Sociologists see that dying itself is a social problem. People’s experience dif
Sociologists see that dying itself is a social problem. People’s experience differs depending on their culture, beliefs, and values. Their experiences of power and privilege impact when and how they die in complex ways. Issues about who decides when to get medical treatment at the end of life or who decides when to die are complex social questions. People and communities are grappling with these complex issues and creating interdependent solutions that reinforce the value of human life and the social justice of death and dying
Essential Ideas
Learning Objective 1: How do we explain death and dying as a social problem?
Death and Dying can be a social problem because although each person has a unique death, wider social forces influence the life expectancy and ability to have a good death based on social location. We disagree about who makes the decision for someone to die or what should happen to people’s bodies/ How we define death and choose to care for the dead changes over time and place. Finally, moving toward equity in death and dying requires the interdependent action of changing laws, policies, and practices, engaging in community conversations, and taking individual actions, like being willing to talk about death in a positive way.
Learning Objective 2: What are the cultural, social, and structural factors that impact death and dying?
Depending on which culture you live in, you may understand death to be physical, legal, or social. You may bury or cremate your dead or take time for grief. We also see that social location with corresponding power and privilege changes what the end of life or death looks like for groups of people. More specifically, People of Color, people who are houseless, and people who live in rural areas, among other social locations, have less access to needed services and are likely to die sooner than others with more privilege.
Learning Objective 3: How does the concept of life course illuminate issues around aging and dying?
A life course model defines the expectations for what people will do at various stages of their lives. These models differ by culture, time, and space. Particularly when we think of aging and death, a life course model defines when in a person’s life they should happen. When death occurs as it is expected, it is a “good death”. When this norm is violated, we have an unexpected death. We can also use these models to think about power and oppression related to aging. In some societies, the elderly are respected and revered. In others, they are ignored and silenced. Fear of death and dying can lead to ageism, particularly because the fearful people want to avoid people at end of life.
Learning Objective 4: How does the social institution of religion create the potential for conflict in values, a characteristic of a social problem?
Religion is a social institution and a set of beliefs that is particularly engaged with questions of living and dying. Religions and spiritual traditions differ widely