. Copyright 2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Claiborne & Drewery, Human Development

Chapter 12

Reflecting on Life and Death

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Development through the lifespan

• Is less predictable than science would perhaps prefer

• No single theory is “right”• We can see some patterns of change through life• Individuals affect society, and the social world

affects individuals: a reciprocal relationship• There is no single developmental pathway that

must be followed from birth to death

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Making meaning of a life

• Modernist approaches look for “the march of progress”

• But this depends on the possibility of full control over change through life

• We can never fully control what happens to us through life

• Human Development studies the optimal conditions of growth and development through life

• Lives are meaningful, however long or short they may be

• The possibility of change through life is a hopeful approach

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Length of life

• Life expectancy is growing through most of the world

• Average life expectancy for a girl born in New Zealand in 2010 is 82 years

• Average life expectancy for a boy born in New Zealand in 2010 is 77 years

• Maori life expectancy is lower, but improving• Lifestyle is one of a number of factors affecting

longevity

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Quality of life

• Socio-economic factors linked with longevity include:– Income– Education

• Well-being has become a focus of study by: – Psychologists– Local authorities– Health development researchers– Educators

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Positive psychology

• Martin Seligman and colleagues noticed that psychology largely focuses on negative outcomes

• Handbook of Character Strengths and Virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

• Character strengths categories include:– Wisdom and knowledge– Courage– Humanity– Justice– Temperance– Transcendence

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Thinking about death

• Thanatology is the scientific study of death• A Modernist approach to science tends to support

the idea that a death is a failure to live a longer life• Death comes to all of us eventually• There is increasing interest in and support for

dying well• Different cultures may have very different customs

and expectations about death and funeral rites

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Causes of Death

• Major causes of death in New Zealand are:– Cancer– Heart disease– Cerebrovascular disease– Diabetes

• Among younger people 15-24 years of age:– Unintended injury (such as car accidents)– Suicide– Cancer

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Preparing for death: Kübler-Ross

• This stage approach may constrain other possible approaches to death and dying

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• Kübler-Ross’ five stages of dying:

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Re-membering conversations (Hedtke & Winslade, 2004)

• The influence of a person on our lives continues after their death

• Relationships with those who have died continue after they are gone

• Addresses questions about how the one dying wants to be remembered after their death

• Suggests that those who go before are nevertheless members of the “club” of our life

• Encourages us to reconsider the idea of loss

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Ethical issues

• Medical advances allow persons to be kept alive for long periods without hope of recovery

• Euthanasia is the deliberate shortening of life, often spoken about in relation to long-term terminal illness such as dementia

• Euthanasia and assisted suicide are not legal in most countries in the world

• With increasing longevity and incidence of dementia, the question of assisted suicide is likely to become a more talked about option among the growing population of elders

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Complex constructionist ecology

• In contemplating our own dying, and that of those we love, we may see that how we live today is important

• The ecology of a life is complex and the end of life offers an opportunity to reflect on this

• Your developmental pathway is unique• The quality of our interactions and our social and

physical environments can produce developmental outcomes for ourselves and those around us, even as we approach our own death

• Development is a product that we construct, with others

12-12Copyright 2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Claiborne & Drewery, Human Development