenbaum, 2012). Perhaps if someone had an enormous amount of money they could choose to have their burial on the planet of Mars.
Conclusion
Using the required textbook Death, Society, & Human Experience(Kastenbaum, 2012), I responded to five of the proposed questions for this assignment. The questions I responded to included Denial and Denial-Like Responses to Death, Functions of the Death System, When Does Dying Begin?, Brain Death and The Cryonics Alternative.
Reference
Kastenbaum, R. J. (2012). Death, Society, & Human Experience. New York, New York: Pearson
Education.