Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement - 275 Words

Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement (Book Review Sample) Content: Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement (Name) (Institutional Affiliation)  4 MAT Book Review: Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement Summary Leming and Dickinson's book, Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement (2011) is one of the books that have best addressed the topic of death. Unlike many books that have endeavored to address the topic, this book gives the topic an interdisciplinary approach. Notably, the book employs the biological, the psychological, and the social, religious, artistic and philosophical approaches to explain this phenomenon that has remained mysterious for quite a long time – perhaps centuries. According to the book, death is not only medical but also social. Death has grown to be a common topic in the contemporary world because of the extent to which biology affects the social perspectives and views of death. Leming and Dickson successfully explains that HIV, and other scary diseases have a critical role to play in enhancing the rate at which death is becoming a common topic. The definition of death varies from one historical point to another and from one community or culture to another. However, the various definitions of death seek to juggle between the centralist approach and the decentralized approach. In the contemporary world, the centralist approach, which recognizes life as a single organ, is more preferable because it explains that death of the human body is essentially the death of the brain. The definition of death is complicated by the fact that there is no accurate definition of life. Sociologically speaking, there is a connection between the behavior of the dying individual and the people close to such an individual. This connection can be explained by the fact that each and every individual has a major role to play in society, and that once they die, they leave quite a number of role holes – this is explained by the dynamics of social groups. Death meaning involves subjective evaluation – meaning that people will always evaluate that which they want. The people carrying out the evaluation can consider all types of values situational, abstract and absolute. Considering such a value as living is always preferable to death, in an abstract manner will always lead to fewer adjustment difficulties when an individual is in the process of dying. The ever-changing meanings of death are part and parcel of the cultural adjustments that characterize contemporary society. The ultimate changes are, however, explained as the impact of biological factors on the sociological perspectives. Death is a process, and can be explained from different perspectives. What makes it difficult for people to understand death is the inability of current research to explain the connection between the three perspectives. There is a way through which life and death can be integrated into sociological knowledge as associated concepts. In a nutshell, there is a connection between the living and the dead. This connection is explained through bereavement – a process through which the close members of the family of the death person, or the friends that were so close, react and learn to live with the reality that their dear ones are no more. The experience of death in the American context is the central idea in explaining bereavement, according to Leming and Dickinson. Studies on the evolution of the perceptions of death have taken the American society through a stage of constant preparation for death and far of the same (living death), denying death and associating it only with the funeral homes (dying of death) as well as the resurrection of death, a phase associated with the period between 1945 and the present. The United States as a society fears death because its members have been taught to fear it. The five stages of dying – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are the most potent in explaining the psychologic al aspects of death. Concrete Response: Personal Experiences The theories – biological, medical, psychological and sociological – as explained by Leming & Dickinson are quite applicable in everyday life. I have experienced various aspects of death and dying, as explained in the book Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement. Apparently, the aspect that I have experienced most intimately is bereavement. Bereavement is the process through which the people close to the dying person react – in both the short and long run. At the age of fourteen, I lost my uncle – a bother to my father. The incident took the family by surprise, why? It was because as an American family, we had learnt to deny death, and to associate it with all evils. We had distanced ourselves as far as possible from death and suffering. When my uncle died, I must mention that the five stages of dying were distinctly observed. I may not have understood what grieving was at that time, but com ing to think back, I realize that my uncle went through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Quite a scary experience, everything was worsened by the fact that he had succumbed to everyone’s nightmare – HIV. When he was hospitalized, the words, â€Å"I will be just fine,† were the primary feature of his talk. Clearly, he was in denial because, in fact, HIV has no known cure. After sometime I hospital, my uncle, and his family were angered by both his decisions and those of the people around him. Reflecting back, I realize that he and his immediate family were in the second stage of the dying process. At some point, I remember hearing such words from my uncle as, â€Å"had I sought medical care earlier, I would have been fine by now.† This is the perfect definition of bargaining. Clearly, this stage is characterized with regrets and self-blame. The self-blame stage brought to him too much depression. He was stressed out and could not st op wishing for the best. It took quite some time before he finally accepted that he was a victim of the deadliest disease in the world – HIV-AIDS. When he had finally accepted, he dropped all the regretting statements he had earlier exhibited. This, according to Fleming and Dickinson, was the acceptance stage. At this time, all he asked for was spiritual and medical intervention. Eventually, he died and we – as the family members – were deeply affected. According to Fleming and Dickinson, bereavement creates a link between the family and close associates, and the dead individual. This was exactly what I experienced. Reflection Reading the book Understanding dying, death and bereavement, provokes quite a number of questions. Foremost, one may ask: what is the definition of life? This question is particularly difficult, especially considering that not even science has come up with a perfect definition of life. Biology has not attained that either. Secondly, one m ay wonder: which one should be given prominence, the biological aspect of dying or the sociological considerations? While both explain death with a considerable weight, it may not be clear which one should be more prominent. For instance, whichever way a person dies, biology has a critical role to play. The heart will stop beating, the brain will stop functioning, and blood will stop flowing through the blood vessels. Sociologically, Fleming and Dickinson, explain that the death of any individual must leave some role holes. One then wonders which perspective is more powerful. The primary strength of the book is that it prominently makes use of real life examples – which make the theories and explanations, not only more understandable but also real and capable of being related to the contemporary society. Among the most notable is the illustration given by Dickinson about his father and the dying Hereford bull. Such real experiences make the reader understand that death is a unique experience for all individuals. The death of every individual is surrounded by some unique circumstances. The second strength of this book is that it addresses all perspectives of the dying process – medical, biological, sociological, religious, and philosophical. These are the key perspectives and addressing them makes the book appear wholesome. Another noteworthy aspect of the book is the fact that it gives historical perspectives – which enable an individual to understand why people currently view death as they do. The most notable negatives of the book revolve around the fact that its sociological perspectives are so much inclined to the American society. Considering that the book is available to and read by people from all world cultures, it is understood that the book has some degree of irrelevancy because not all readers belong to or understand the American culture. Another weakness is that it, like many books before it, fails to define life and death di stinctively. This makes it difficult for the reader to understand exactly what death is, especially in the biological sense. The gaps left, in terms of definitions are many, but revolve around the presence of different viewpoints. Even so, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. Action Reading the book Understanding dying, death and bereavement has really enabled me to grow. I have attained substantial growth in terms of understanding the dynamics of death and grieving. Whil...

Change the American Philosophy on Consumerism and the...

The best solution to the mortgage crisis America is facing today is both easy . . . and difficult to execute. The solution is two-pronged: change the American philosophy on consumerism and debt while also making concrete changes in the way the lending industry works. Both demand taking a long-term view in order to be successful. A New Philosophy Changing one’s philosophy is easy, but putting it into practice on a daily basis is not. One needs to employ will-power, diligence and the ability to think long-term, all virtues that fell by the wayside long ago in America. Anymore, Americans get what they want, when they want it from a seemingly infinite list of choices and it is all purchased with credit. Americans pay for their immediate†¦show more content†¦As with any business, the savviest professionals are those who are truly educated in their field, and in the case of sales, their products. Not only did banks offer exotic loans that were generally not sagacious for most Americans, but individual salespeople didn’t necessarily understand their products (let alone buyers) which made for a risky combination that led to the current crisis. People signed on the dotted line without understanding what they were committing to, and those employed to guide them through the process were no more versed in the products themselves. Enforcing more stringent certification requirements for individual loan officers would help salespeople to better understand their products, making them more capable of guiding clients into the best fit loans. Finally, in addition to increasing the level of training required for loan officers, it would be beneficial for borrowers to demonstrate a certain level of understanding of what they are committing to. 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Children With Disabilities Education Act - 2090 Words

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Medha Patkar Essay Example For Students

Medha Patkar Essay Hunger strike On 28th March, 2006, Medha went on a hunger strike, in protest of the decision taken by the authorities, to increase the height of the Narmada dam. The strike continued for a long period of 20 days and finally came to an end on April 17, 2006. The Supreme Court rejected the plea of Narmada Bachao Andolan to stop the construction of the dam. To know the complete life history of Medha Patkar, read on. Detainment by Police On December 2, 2006, Medha was arrested by the police at Singur in West Bengal, for her active involvement in the protest against getting the hold of farmland. She was detained, because the police officers thought that, she might provoke people, thus leading to law and order problem. Foreign Fund and Anti-National Activities The Madhya Pradesh Government alleged the Narmada Bachao Andolan of receiving foreign funds and using them for unclear purposes. They claimed that, the money that was obtained was being used by the organization to hamper the rehabilitation process. During the early nineties Medha Patkar started gaining national and international attention for her efforts in the movement. Awards and Honors †¢She was a recipient of Right Livelihood Award (1991) M. A. Thomas National Human Rights Award (1999) †¢Deena Nath Mangeshkar Award †¢Mahatma Phule Award †¢Goldman Environment Prize †¢Green Ribbon Award †¢Human Rights Defenders Award Biography Medha Patkar (Marathi: , born December 1, 1954) is a Indian social activist. She is known for her role in Narmada Bachao Andolan. Medha Patkar is a well known soc ial activist of India. She was born on 1st December in the year 1954 in Mumbai, India to Indu and Vasant Khanolkar, a trade union. She was raised by politically and socially active parents. Her father ctively fought in the Indian Independence Movement. Medhas mother was a member of Swadar, an organization setup to help and assist women suffering difficult circumstances arising out of financial, educational, and health related problems. Her parents activism played a role in shaping her philosophical views.. Prior to becoming a social reformer, she completed her M. A. in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). She left Ph. D. in the midst and got actively involved in the agitations conducted by tribals and peasants of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. This paved way for the formation of the organization named Narmada Bachao Andolan. Narmada Bachao Andolan began as a fight for information about the Narmada Valley Development Projects and continued as a fight for just rehabilitation for the lakhs of people to be ousted by the Sardar Sarovar Dam and other large dams along the Narmada river. Eventually when it became clear that the magnitude of the project precluded accurate assessment of damages and losses, and that rehabilitation was impossible, the movement challenged the very basis of the project and questioned its claim to development. . Veteran of several fasts, monsoon satyagrahas on the banks of the rising Narmada, her uncompromising insistence on the right to life and livelihood has compelled the post-Independence generation in India as well as around the world to revisit the basic questions of natural resources, human rights, environment, and development. Facing police beatings and many jail terms on the way, she continues t o believe in the best of people and the democratic system. She has won over police and even government officers through her simple faith in justice and comprehensive analysis of the facts. She has served as a Commissioner to the World Commission on Dams, Taking up a two-pronged approach of sangharsh (struggle) and nirman (constructive work), Medha tai has worked with villagers and community groups to develop alternatives in energy, water harvesting, and education for tribal children. The Reva Jeevanshala, using both state and local syllabus taught by local teachers in the local language, is a system of 9 residential schools and 4 day-schools in the tribal villages of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .postImageUrl , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:hover , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:visited , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:active { border:0!important; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:active , .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u925be3eca102ce211e9b2e24cd3e545f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sex Education And The Classroom EssayHighlights : Medha Patkar . She built foundation of human rights movement in India through Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). NBA started as a fight to seek information about the Narmada Valley Development Projects has inspired numerous human rights movements in India and worldwide ever since. Adding entirely different dimension to leadership Sangharsh (struggle) and Nirman (constructive Work) Medha Patkar brings up a broader vision to seek micro-to-macro, local-to-global linkage. As a result of her dualistic thinking and acting, she helped create National Alliance of Peoples Movement (NAPM) a collaboration of various organizations across India to collectively organize around issues like, globalization, neoliberalism, and sustainable development. However, one of her greatest rewards came in 1995 from the Supreme Court of India. Previously, in 1994 Supreme Court gave permission to increase height of the dam on Narmada river in some areas. NBA filed a petition to stop construction of the dam on the grounds of its inconsistent economic planning, severe environmental hazards and lack of rehabilitation plan for the citizens whose livelihoods were connected to that land. Supreme Court, in 1995, ruled in favour of NBA by stopping construction until Government could come up with a coherent plan. However, NBAs work is relentlessly going on by supporting the villages and communities in that area with alternative energy, education, water harvesting and several other things. And this inspirational journey of M