Varied concepts and applications

Criminology

Physician-assisted suicide is an issue that does not only concern the medical community, but also affects civil society, for it is considered a social problem that until now, American society has yet to resolve unanimously. This particular social issue brings into question the terminally ill patient's right to live and choose whether to continue living or die. One side of the argument in this issue contends that the patient, as an individual, has every right to decide for himself/herself whether to continue living or not. In cases wherein the individual is no longer capable of making decisions for himself/herself, his/her immediate family member would decide what is in the patient's best interest. The operative term here is the patient's "best interest," which is not easily determined and quantifiable. The other side of the issue, meanwhile, argues that even though the individual has rights to his/her person, it is not for him/her to decide whether to live or not. Thus, the physician-assisted suicide issue is at a stalemate because of the soundness of each side's arguments.

An important consideration, however, is to study carefully the concept of death, terminal illness, and other concepts associated and used to argue for physician-assisted suicide. Personally, I do not believe that physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. This is because there are still numerous concepts and terms that are open to questions and scrutiny, such as when do people and doctors can best assess when the patient is suffering at a greater level than another patient or other patients. Take as an example the issue of determining the patient's "best interests": are the patient's 'interests' coincide with his/her immediate family member's perceived 'interests' of the patient? Even the patient himself/herself cannot ascertain absolutely and at one, exact moment states what interests are best for him/her. Because of these undetermined and problematic development of concepts related and significant to the issue of physician-assisted suicide, it should be put under greater scrutiny and analysis before even considering the legality of the said act/ruling applied in the medical setting.

An important reflection in this issue is the existence of a 'cultural conflict,' wherein two groups, those who are for and against physician-assisted suicide, clash because of the differences in their values and beliefs about life, death, and human rights in general. From the perspective of criminology, the issue of physician-assisted suicide becomes a crime only because of this conflict, wherein one group considers this action as criminal, while the other considers it as a natural right of the individual/patient.

Sociological theorizing is conducted in order to put social phenomena, events, and occurrences in the proper context of perspective. That is, in understanding an issue or phenomenon, it is vital for the observer or the sociologist to put it into context in order to create the right "picture" of what is happening. For example, the structural functionalist perspective of criminology posits that crime occurs because of deviant behavior, and that deviance is but an inevitable part of the society. From this perspective, crime is the counterpart of society's function -- that is, a dysfunction that acts as a force or structure that balances the structure and order of human society. It is through the conflict between society's functions and dysfunctions that social change is stimulated, helping society develop. In the case of crime, it is an essential dysfunction in the society in order to help induce social change through the development of policies and laws that aim to maintain and observe the peace and order of human society.

Crime under the conflict theory or critical perspective has an altogether different description when compared against the structural functionalist perspective. Under the critical theory, crime is relative; an action becomes deviant and a crime when it is defined as such by a dominant group in the society, which holds the power and influence over the majority. The critical perspective evidently demonstrates power play at work when discussing the issue of crime and deviant behavior in human society, a different worldview compared to other sociological perspectives.