Problemset
Title
Essay Questions
Introductory
Text
Question 1
What are some of the age, gender, and ethnic group differences in causes of death in the
U. S.?
Type:
Hint:
Essay
Feedback: pp. 343-346 You already know that men, particularly older white men, are
more likely to die from suicide (Chap. 12). You should mention that here but
also briefly discuss some of the other differences discussed in the text.
Question 2
Type:
Essay
Define the two major types of advance directives and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each?
Hint:
Not DNH and DNR orders.
Feedback: pp. 346-351 In one case your wishes are written and in the other you trust
someone else to abide by your wishes. The former seems better but has
limitations that are one of its disadvantages. Discuss this and the other
advantages and disadvantages (e.g., are directive always followed?).
Question 3
Why have some causes of death declined while others have increased over the years of the
20th century? Over the last 20 years?
Type:
Hint:
Essay
Feedback: pp. 343-346 Think in terms of medical advances and longer life expectancy.
Question 4
Describe the arguments on both sides of the controversy over physician assisted suicide.
What do you think about this issue and why?
Type:
Hint:
Essay
Feedback: Box 14-3 Try to present a balanced view of these before stating your own
position and reasons.
Question 5
Type:
Briefly describe the mourning rites of three religions or cultures different from your own
religion and culture.
Hint:
Mourning rites are the officially accepted ways of expressing grief.
Essay
Feedback: Box 14-4 Choose any of the five religions (not your own) and/or five cultures
(not your own) described here. You might earn extra points by pointing out
similarities among the ones you have chosen.
Question 6
Type:
Essay
A friend has told you that her great-uncle just passed away and that she is very worried
about her great-aunt (his widow). She and her family want to help but they don't know what
to expect (i.e., what is typical grieving) and what to do. Based on the findings from
bereavement studies, what advice can you give your friend to help her great-aunt? Would
you tell your friend anything different if it were her great aunt who passed away and her
great-uncle who was the bereaved?
Hint:
Feedback: pp. 360-366 and 370-372 There are a number of things to tell your friend but
one of the most important is to maintain contact with the widow. Remember
the increased mortality during that first year seems to be due to stress and loss
of social support. Close contact can help with both of these. Do men already
have less social support (see Chap. 10)?
Question 7
Why are unexpected deaths more difficult to handle than expected deaths?
Hint:
Type:
Essay
Feedback: pp. 368-370 There are several reasons for this difference including time to
prepare, feelings of guilt, and you should discuss each of these. Pay particular
attention to unexpected death from suicide. You should point out the general
lack of support for anticipatory grief but the presence of feelings of relief in
certain situations.
Question 8
Describe some types of support for the bereaved and evaluate their effectiveness.
Hint:
If you ever lost a loved one, what helped you recover?
Type:
Feedback: pp. 370-372 There are a number of these presented including the need for
Essay
professional help in some instances (how often?). Your evaluation should
center on how available these types of support are, whether they might work
better for some persons than for others, their cost (if any), and so on.