Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Exam One
Death education/experiences. History of Death
62
Social Work
Undergraduate 3
09/17/2014

Additional Social Work Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Why should we learn about death?
Definition

1. It affects our personal lives (those we know, we ourselves)

2. We may encounter it in our professional lives

3. We are all in a process of learning to accept and deal with it.

Term
What are the 6 goals of death education?
Definition

1. To enrich one's personal life

2. To inform and guide individuals in their personal transactions with society

3. To prepare individuals for their public roles as citizens

4. To help prepare and support individuals in their professional & vocational roles

5. To enhance the ability of individuals to communicate effectively about death related matters

6. To assist individuals in appreciating how development across the human life course interacts with death related issues

Term

Give the death education goal:

 

Our lives are finite; appreciate the little things

Definition
Enrich one's personal life
Term

Give the death education goal:

 

One should learn of services, options, etc. that are available. Consider awareness of individuals and their family

Definition
To inform and guide individuals in their personal transactions with society
Term

Give the death education goal:

 

Awareness of death-related topics in society. Be equipped to develop an informed opinion. Shapes policy and cultural identity. What's the role of media? (how easily are we influenced? how much good info is actually getting to us?)

Definition
To prepare individuals for their public roles as citizens
Term

Give the death education goal:

 

How can it be dangerous to not appropriately prepare professionals?

Definition
To help prepare and support individuals in their professional and vocational roles
Term

Give the death education goal:

 

"How to speak the language" Holistic perspective: what happens after? Much larger picture.

Definition
To enhance the ability of individuals to communicate effectively about death related matters
Term

Give the death education goal:

 

How does ones perspective of death issues transform over the years? This highlights the importance of understanding "life course"

Definition
To assist individuals in appreciating how development across the human life course interacts with death related issues
Term
What is the holistic perspective of death?
Definition
Doesn't just include death. What happens after death? Much larger picture
Term
A person's life in context, including the experiences and memories of events and transition in that context
Definition
Life course
Term
What is at the heart of death education?
Definition

Discovery and emphasis on quality of life

 

We want life to be meaningful

When QOL goes down, what happens?

Related to this is a search for meaning

Term
What are 2 things that have shaped our perceptions of death today?
Definition
Occurance of death and how it was addressed
Term
Study of causes, distributions, and control of disease in populations
Definition
Epidemiology
Term
The change in dominant cause of death from infectious to degenerative disease
Definition
Epidemiological Transition
Term
Which century is known as the predawn era?
Definition
Pre 19th century
Term
What were the 4 things needed in the pre 19th century (predawn area)?
Definition
Food, water, shelter, sex
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Four things needed: food, water, shelter, sex

Early domestication of plants and animals (very basic)

Aging just happened. Aging was viewed in terms of chidren had

Definition
Pre 19th century (predawn era)
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Simple tools; better cultivation, no need to move as much, development of towns and villages, communication and trade increase, more specialized roles. Early religion. Death because of "bad graces"

Definition
Pre 19th century (neolithic revolution/new stone age)
Term
Death was seen as terms of "bad graces" you or your family did something bad.
Definition
Neolithic/New stone age
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Empire developments (ex. romans), emergence of the elite (thinkers/observations), Viewed dying as running out of energy/humors/dessication (dry up) Science and religion became more important, biggest killer was infection, Social elite denied death (fountain of youth, alchemy)

Definition
Pre 19th (early science - few thousand BC to 1800's)
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Health reform - socially driven. This includes personal hygiene & community hygiene. Epidemics began to breakout. Germ theory was developed. Microorganisms discovered with the intro of microsopes. Sterile medical techniques. Cotton gin

Definition
19th century
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Die early and easily. Infection was a big killer (black death, cholera, influenza, pneumonia, sepsis), aging was largely among the social elite. Aging among commoners was seen as bad/wrong.

Definition
Pre 19th century
Term
During the early science what were the 3 theories on how people died?
Definition

1. people ran out of vital energy (decreases over time)

2. People's humors were out of balance (blood, phlegm, yellow and black bile)

3. Dessication: you dry out due to loss of fluids (wrinkles) attributed to childbirth

Term
During this century there was big advances but little diffusion
Definition
19th century
Term

These are characterstics of what era?

 

Diffiusion of genetics/germ theory. Infection comes under control (antibotics, widespread h2o treatment/plumbing, electricity, growth in garment industry (cotton))

Definition
20th century
Term
How has control of infectious disease influenced our "picture of death" in our changing society?
Definition

Infection wasn't controlled well; death was more sudden

With control of infection, death tends to be slower. More time to prepare for death from degenerative disease.

People are dying at older ages. 

Death has less of violent feeling to it (for the most part)

Death is more equal now, less poor dying from infection (access to healthcare is more available but still unequal)

More of an order to death (grandparents, parents, kids)

Term
What are 3 things that shape our death related experiences?
Definition

Encounters with death

Attitudes towards death

Death related practices

Term

Encounters with death:

 

Who is left? Life expectancy?

Definition
Survivorship; our encounters with death are mainly with the older population. Much older population now because rates are so high
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Causes of death
Compression of morbidity thesis
Theory of cumulative disadvantage
Definition
Infections to degenerative to chronic diseases
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the theory - The human lifespan is fixed and finite. Improvements in healthcare and prevention will compress the years that an individual will be disabled into the last few years of the lifespan
Definition
Compression of morbidity theory
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the theory - health in old age is the cumulative; it is the result of everything that happens to a person since their birth.
 
ex. hurt ankle early in life, could lead to a fall later in life
"haves and have nots"
Definition
Theory of Cumulative Disadvantage
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the trajectory of death - these decedents usually have little forewarning and often little or no interaction with the healthcare system before dying
 
Ex. most common are heart attacks and strokes
Definition
Sudden death
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the trajectory of death - Function reasonably well for awhile but illness becomes overwhelming and non-responsive to treatment. Decline is rapid. Weeks to months.
 
Ex. primarily cancer
Definition
Terminal illness
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the trajectory of death - mostly those who have a serious and eventually fatal failure. Gradually diminishing functional status with periodic dramatic excaberations of their illnesss. Can have many "up" and "down" episodes 
 
Ex. Primarily CHF/COPD
Definition
Organ system failure
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Name the trajectory of death - typically seen in nursing homes. Steady progressive disablity from chronic illness before dying from complications.
 
Ex. Primarily from complications from chronic illness
Definition
Frailty
Term

Encounters with death:

 
Location of death. Where do most deaths occur now?
Definition
In hospitals
Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

What are some common attitudes towards death?

Definition
Clinical, personal, heavily emotional, anxiety
Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

What can attitudes toward death be based on?

Definition

Experiences in family

Experiences at work

Religious beliefs

Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

What are we taught our attitudes toward death?

Definition

Parents

Religious beliefs

What comes in from the media

Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

Name the category of our attitude regarding death - beliefs, feelings, values. Do we fear dying? Do we tend to avoid these thoughts? Shapes priorities and goals

Definition
Attitudes about our own dying
Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

Name the category of our attitude regarding death - How does prospect of my imminent death impact what I am experiencing now? Will it hurt? Will I know? Why does it scare us?

Definition
Attitudes toward death itself, the death of our self. (my death and immediate implications)
Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

Name the category of our attitude regarding death - Anxiet over unknown. Fear of judgement, afterlife, bridge/passage to another life. Will we see loved ones?

Definition
Attitudes related to concerns over what will happen to the self after death
Term

Attitudes toward death:

 

Name the category of our attitude regarding death - Will my loved ones be okay? Taken care of? How will I live without my loved one? Will I feel relief? What will happen to me? Influence of age and personal family status.

Definition
Attitudes related to the dying/death/bereavement of another
Term
What are some influences of our attitudes towards death?
Definition
Developmental age, our relationships, belief system, culture/religion/values, personal experiences with death and loss, attitude towards death, death anxiety
Term
Death anxiety is based on what?
Definition
Gener (less in females) age, belief in afterlife.
Term

The sociophysical network by which we meditate and express our relationshio to mortality

 

Definition
Death System
Term
Death systems in tribal v. modernized societies
Definition

Tribal: mortality rates (up) death more prevelant

Modernized: mortality (down)

Term
What are the elements of a societal death system?
Definition

People

Places

Times

Objects

Symbols

Roles of memorials/museums

Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

Social roles related to death. Lawyers, life insurance, clergy, graveyard staff, funeral homes, medical personnel, counselors, florists

Definition
People
Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

Locations with death related character: graveyard, funeral home, nursing homes, hospitals, historical grounds

Definition
Places
Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

Occasions, dedicated observances, death days, moments of silences to remember

Definition
Times
Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

Hearse, death certificate, urns, self identified objects

Definition
Objects: artifacts linked to death
Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

Symbolic objects/actions/phrases that signify death. "dust to dust" skull, black cat

Definition
Symbols
Term

Name the element of the death system:

 

this is related to all elements. think of 911 museum effects

Definition
roles of memorials / museums
Term

Identify the function of a societal death system:

 

Associated with some careers and services. Healthcare, law enforcememtn, safety educators/inventors

Definition
Prevent death
Term

Identify the function of a societal death system:

 

Services. Hospice, counseling, legal, pastoral, private EMS

Definition
Care for the dying
Term

Identify the function of a societal death system:

 

Funeral home, cemetary workers

Definition
Dispose of the dead
Term

Identify the function of a societal death system:

 

coping, bereavment, counseling, pastoral care

Definition
Work towards social consolidation after death
Term

Identify the function of a societal death system:

 

euthanasia, war, capital punishment, animals for food

Definition
Bring about socially sanctioned killing (humans/animals)
Term
What are the other functions of a societal death system?
Definition

Give warnings and predictions to the public

To help make sense of death

Term

How do we talk about death?

 

tends to be more pleasant, acceptable, delicate

 

ex. before his time, called home, bit the dust

Definition
Euphamisms
Term

How do we talk about death?

 

Not actual death/dying

 

ex. I about nearly died, im dying here, dying of hunger

Definition
Death related language
Supporting users have an ad free experience!