Thinking about 'completed life' : euthanasia in the Netherlands from the generativity perspective : a reflexive exploration
- Author
- Sjaak van der Geest and Priya Pramod Satalkar (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- In this reflective essay, we explore the concept of generativity and propose it as a more positive interpretation of the experience of ‘completed life’ and its bearing on the wish to die. In 2010, more than 100,000 people in the Netherlands signed a petition requesting an extension of the existing euthanasia legislation. They asked the government to grant euthanasia to older persons who feel tired of life and who regard their lives as complete, in the absence of physical or psychic sickness. Debates about ‘completed life’ euthanasia have continued since then, but the various factions in these debates have been unable to reach consensus or conclusion. In this paper, we analyse the concept of generativity and use this to interpret statements by supporters of ‘completed life’ euthanasia. Next, we disentangle common idioms that people use when they grow older and feel that death is approaching yet still out of reach. The aim of this article is to invite readers to reflect on the wish for ‘completed life’ euthanasia as a meaningful end-of-life reaction.
- Keywords
- completed life euthanasia, generativity, loss of meaning, the Netherlands, LIVED EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE, DEATH
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8676915
- MLA
- van der Geest, Sjaak, and Priya Pramod Satalkar. “Thinking about ’completed Life’ : Euthanasia in the Netherlands from the Generativity Perspective : A Reflexive Exploration.” ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING, vol. 42, no. 1, 2021, pp. 128–39, doi:10.5195/aa.2021.286.
- APA
- van der Geest, S., & Satalkar, P. P. (2021). Thinking about ’completed life’ : euthanasia in the Netherlands from the generativity perspective : a reflexive exploration. ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING, 42(1), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.5195/aa.2021.286
- Chicago author-date
- Geest, Sjaak van der, and Priya Pramod Satalkar. 2021. “Thinking about ’completed Life’ : Euthanasia in the Netherlands from the Generativity Perspective : A Reflexive Exploration.” ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING 42 (1): 128–39. https://doi.org/10.5195/aa.2021.286.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- van der Geest, Sjaak, and Priya Pramod Satalkar. 2021. “Thinking about ’completed Life’ : Euthanasia in the Netherlands from the Generativity Perspective : A Reflexive Exploration.” ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING 42 (1): 128–139. doi:10.5195/aa.2021.286.
- Vancouver
- 1.van der Geest S, Satalkar PP. Thinking about ’completed life’ : euthanasia in the Netherlands from the generativity perspective : a reflexive exploration. ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING. 2021;42(1):128–39.
- IEEE
- [1]S. van der Geest and P. P. Satalkar, “Thinking about ’completed life’ : euthanasia in the Netherlands from the generativity perspective : a reflexive exploration,” ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 128–139, 2021.
@article{8676915,
abstract = {{In this reflective essay, we explore the concept of generativity and propose it as a more positive interpretation of the experience of ‘completed life’ and its bearing on the wish to die. In 2010, more than 100,000 people in the Netherlands signed a petition requesting an extension of the existing euthanasia legislation. They asked the government to grant euthanasia to older persons who feel tired of life and who regard their lives as complete, in the absence of physical or psychic sickness. Debates about ‘completed life’ euthanasia have continued since then, but the various factions in these debates have been unable to reach consensus or conclusion. In this paper, we analyse the concept of generativity and use this to interpret statements by supporters of ‘completed life’ euthanasia. Next, we disentangle common idioms that people use when they grow older and feel that death is approaching yet still out of reach. The aim of this article is to invite readers to reflect on the wish for ‘completed life’ euthanasia as a meaningful end-of-life reaction.}},
author = {{van der Geest, Sjaak and Satalkar, Priya Pramod}},
issn = {{2374-2267}},
journal = {{ANTHROPOLOGY & AGING}},
keywords = {{completed life euthanasia,generativity,loss of meaning,the Netherlands,LIVED EXPERIENCE,PEOPLE,DEATH}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{128--139}},
title = {{Thinking about 'completed life' : euthanasia in the Netherlands from the generativity perspective : a reflexive exploration}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.5195/aa.2021.286}},
volume = {{42}},
year = {{2021}},
}
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