Media's influence on changing attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide

¶ … media's influence sexual behaviors values 20 years. Examine sexual behaviors values changed time frame. Investigate types media print, film, music. Consider questions: •How laws changed? •How affected acceptable today vs. acceptable time periods? •How cultures differ media influence? •How cultures differ sexual behaviors values? •How cultures portray sexuality media? Include a minimum 10 scholarly references.

That the media exerts a rather dominant influence in the modern world is not debatable. That it has been influencing decision making, patterned thinking, behavioral responses, is also unquestionable. Much has been studied and speculated on the reasons why this has happened and why is it that our societies seem to rely extensively on the media for certain answers, guidance, etc. In this paper however, it is not the why's that interest us but rather to trace the how of what the media has brought about in terms of change in relation to behaviors and values.

1. The Changing of Law

Earlier this year, newspapers and TV news alike were covering the topic ?for the right to die. This was in relation to the British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Lynn Smith who had ruled in favor of assisted suicide but had the case appealed. The idea that someone would have a legal right to euthanasia has been a controversial issue for a very long time now. In 1993, Sue Rodriguez from British Columbia sought to challenge the court in regards to the prohibition of assisted suicide but had her willing to die initiative dismissed as unconstitutional. The court supported in a five to four decision that it was indeed a criminal offence to assist a person to commit suicide (Smith, 1993, p. 2). Nevertheless, euthanasia was considered by Hoefler & Kamoie since 1994 as among the ?most legally complex and culturally sensitive areas of civil rights to emerge in our time? (as cited in Park, 1998, p. 277). In 1999, Jack Kevorkian, a doctor, was sentenced to jail after having admitted that he had helped 130 of his patients to die. This year September, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) invited Charles Falconer, a British politician, to participate in a discussion regarding his initiative to support assisted suicide as legal. In the United States, assisted suicide is legal in three states, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Internationally, euthanasia is legal in merely the Netherlands and Belgium, since recent years. However, assisted suicide is legal in Albania and Luxembourg. Having said this, there seems to be a fair percentage of people supporting assisted suicide who balance and sometimes overpower the number of people against it. A survey of 760 respondents revealed that 55% favored legalization of assisted suicide while 41 were against it (Christen & Gunther, 2003, "Results") Despite a majority of people believing that terminal ill patients should have a legal right to die, there continues to be ?little case law in the United States relating to state laws that permit physician -- assisted suicide. (Tiedemann et al., 2011, p. i) However, with the emergence of public opinion favoring terminal ill patients right to die, it could be argued that states will have to address the issue regularly and perhaps we may witness state regulations in this respect. Furthermore, that many other countries choose to adopt and indeed address cases of assisted suicide as individual case laws, substantiates the idea of pattern changing.

Sexual acts, on some occasions, have been listed as crimes. This is in relation to what is perceived on terms of being immoral or devalued. Sexual acts between same sex partners continue to mesmerize and indeed challenge individuals' beliefs and perceptions all over the globe. Nevertheless, with same sex marriage fighting to receive legality, there is no doubt we are witnessing a change of what is considered natural or unusual and/or immoral. This is indeed a broader issue because it asks for the reevaluation of human rights and equality. Indeed, it appears that, where there is no existing constitution, same-sex marriages, are more likely to be accepted as common norm, such as it is in Australia (Lindell, 2008, p. 37-38) There are various states in the United States that have already declared in favor of same sex marriage and countries in the world that have adopted similar legislation. These changes however should not take anyone by surprise since entertainment elements of the modern century have long perpetuated sexual conduct that favors acts between partners of the same sex. Indeed, we find that movies choose to explore the topic of love between either two men or two women, music pictorials often project lascivious behavior mostly in relation to women, etc. These changes of law have subsequently influenced public perception and have determined people to re-evaluate common beliefs or values that may have been more strictly regarded merely a few years back than what common belief asserts of these values today.

3. Media influence in regards to other cultures

Suggestions have been made as to media representing, for the entire world, a social problem (Kellner, 2004, p. 209). Willnat & Wilkins have indeed stated that ?mass media effects studies in Western countries have confirmed some suspicions that audiences are influenced, in some respects and under certain conditions, by the media. (1998, p. 29) The latter is indeed true considering that some states have managed to conserve moral values in regards to sexual conduct and general human and cultural values more prominently. For example, the national identity of the Iranian people would hardly be identified with sexual misconduct. As such, the "conditions" that have prevented the media from exploiting sexual subjects are directly linked to the country's national identity that has strict regulations in regards to conduct generally, not to mention sexuality. Likewise, it is more likely that other countries would be influenced by the media on topics outside sexual behaviors. Political affiliations, educational purposes, propaganda, etc., are more likely to constitute basis for influencing by the media.

4. Sexuality in Other Cultures

In the Jewish tradition, sexuality is closely link with spirituality and religion per se. Indeed, in the Hebrew Bible, ?there emerges a sense that the union of man and woman was inherently good, intended since creation, for the purposes of procreation and companionship (whether practical or emotional) ? (Berger, 2005, p. 2) The Indian tradition also renders sexuality as part of the religious tradition but rather differs in its approach and consensus of religious beliefs. In India, ?more people are accepting the fact that sexuality plays a crucial role not only in procreation but also for pleasure. (Avasthi et al., 2008, "Introduction") In Africa, sexual values would perhaps appear as contradictious to the outside world since there is a fair amount of liberty to enjoy sexual pleasure and this is meant as much for men as it is for women. Sexuality comes thus in relation to religious beliefs, however different, but can also be embedded into a culture's identity and social beliefs.

5. Portrayal of sexuality in other cultures

Between January and June 2004, twenty articles on sexuality appeared in various newspapers as concluded by a report from the African Regional Sexuality Resource Centre. (Leclerc-Madlala & Kearney, 2005, p. 16) Despite ?the virtual explosion of sexual imagery, display, and debate in South Africa in recent years, ? The study concluded, ?newspapers were generally conservative and did not wholly reflect the markedly increased national engagement with sexuality. (Leclerc-Madlala & Kearney, 2005, p. 26) This draws attention to the fact that Africa has indeed witnessed the exploitation by the media of sexual behaviors. This is in relation to various commercials distributed nationwide that allude to sexual acts, among other entertainments such movies and music videos. Likewise, India has found itself experiencing similar issues. The exploitation of sexual passion and desires by different ads or by promoting explicit movies are specifically influencing adolescents who are known to depict and imitate behavior they see on screens. However, recent years have also seen the emergence of media programs engaging in educational sexuality by promoting safety and responsibility.

Reference List

Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (2005). Sexuality in the media: Emerging Issues in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.arsrc.org/downloads/sim/sexuality_in_the_media.pdf

Avasthi, A., Kaur, R.., Prakash, O., Banerjee, A., Kumar, L., & Kulhara, P. (2008). Sexual Behavior of Married Young Women. Indian Journal of Community Medicine 33(3): 163-167. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.39677

Broyde, M.J. (Ed.). (2005). Marriage, sex, and family in Judaism. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.