HW 32

What's most nightmarish about our culture's practices around illness & dying?

Its almost as if once a person gets old they're no good, its normal to put them into a nursing home or leave them in the hospital. I feel like old people are considered a nuisance, they cant do much for them self and need help getting around almost like a new born baby. Instead of being appreciated and have they're lives celebrated most have to deal with taking numerous amount of pills constantly being at the hospital and pity.

What might you do or address differently as a result of what you've learned this unit, individually and with your family?
I'm curious to know how some of my family members want to be buried or if they want to be cremated and also how they want they're funeral to be. These type of decisions are made after the person dies because no one wants to plan their own funeral, but I want to be able to provide the things they want at they're funeral.  Also I would like to know if they were ever in a vegetable state would they want the plug pulled, this happened with my aunt and it create a huge ordeal with the family because no one could agree on whether or not to pull the plug. Death is something you cant escape from and we cant avoid it yet most of us try. Its something that should be discussed because we never know when were gunna bit the dust.

How do dominant social practices (DSP) around illness & dying connect to DSP around food in our culture?
 Its ignored we know that most foods are processed ,and the animals aren't being treated well and most of the meat is tainted but we ignore it. Death is inevitable its going to happen to all of us one day but we ignore it. The DSP is to ignore it and remain happy citizens we dont have to deal with it until its put in front of us. These units made me understand the saying "ignorance is bliss" I never understood why having lack of knowledge would be a good this but the less you know the less you worry. The less people know about the disgusting food they eat the less they worry. The less people know about what happens to they're sick and dying loved ones and where they actually "go" when they die the less they worry.