Negotiating a Good Death: Euthanasia in the Netherlands

Contents * Preface. Euthanasia in the Netherlands: Twenty-Five Years of Debate * The Present Study * Acknowledgments * Chapter 1. Death and the Anthropologist: On the Problem of Studying Euthanasia * The End: The Death of David * Emotion and the Anthropology of Death * Participant Observation * Performative Ethnography * Chapter 2. Euthanasia According to the Rules * The Endoscopy Room * The Attending Physician * Mrs. Kees * The Son * The Psychologist * The Second Opinion * Dr. Van Ham * The Head Nurse * The Daughter * Euthanasia * The Coroner * The Anesthetist * The Euthanasia Request * The Participants * Did She Really Want to Die? * The Rules of Due Care * On the Role of the Researcher Once More * Chapter 3. Where the Responsibility Lies * Mrs. Van Nelle * She Wants Euthanasia, but She is Afraid to Take the Responsibility * Increasing the Morphine * Was She Suffering Unbearably? * Did She Really Want to Die? * Dr. Glas's Intention * Assuming Responsibility * Chapter 4. The Line Between Euthanasia and Symptom Alleviation * Mr. Strasser's Denial * The Reversal * Gerrit Knol's Interpretation * Dr. Schuyt's Interpretation * Was It Euthanasia or Just Symptom Alleviation? * Chapter 5. Coping with Pressure from the Family * Mrs. Lanser * Mrs. Jones * The Euthanasia Requests, the Relatives, and the Conservative Option * Chapter 6. A Reflexive Intermezzo * Dialogue * The Doctors' Discussion * Themes * Chapter 7. Turning off Mr. Joost's Respirator * Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis * The Joost Family * Shifting the Boundary * Turning Off the Respirator * What the Nurses Said, and What They Meant * Doubt, Uncertainty, and Hesitation * Chapter 8. When Doctors Refuse a Euthanasia Request * Mr. Oosten's Euthanasia Request * Mr. Oosten's Death * The Nursing Records * The Doctors' Interpretations * When Is Euthanasia Negotiable? * Euthanasia and Alleviation * Chapter 9. The Negotiation Process * Prerounds Discussion on the AIDS Ward * Background of the Euthanasia Request * The Request * Bryan Mayflower * The Request Considered * Preparations * The Mystery * Dr. Edelman and the AIDS Patients * Was It the Right Decision? * Chapter 10. Unreported Euthanasia * Uncle Max's Story * Increasing the Morphine * Euthanasia * Where Was the Specialist? Dr. Schuyt's Explanation * The Reason Why * Chapter 11. The Social Context of Euthanasia * The Patients * The Relatives * The Ideology of Easy Death * Control and the Negotiation of a Good Death * The Doctors * The Nurses * The Culture of the Ward * Language, Discouse, and Communication * Chapter 12. What is Euthanasia? * Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide * Euthanasia and Symptom Alleviation * Euthanasia and the Withdrawal or Nonimplementation of Life-Prolonging Treatment * Euthanasia As Cultural Construct * Appendix. Euthanasia Declaration * Notes * References * Index