The Right to Die and Power Over Life: Knowledge to Govern the Bodies

Abstract

This study aimed to examine how the media articulates the knowledge and positions involved in the process of death and dying. Documentary research in the field of post-structuralist cultural studies. The empirical material consisted of ten interviews, published in the magazines Época and Veja, between 2000 and 2012. To delimit the corpus of analysis, we used discursive mapping by means of the software ATLAS.ti. The findings were submitted to discourse analysis inspired by Foucault. In the reports, nursing appeared linked to care for the body and technical procedures, leading to the conclusion that the media constructs the professionals' image, according to the historical attributes linked to the professions. The knowledge of medicine and of justice is authorized to teach the subject to decide and to plan the death. Power/knowledge relations are outlined that legitimize the discourse on the production of a singularized death, which must be provided by the subjects using an expert of health.

Communication in the Management of the Nursing Care Before the Death and Dying Process

“…Therefore, reflections about the termination of life and death can guide us to understand these phenomena and have impacts both on personal life and on the professional practice. 2,12 Regarding the reaction of doctors to the diagnosis of a serious illness in patients, a study indicates that the question to be raised does not concern whether or not to tell the patient, but how they would share it with the patient. The professionals stated that many faced the diagnosis of a serious illness as a death sentence, mentioning the case of a cancer diagnosis.…”

“…Regarding the (lack of) knowledge about the diagnosis and prognosis, it is generally believed that families realize that their beloved ones are in terminality, but there are cases in which families are unaware of such a situation or do not manifest their understanding, possibly because of the denial of the situation. 12,[15][16] In addition, relatives often have distinct knowledge about the diagnosis and prognosis of their beloved ones. The (lack of) knowledge of the relatives generates reactions as a constant request of the nursing team and/or requests for transferring the patient to the ICU.…”

“…Finally, it was identified that professionals need to be prepared to communicate difficult news and support patients and family members. 12,[15][16][17] Some evidence-based communication strategies can help communicate difficult news to patients and family members effectively, such as the SPIKES and PEWTER protocols. 1617 It is believed that to think about nursing in a complex way is to see it working as a care system, recognizing the self-organization of this system, interspersed by autonomy, interdependence, interetro-actions among the human beings involved in caring.…”

Necropolítica Trans: Diálogos Sobre Dispositivos De Poder, Morte E Invisibilização Na Contemporaneidade

“…They use a heterogeneous set to implant their thinking, which includes discourse, imaginaries, representations, laws, administrative measures, social, moral and humanistic statements, among others. 5,[15][16][17] Necropolitical power is the network established among these elements that not only declare death and invisibility in trans identities, but also perpetuate acts that help segregate and hinder the recognition of their identity in those people who struggle to survive and refuse to die.…”

It Possible to Die at Home? Analysis of the Brazilian and French Scenarios

“…This mapping took place through tables that organize the analytical units, as used in other Cultural Studies. [11][12] The corpus of the research was submitted to cultural analysis, with Foucaultian theorizations. In this analytical process, the evaluations were elaborated at the interface of the Cultural, anthropological and Foucaultian Studies, based on the articulation of the following theoretical notions: governmentality and medicalization.…”