Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making Essay End-of-life decision-making entails looking into ethical, cultural, as well as, legal concerns. All of the aforementioned has to be carefully considered if one has to decide to end his or her own life. This paper will look into the ethical, cultural, and legal issues that go along with end-of-life decision-making. It also intends to state what therapist can contribute in his or her participation in the discussion of end-of-life decision making together with his or her colleagues, as well as, patients their families. Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making There are ethical indispensable issues involved in end-of-life decision-making and some are the following: First of all is the issue on utilitarianism, since this is said to be the â€Å"foundation of morals† then it is linked to the end-of-life decision-making as well (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). Here, it is said that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness† (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). â€Å"Happiness† here is regarded as the â€Å"absence of pain† and â€Å"unhappiness† is the presence of the aforementioned (Germino 1972, p. 240). It is an issue because happiness is not all that matters in ending a life (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). In addition to that, how can one be sure that the absence of pain, which is death in this case, will lead to happiness of the person chiefly involved in the end-of-life decision-making (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580)? The same is true with the family of main person involved, will they be experience happiness if the patient opts to end his or her life voluntarily instead of waiting for his or her ‘natural’ death to take place (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580)? Second is the issue related with the Kantian model or what is technically referred to as the â€Å"deontological theory† (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). This states that a person has to fulfill a certain responsibility or duty as a part of his objective (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). This statement now seems to be irrational since the concrete definition of a responsibility or duty is not provided (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). For example, is it the person’s responsibility to subject himself or herself to death (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). It may be his or her right to choose to live or die but if asked if it is his or her responsibility remains a big question (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). Last but not least, there are some health care providers who are extremely conscious about â€Å"how much money is spent on patients and how effectively it is spent† (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). Some individuals feel that the amount of money spent on terminally ill patients is not really worth it (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). This is highly unethical; it is as if one is saying that money is far more important than actually trying to save a life (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). Cultural Issues Involved in End of Life Decision-Making Furthermore, there are several cultural issues involved in end-of-life decision-making as well and some are the following: First of all, there are some members of a cultural minority that prefers to be spoken to directly with regards to the disease that they are going through (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516). Although, there are also some who do not (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). In fact some immediate family members request that they be the ones to be spoken to only since they believe that informing the patient will only make the patient feel worse and will eventually negatively affect him or her (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). The same is true when it comes to making decisions with regards to the medications/treatment that the patient will undergo; some family members prefer that they be the ones to be in charge about this instead of the doctor and/or the patient (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Second, patients who belong to a cultural group sometimes opt â€Å"not to be directly informed† about the disease he or she is going through especially if it’s a life-threatening one (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Third, some patients also would prefer to carry out certain religious activities and spiritual traditions so as to assist in their medical treatment, and eventually, their healing as well (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Last but not least, some patients take into consideration their beliefs and outlook when it comes to the â€Å"medical experts, suffering, as well as, the afterlife† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Legal Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making There are also certain legal concerns when it comes to end-of-life decision-making: Most of the States disallows physician-assisted suicide; for example in New York, it is unlawful â€Å"under the general homicide laws† (Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States, n. d. , n. p. ). The same is true in Virginia wherein â€Å"there is no law that actually covers physician-assisted suicide but there is a statute which imposes civil sanctions on persons assisting in a suicide† (Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States, n. d. , n. p. ). My Participation as a Therapist in the Discussion of End-of-Life Decision-Making along with Colleagues There are several things that I may contribute as a therapist to my colleagues. I can share with them my knowledge with regards to how to communicate with patients of diverse culture (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). I can request them to â€Å"demonstrate an interest to the patient’s cultural heritage† for them to be able to give the patient â€Å"culturally-sensitive care† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). In addition to that, I will also let them know that it is important to give the patient â€Å"autonomy† especially when it comes to â€Å"non-disclosure of medical information and family-centered decision-making† because through the aforementioned, the patient will eventually feel that their â€Å"cultural norms are being respected† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). My Participation as a Therapist in the Discussion of End-of-Life Decision-Making along Patients and their Families Finally, I may also be of great assistance to patients and their families with regards to their discussion of end-of-life decision-making through the following: 1) I will respect it if the â€Å"patient prefers that his or her family members be the recipients of diagnostic and treatment information†; 2) I will make sure first who is the member of the family who’s appointed to make treatment decisions before speaking to him or her or giving them an advice with regards to the medical procedures or treatment; and 3) I will help them find another therapist/physician in case they are uncomfortable with the current one and especially if their therapist/physician â€Å"belong to the different ethnic background† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). As a therapist, I will try to advise them the best I can while considering their cultural background, incorporating my ethical/moral standards, and making sure that I will abide by the laws as well. References Bennagen, P. (2000). Social Economic and Political Thought. Q. C. : UP Press. Ebenstein, W. and Ebenstein, A. 1991, Great Political Thinkers: Plato to the President.Harcourt Brace, Forth Worth. Germino, D. 1972, Machiavelli to Marx: Modern Western Political Thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Hinman, L. M. (2000). Ethical Issues in End of Life Decisions: A Guide to Understanding Differences. Retrieved April 28, 2008 from http://ethics. sandiego. edu/presentations/sharp/index_files/v3_document. htm Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 28, 2008 from http://www. nightingalealliance. org/pdf/state_grid. pdf Searight, H. R. Gafford, J. (2005). Cultural Diversity at the End of Life: Issues and Guidelines for Family Physicians. American Family Physician, 71(3), 515 – 522.

The English Patient Essay -- Film Movie Movies English Patient

Count Lazlo Almasy, the English Patient, is a man in an Imperial time and world. The people in this world live by Imperial rules and perpetuate Imperial stereotypes. The film takes place in World War II era Africa, and as the film portrays it, in the mysterious and exotic Sahara desert and in Cairo, Egypt. Count Almasy’s character lives in the desert among imperial explorers and in the desert environment full of natives who bring to life classic stereotypes full of ignorance and white prevalence and power. Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, authors of Unthinking Eurocentrism, believe that the Imperial attitudes that the British government and the Western imperial society initiated, continue today and are alive in the cinema. The film, â€Å"The English Patient† is a key example of Imperial influence on cinema with the exception of one character: Count Almasy. On the surface, Almasy seems to be just like those around him, but when one looks deeper, his characteristics show tha t he is in fact an anti-imperial. Almasy’s character invites the viewer to identify with his seeming quest for adventure and then reveals qualities that then revise the colonial stereotypes that he seemed to personify previously. In the chapter â€Å"Imperial Imaginary† by Shohat and Stam, the authors discuss the idea that the perfect imperial subject is the adolescent male because of his vulnerability and hunger for adventure (101). The nature of imperialism is one of power and control. To teach a man to be an imperial one must teach him to love adventure. According to the authors, the empire by its very nature is the man’s plaything and that â€Å"boys [can] play in the space of an empire† (101). It gives them the freedom and creativity to explore and through cinema... ...at, unpredictable weather, and the general exoticism of the Sahara, Almasy is the odd light in the dark of the â€Å"Imperial Imaginary†. According to Stam and Shohat’s definition of the imperial, Almasy fits into their image only on the surface. He believes in many things that are antithetical to that of the imperial,largely his feelings about borders, names, and maps. When one delves deeper into his personality and beliefs, it can be seen that he is in fact the anti-imperial amidst a plethora of imperial stereotypes. Works Cited Ondaatje, Michael. The English Patient. New York: Random House, Inc., 1992. Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and theMedia. New York: Routledge, 1994. †The English Patient†. Dir. Anthony Minghella. Perf. Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Defoe, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Miramax, 1996.

How far did Stalin’s social policies change

How far did Stalin's social policies change the lives of women and children In the years to 1945? Following Stalin's succession to power in 1929, once again, Russia was transformed. As part of Socialism In One Country, Stalin focussed his intentions internally. This involved the notorious industrialisation and collectivisation drives which were intended to reform the economy. Nevertheless, do so, Stalin realised he would have to create a more ordered and disciplined society.Consequently, as part of the Revolution from Above and what was deemed by Sheila Fitzpatrick as the â€Å"great etreat†, where Stalin turned away from the policies of his predecessor, Stalin embarked on numerous social policies which focussed on the reforms of education and family life. Consequently, Stalin's legislation on the one hand, changed the lives of countless Soviet women and children. Nevertheless, it is also argued that his policies were no similar to previous social legislation under the Tsar an d Lenin.Consequently the extent of change and the significance of Stalins policies remains in Following the Russian revolution, Lenin assumed the Premiership of question. Russia and redefined the social polices experienced by women and children. In terms of policies which affected women and the family, Lenin was comparatively Liberal compared to Tsarist Russia. He considered traditional marriage to be slavery, economic and sexual exploitation. Robert Service has argued that as a result, official spokesmen began to urge wives to refuse to give â€Å"automatic obedience to husbands. Lenin went against previously traditional conservative policy and legalised divorce as well as abortion. Lenin attempted to free women from their domestic roles under Tsarism by requisitioning large scale provision of facilities such as canteens, laundries and cr ©ches as party of what is argued by Corin and Fiehn as the â€Å"socialisation of domestic services. † Although, In retrospect, this po licy was unaffordable, costing well over the national budget and consequently, the socialisation was not universal, reducing overall change.Nevertheless, Lenin did Implement legislation previously unthinkable to allow free love. as well as the creation the Zhenotdel, which gave opportunity for the first time for women to be involved in the running of the state. Additionally, Lenin reformed the education ystem which ultimately Impacted heavily on children. Lenin focussed on an industrial education which made use of apprenticeship schemes, but to the detriment of a broad education. Yet, also as part of his liberalising of once Tsarist Russia, he took the power to discipline away from teachers and scrapped the examination and homework methods of education.He also denounced all university lectures as members of the bourgeoisie and members of a hostile class in the education was more liberal than anything previous children had ever seen. Under Stalin, the changing of social policies and their effect on women were numerous. Stalin as part of industrialisation put greater emphasis on Job opportunities for women, by 1940 for example, nearly 41% of heavy industry workers were women. Although, in retrospect, women were still underpaid, receiving only 60-65% of a mans salary in the same Job, reducing overall change.Nevertheless, in contrast to Lenin and Tsarist Russia, Stalin put even greater focus on educational opportunities for women, increasing places for the number of women in colleges and universities. Although, again, these courses were purely focussed on industry, reducing overall change from Lenin. Although, as part of urbanisation, women btained greater opportunities to work in agriculture and by 1945, 80% of workers on the collectives were female. Stalin also placed even greater emphasis on propaganda compared to Lenin and employed the Stakhanov spirit in the female working environment to ensure maximum potential.Women also saw greater opportunities to serve i n the armed forces and by 1945, half a million Soviet Women had served. However, Stalin did abolish the Zhenotdel, formed under Lenin, reducing women's ability to be involved in the running of the state once again, as under Tsarism, reducing the breath of change in overall opportunity. Additionally, Lynch argues that he increase in women into the armed forces, whilst increased their equality, increased their likelihood of â€Å"mistreatment† and â€Å"sexual abuse†, especially by senior officers.This bears similarity to pre-Leninism where abuse of women was commonplace, reducing overall significance of Stalin's social policies effect on changing the lives of women for the better. Although, the state under Stalin compensated the abuse of women in the home itself by introducing a series of social polices which championed the revival of marriage. For example, the state now promoted marriage, legalising wedding rings which had previously been made illegal nder Lenin. Stali n in contrast to Lenin who legalised divorce, limited the availability to end a marriage.This has the effect of reducing the number of women and children becoming impoverished, under Lenin and his policy of free love. Women and children would no longer be left to fend for themselves if a husband chose to divorce. Local Party officials would in addition seek out any husbands who absconded from their marital obligations ensuring this change would be successful and significant. Women were also encouraged more to increase their reproductivity. This was due to greater amounts of women in work as part of industrialisation.Stalin introduced incentives to women with a certain amount of children-7 would gain 2,0000 roubles per year for 5 consecutive years. However, this increased the likelihood of pressure being put on women from their male counterparts to terminate their babies as had been the case when Lenin previously legalised abortion, suggesting a reduction in overall change for the be tter. Although, Stalin did put in place laws to punish such offence with two years imprisonment and made termination illegal.However, ultimately the banning of abortion was an infringement on civil liberties, similar to that of Tsarism, reducing verall change. Additionally, Stalin reverted back to the traditional role of the women in the home. Whilst his changes meant they could work and could receive state support and were compensated by his promotion of the Women's Activists Movement their own family as a â€Å"good Communist† should rather than socialise the entire family as Lenin argued. Stalin therefore reverted back to the traditional view of the purpose of women. He however, gave them two roles.Essentially, as Geoffrey Hosking argues â€Å"the fruits of female emancipation became the building blocks of the Stalinists neopatriarchal society. In terms of Stalins social policies and it's effects on children for the better, they are arguably of less significance. Whilst S talin continued to run the education system via the state as Lenin condoned, Stalin controlled the education of children to a precedent unseen before. Stalin condoned the more extensive regulation of education in order to shape the next younger generation of society, whom could be easily influenced, into the Communist way of thinking.This was seen most notably in 1935, when Stalin brought the original Tsars Imperial Academy, or Soviets Academy of Sciences under direct state control forcing ersonnel to produce work only in line with Stalinist views. Stalin also reintroduced discipline into children's lives, giving power back to teachers which had previously been taken away under Lenin. He also further tightened the regulations imposed on children in terms of appearance, such as school uniforms, to surpass Lenin's attempts to create a truly egalitarian society.Stalin also changed the material in lessons, introducing a new curriculum in 1935 which was created by the state which was acc ompanied by State prescribed textbooks through which children would now earn; a valuable method in the influencing of the next generation of socialists. Although, in retrospect, it could be argued that state influence in children's education was not a vast change. Lenin himself had requisitioned a book entitled A Brief History of Russia by Bolshevik Pokrovsky which was acquired as the Soviet School Text Book. Although, state influence in education under Lenin was rather in terms of class struggle.Stalin changed this to an overall insight into the positive age of the Russian past, focussing on fgures such as Peter the Great. He also made it compulsory along ith homework and exams to in fact go to school. Whereas Lenin saw it as a mere obligation to learn the basic aspects of reading and writing, Stalin saw education as essential in breeding a new generation of productive and capable workers and consequently provided free schooling for the first time time up to the age of 15. For exam ple, between 1929 and 1940, the number of children attending school rose from 12 to 35 million.Although, in retrospect, whilst there were grants, most parents of children in secondary education were still expected to pay and certainly could not ttend higher education without such a financial contribution, reducing overall change in terms of opportunity for children. This change is made more insignificant by the fact that ironically, whilst the Russian revolutionaries had poured scorn on the bourgeoisie governing elites that monopolised power previously, Stalin continued to produce an equivalent and did not change this hypocrisy.Party officials were allowed the right for their children to have the best training to give them access to higher education and were often given the best places, similar to the Tsarist elite, and going against Lenin. For example, in the period from 1928-1932, a third of all undergraduates were Party nominees. Essentially, Stalin did not change the existence o f a ruling class which allowed their children to dominate the education system. Lynch even argues that, â€Å"it enhanced Stalins power by creating a class of his creatures. In conclusion, essentially, Stalin did make extensive changes in social polices which effected the lives of countless women and children. Authority, discipline and effort were now championed in a drive to become a truly independent Socialist State. In terms of children and their education, Stalin, although he continued ith state intervention, undeniably made changes to allow compulsory education to all which made the literacy rate rise significantly from 51% in 1926 to 88% in 1940, allowing a new breed of educated workers to run the economy.However, Stalins changes to the lives of children are however inevitably undermined by the fact that he did nothing to prevent an intelligentsia forming once again which was allowed to dominate the nomenklatura. Not only was education still streamlined as it had been under L enin and even under Tsarism in the universities, but ordinary children were till prevented from top posts and were confined to be â€Å"cogs† in the industrialisation process.

Empathy and Understanding with Emotional Intelligence

Imagine a close associate whose pet has just passed away. You console the grief-stricken associate and you try to make him forget about the pain and stop him lamenting over their loss. In the process you too start to feel their loss, and you feel a sense of sadness both for the pet, and for your friend. It is this understanding and management of emotions that is the basis for Emotional Intelligence, or simply â€Å"EI†. In its simplest terms, EI is â€Å"the capacity to reason about emotions, and of emotions to enhance thinking† (Mayer, Salovey and Caruso, lines 47-48). Emotional Intelligence helps us understand and empathize with a tribulation or problem that other people are facing. Though many psychologists believed that the IQ was more important, new research suggests that EI is more critical for daily life because it allows us to understand and manage other’s emotions as well as ours. One major component of EI is managing emotions. At any given time, we hav e to control our emotions to best fit our environment. In the workplace, we have to maintain a sense of professional, often not showing whether we are distraught or sad. Though many employers do not want their workers to seem distraught, they often try to do anything to improve the morale, and thus productivity, of their workers. Many employers know how emotions affect the productivity of their workers, so they try their best so that the workers feel as happy and safe as they can at work. Psychologists Steven Stein and HowardShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Emotional Intelligence On Health Care Professionals1716 Words   |  7 PagesEmpathy is used to describe a wide range of experiences. It is the â€Å"capacity† to share and understand other people’s emotions and another’s â€Å"state of mind†. Empathy is being able to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling while maintaining a state of vulnerability to one’s previous experiences, biases, and emotions. Empathy is a very powerful concept that is often misunderstood or discounted for its importance, especially for health care professionals. The use of empathy, vulnerabilityRead MorePersonal Statement Assessment : My Personality As A Business Owner843 Words   |  4 Pagesinteractions with employees as a business owner. The implications of the Emotional Intelligence assessment have inspired me to identify and single out the positive and negative aspects of my personality as a business leader. I have become more aware of the importance of self-knowledge as a way to identify emotional patterns that can help me understand my employees outside of their job performance. The important aspects of Empathy and Self-regulation were important ways that I can become a much betterRead MorePersonal Statement On Emotional Intelligence1593 Words   |  7 Pages Emotional Intelligence Tanveer Vora 1610793 University Canada West Professor: Dr. Michele Vincenti MGMT601 Leadership in the Global Context 16th January 2017 Abstract The paper discusses about the emotional intelligence, which has various factors. The factors are self awareness, motivation, self regulation, social skills and empathy. In case of effective leadership, these factors plays major role. However, emotional intelligence is teachable to improve the personal skills and personality.Read MoreEmotional Intelligence : An Essential Quality For All Managers1371 Words   |  6 Pageson his writings about emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to recognize your own, as well as other people’s emotions, to differentiate between feelings, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior (Goleman, In Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia Online., (n.d.)). Emotional intelligence is an essential quality for all managers to be exceptional leaders. According to Daniel Goleman, there are 5 components of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, self-regulationRead MoreHow would you explain the concept of self-awareness / empathy / emotional intelligence to anot800 Words   |  4 Pagesconcept of self-awareness / empathy / emotional intelligence to another person? Empathy is the ability to understand another persons viewpoint, to recognise and experience their feelings, and to be aware and understanding of their thoughts, from their perspective. When we are empathetic we allow ourselves to understand others and the intentions of others. Empathy requires that we connect with them and allows us to build a relationship with that person therefore empathy is also one of the most importantRead MoreThe Skills And Knowledge I Learned Through The Course1510 Words   |  7 Pagesleadership such as management vs leadership, emotional intelligence, team stages of development, situational leadership, servant leadership, and Myers-Brigs Personality assessment tool. Also, while taking this course, I also identified my dependable strengths as well as my areas of weakness. At the beginning, I will talk about my personal definition of leadership. Then, I will summarize my self-evaluation/self-assessment by using MBTI, Big 5, and Emotional Intelligence. I will also talk about one of my areaRead MoreEmotional Intelligence and Empathy in Leadership Essay example1702 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen suggested in the following studies that higher level education is lacking in regard to the study of emotional intelligence and empathy within their business leadership programs. Empathy is defined as, â€Å"the feeling that you understand and share another persons experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone elses feelings,† (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Emotional intelligence and empathy will be observed throughout this paper as a result of two separate studies, each were conducted with regardRead MoreThe Options Between Kindness And Intelligence Essay1435 Words   |  6 PagesWhen comparing the options between kindness and intelligence in children, o ne would see that there are many benefits and drawbacks to either option. One can see that there is happiness within the kind child and assumes that their life would be easier than that of the intelligent child, though logic dictates that the intelligent child would experience more benefits than that of the kind child. Even though stress can weaken the body and make it easier for a disease to be established, intelligent childrenRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : The Impact Vulnerability Has On Leadership Within Nursing Care1520 Words   |  7 PagesEmotional Intelligence: The Impact Vulnerability Has On Leadership within Nursing Care Empathy is used to describe a wide range of experiences. It is the â€Å"capacity† to share and understand other people’s emotions and another’s â€Å"state of mind†. Empathy is being able to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling, while maintaining a state of vulnerability to one’s previous experiences, biases, and emotions. Empathy is a very powerful concept that is often misunderstood, or discountedRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : A Leader And A Nurse1363 Words   |  6 Pagestheir support has always been something that I have admired. Jube’s emotional intelligence makes him a great leader. At times, I have been jealous that same emotional intelligence does not come quite so naturally to me, particularly as I move forward in my career in the nursing field. Even though emotional intelligence may take some time to master and may not come naturally to everyone, improving our level of emotional intelligence dictates our s uccess as a leader and a nurse because it allows us to