Terms good and bad Death - Essay Example

In the context of contemporary western societies, critically explore the terms,"good" and bad "Death" Introduction. The only certain thing in life is death. The subject of death has been widely discussed by sociologists, psychologists, doctors and religious leaders. While they all have contrasting opinions on the subject of death, the bottom line is that death is inevitable. According to Green (2008), the mortality of man has never been questioned by any scientist, doctor or religious personality. Consequently death has been accepted as an occurrence that is common in all societies, cultures and countries. The religious leaders argue that rich or poor, we all have one destiny and that is the ultimate date with death. It is due to the common acceptance of this phenomenon that various theories have been advanced about death. "Good death" and "bad death" are now common subjects of discussion among sociologists. In the medical world, terminologies such as euthanasia and thanatology are taught in an effort of better understanding and handling of death. Euthanasia refers to mercy killing of terminally ill patients with the aim of easing their pain. This therefore means that the patient dies a "good death" On the other hand thanatology is the study of death and the circumstances that surround it. It is aimed at helping the dying and those left to cope with the expected loss courtesy of death. The mere mention of the word death evokes different emotions. Noys (2005) says that in the contemporary western societies, the term is widely used with less emotion attached to it. Death is also discussed quite often in the Islamic culture. In Islam death is viewed as the wish of "Allah" and consequently there is no good or bad death here. In fact a Muslim would wish to die in a holy place like Mecca. Cases of suicide have been reported during a visit to this holy place. In the African culture, even the mere mention of the word death is strictly forbidden. From an early age children are taught to avoid the dreaded word. "Good death" Green (2008) agrees with the classification of good and bad death. He further points out that both types of death are accompanied by varied degrees of grief. So what constitutes a good or bad death' According to Green a good death occurs when one is at peace with himself/herself and has accepted the inevitable occurrence. Think of an old person in a nursing home who has lived his/her life to the fullest and has even written a will. Such a person most probably has children and grand children and has achieved success in this world. The death of such a person can be classified as a good death. The death is predictable and is accompanied by less grief and emotion. Sociologists point out that one of the key characteristics of a "good death" is that it is predictable. There is also a feeling that death in this case will lessen the pain on the dying and those left behind. Terminal illnesses such as Cancer and AIDS present circumstances where it is felt that death would be a better way out rather than the suffering a patient goes through. It is in these circumstances that doctors recommend euthanasia as a way of ending the suffering of the affected person. In some circumstances, even family members have recommended mercy killing for their loved ones. A case in point was witnessed in California where a man asked doctors to switch off a life machine supporting his wife who had lost consciousness after a tragic accident. To those left behind, this was considered a good death since it had put to an end the suffering of the woman and paved the way for those left behind to move on with the business of life. "Bad death" Young and Cullen (1996) argue that there are some circumstances that result to a bad death both to the affected and those left behind. For instance, the death of a youth in the prime of his/her life is always considered a bad death particularly if it is sudden and unexpected. It takes time for family members to accept the sad situation and the death is accompanied by more emotion and grief. In the same breathe; the death of a young couple is considered a bad death in the western society. It is even worse if they left behind young children who are now orphans. A death which occurs in a violent manner is considered a bad death. An example of a violent death which shocked the entire world involved the hugely popular princess Diana and her Egyptian boyfriend. It occurred after a car accident in France. Various theories were put forward in an effort of explaining their deaths but this never satisfied the curious public in Britain. There was talk of murder due to her association with a Muslim. In other quarters the ever curious British press was blamed for her death. Eventually an inquiry was formed to investigate the death of the two and it concluded that it was purely an accident. A case which stood was that of a woman who attended all the hearings. She later said that her soul would never rest until the truth was known. In the US, the best example of a violent death involved Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The two teens were found murdered in their home and one OJ Simpson was blamed for their death. After a long trial, the latter was set free amidst huge cries of an unfair trial. Ron Goldman's father eventually went to court to claim for compensation for his son's death. He won the trial and used the money to build a foundation in honour of his late son. Ross (1983) states that the soul of a person whose death occurred violently does not rest until the guilty person is brought to book. There is an unwritten rule that those left behind have the responsibility of ensuring that the guilty person pays for the death. The father of Ronald Goldman later said that the soul of his son can now rest in peace after he won the ensuing civil trial. Thus it is safe to say that a violent death is a bad death, the age of the victim and the circumstances notwithstanding. For example a terminally ill patient whose death is caused by a hospital fire is considered a bad death. However if the same death occurred naturally then it can be termed as a good death. The difference here is that the latter is unavoidable while the former is avoidable. What differentiates a "God death" from a "bad death"' The manner in which death a death occurs largely determines whether a death is a good death or a bad death. (Noys, 2005). Noys gives the example of two kids who both die at the age of five. The first child is diagnosed with blood cancer on birth and doctors give the ultimate sentence. The child manages to hang on until the age of five but loses the battle. This can be classified as a good death and in most cases it is said to be the will of God. With time the parents come to terms with the inevitable and when it finally happens they are prepared for it. The death of the second child happens as a result of a hit and run incident. This can easily be termed as a bad death. It takes time for the parents to come to terms with the reality and causes even more grief and mental torture. The aftermath of an event that leads to a death can also determine whether a death is viewed as good or bad. For example, death as a result of an act of God say a Tsunami may be viewed as a good death in the western society. However circumstances change when the body of a loved one is not available for burial. There is a special connection between death and the final respect given to a dead person. When the body is not available for burial, then in most circumstances it is considered a bad death. The importance of burial is captured by Young and Cullen (1996) who state that in some cultures a mock burial ceremony is carried out if the body of the deceased is not available for burial. Conclusion. Death is inevitable in the human race and it is due to this fact that various theories have been advanced. The main question surrounding death is not if but when it will happen. No one knows when death will strike and it is due to this mysterious nature of death that makes its study interesting. Since it will ultimately happen the question becomes how it happens thus the concept of "good death" and "bad death". Basically good death is one which comes late in life and is prepared for while bad death in most cases is unexpected and sudden. However both terms are just used to soften the hardness of truth which stands that death is inevitable and will eventually visit each one of us one day. Reference: Green, W. (2008). Beyond the good death: the modern anthropology of modern dying. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania press Neuberger, J. (2004). Dying well: a guide to enabling a good death. Oxford: Radclife publishing Noys,B. (2005). The culture of death. Oxford: Berg Ross, P.(1983). A good death. New York, NY: Dodd Mead Young, M. & Cullen, L.(1996). Good death; conversations with east londoners, London: Routledge. Read More