I will be sociologically analyzing death as a cultural phenomenon, stage of the life course, and personal experience. The first day in SOCY 4131, we talked about death. In a “Life Course” class, one may be surprised death is brought up so early. The ironic thing about the life course is that living with a “good” death in mind usually reflects a good life. I will further explain what this means throughout the essay. Elizabeth Hutchen, in Dimensions of Human Behavior, states that, “Most biological systems reach their peak performance in the mid-20s” (336). Let’s say the average American’s life span lasts until about 80. This means that we spend 2/3 of our lives “biologically declining”. To not incorporate death into our lives would be ignoring
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The most expensive age group, due to longer life expectancy, are those in very late adulthood (85 years old and up). This group costs the most because of their need for expensive medical care and their lack of economic productivity. Our culture institutes the mindset of saving a life at all costs. Today, when an older person falls, they receive medical attention immediately. They typically stay in a medical institution for prolonged periods of time, using an abundance of resources. This is the socially accepted way of dealing with end-of-life accidents. Unlike the traditional situation where an older adult falls, does not receive medical care, and dies of complications from the accident. Both scenarios depend on the social norms of that time. In Sociological Perspectives on Life course, Linda George discusses the impacts of role theory on mental and physical health. Role allocation is when one’s social status and behaviors, from society, become how that person views them self. is the process in which individuals are assigned their self meaning. One’s identity role impacts their life course paradigm, or pattern of life. Those born into low SES and impoverished families with …show more content…
Death takes into account social rules and cultural behaviors of others. I experienced grief for how I dealt with the loss of my grandmother. She passed away last year during finals week from an old age induced illness. I knew she was sick and dying, so I came to terms with it before she ever passed away. I did not go to her funeral, it was held in Florida and I was in Colorado taking exams. I had family members and friends make snarky comments about my absence at her funeral. Perhaps I was not following their spiritual expectations for respecting her and her death. Relationships in late adulthood significantly dwindle. “Social isolation is considered to be a powerful risk factor not only for the development of cognitive and intellectual decline in very late adulthood but also for physical illness”. (431 Hutchen) The actions of friends and family members towards a dying loved one substantially affects their health and wellbeing. In very late adulthood, family connections with children become increasingly more important, as many of their friends and peers are near the end of their lives or have died. “…[N]ot specifically to the very late-life adults, but … [there is a ] connection between aging, loss, spirituality, and meaning making,…one tends to reexamine the meaning of life”. (436) Death promotes a new way of living. Fischer suggests that spirituality for older adults frequently encases: “embrace the
The most expensive age group, due to longer life expectancy, are those in very late adulthood (85 years old and up). This group costs the most because of their need for expensive medical care and their lack of economic productivity. Our culture institutes the mindset of saving a life at all costs. Today, when an older person falls, they receive medical attention immediately. They typically stay in a medical institution for prolonged periods of time, using an abundance of resources. This is the socially accepted way of dealing with end-of-life accidents. Unlike the traditional situation where an older adult falls, does not receive medical care, and dies of complications from the accident. Both scenarios depend on the social norms of that time. In Sociological Perspectives on Life course, Linda George discusses the impacts of role theory on mental and physical health. Role allocation is when one’s social status and behaviors, from society, become how that person views them self. is the process in which individuals are assigned their self meaning. One’s identity role impacts their life course paradigm, or pattern of life. Those born into low SES and impoverished families with …show more content…
Death takes into account social rules and cultural behaviors of others. I experienced grief for how I dealt with the loss of my grandmother. She passed away last year during finals week from an old age induced illness. I knew she was sick and dying, so I came to terms with it before she ever passed away. I did not go to her funeral, it was held in Florida and I was in Colorado taking exams. I had family members and friends make snarky comments about my absence at her funeral. Perhaps I was not following their spiritual expectations for respecting her and her death. Relationships in late adulthood significantly dwindle. “Social isolation is considered to be a powerful risk factor not only for the development of cognitive and intellectual decline in very late adulthood but also for physical illness”. (431 Hutchen) The actions of friends and family members towards a dying loved one substantially affects their health and wellbeing. In very late adulthood, family connections with children become increasingly more important, as many of their friends and peers are near the end of their lives or have died. “…[N]ot specifically to the very late-life adults, but … [there is a ] connection between aging, loss, spirituality, and meaning making,…one tends to reexamine the meaning of life”. (436) Death promotes a new way of living. Fischer suggests that spirituality for older adults frequently encases: “embrace the