The United State of America is known as the land of the free. Citizens have freedom of speech and freedom of the press along with many other rights, but do Americans have the right to die? The Cable News Network, also known as CNN, has followed the story of a terminally ill woman who fought for the right to die on her own terms. The article, “Brittany Maynard, Advocate for 'Death with Dignity, ' Dies” by Catherine E. Shoichet, summarizes the controversial and complicated subject of controlling your own death in the case of terminal illness. Published on November 1, 2014, the recent article helped spread the issue throughout social media leaving many people to question if we deserve to die with dignity. Britney Maynard was a 29 year old woman
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Britney Maynard committed suicide along with the assistance of her doctor who prescribed the medication to do so. The word suicide has a negative connotation associated with it, and many people don’t believe it’s a morally acceptable action. In our society, killing yourself is not a norm but rather taboo. In a structural functionalist perspective, suicide is a problem of lack of social integration. Emile Durkhiem used this sociological perspective to show that social forces affect behavior. His conclusion was that the people with less social ties are more likely to commit suicide. In the case of terminally ill patients who wish to die on their own terms, this is almost never the case (Should Euthanasia or Physician…). Britney Maynard’s obituary says “[She] forged a brief but solid 29 years of generosity, compassion, education, travel and humor… She was loved very deeply” (Britney Maynard’s Official Obituary). She spent many years helping in schools, orphanages, and shelters throughout the world, and she spent her last months hiking and climbing with many different friends. Britney was socially integrated and functioned as a part of society. Yet, the decision to pass away on her own terms is viewed as selfish and immoral in our culture. Maynard is seen as deviant to many people in American culture because she broke the social norms and the religious ideals of many …show more content…
People like Maynard must live out their days suffering with no hope of a cure or live amongst other terminally ill patients in hospice, a place to live until you die. Conflict theorists would view suicide as tension between an individual and society to the point where they feel the need to end their life. Unless society changes the connotation of suicide, the terminally ill along with many suicidal others will continue to struggle through life with the strain of balancing what is good for the individual and good for the society. This balance is impossible to achieve with today’s current norms and values. When terminally ill patients decided after much deliberation with their physician and family, they should be allowed to end their life in peace without the cold shoulder from society.
Death with dignity is a very complicated topic with many sociological factors. Britney Maynard broke the social norms and values when she took her own life on November 1, 2014. Should she have lived her life in agony as her family and friends watch her suffer instead? As society’s ideals progress and change perhaps the freedom to die will become a right for all American citizens. Suicide may no longer be a constant conflict with society and
Britney Maynard committed suicide along with the assistance of her doctor who prescribed the medication to do so. The word suicide has a negative connotation associated with it, and many people don’t believe it’s a morally acceptable action. In our society, killing yourself is not a norm but rather taboo. In a structural functionalist perspective, suicide is a problem of lack of social integration. Emile Durkhiem used this sociological perspective to show that social forces affect behavior. His conclusion was that the people with less social ties are more likely to commit suicide. In the case of terminally ill patients who wish to die on their own terms, this is almost never the case (Should Euthanasia or Physician…). Britney Maynard’s obituary says “[She] forged a brief but solid 29 years of generosity, compassion, education, travel and humor… She was loved very deeply” (Britney Maynard’s Official Obituary). She spent many years helping in schools, orphanages, and shelters throughout the world, and she spent her last months hiking and climbing with many different friends. Britney was socially integrated and functioned as a part of society. Yet, the decision to pass away on her own terms is viewed as selfish and immoral in our culture. Maynard is seen as deviant to many people in American culture because she broke the social norms and the religious ideals of many …show more content…
People like Maynard must live out their days suffering with no hope of a cure or live amongst other terminally ill patients in hospice, a place to live until you die. Conflict theorists would view suicide as tension between an individual and society to the point where they feel the need to end their life. Unless society changes the connotation of suicide, the terminally ill along with many suicidal others will continue to struggle through life with the strain of balancing what is good for the individual and good for the society. This balance is impossible to achieve with today’s current norms and values. When terminally ill patients decided after much deliberation with their physician and family, they should be allowed to end their life in peace without the cold shoulder from society.
Death with dignity is a very complicated topic with many sociological factors. Britney Maynard broke the social norms and values when she took her own life on November 1, 2014. Should she have lived her life in agony as her family and friends watch her suffer instead? As society’s ideals progress and change perhaps the freedom to die will become a right for all American citizens. Suicide may no longer be a constant conflict with society and