DEATH AND DYINGin turn, provokes a series of predictions: Sociolo-
gists will focus on how dying persons are defined
by their survivors and caregivers as well as on the
sociological hypothesis that dying persons are more
concerned for others than they are for themselves.
Sociologists will be required to disentangle the
concatenation of forces that has produced today’s
caregiving regimens in which terminal patients
tend to be treated more as objects than as persons.
Sociologists will be asked to explain how the proc-
ess of socialization has seemingly been reversed,
with the individual being figuratively stripped of
years of social experience and defined as a nonperson.
In effect, sociologists will be asked to explain the
historical alchemy whereby dying persons them-
selves have been conned into believing that all they
needed was palliation and comfort care.
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