SOC 331 week 3 DQ 1

  

Ashford 4: – Week 3 – Discussion 1

Distributive Justice Across the Generations

  

   In Chapter 3 of your textbook, the author discusses how demographic   differences, such as age, influence understandings of distributive justice.   He also reviews how libertarian, utilitarian, and egalitarian theories of   distributive justice enter into conversations across demographic divides.
 

  The soaring cost of health care, the limitations of the economy in paying for   health care, and the growing proportion of the population who are over age   65, have given rise to serious discussion, at times acrimonious, about the   possible need to or the justice of rationing health care to that age group. A   common definition of rationing is withholding some specific medical   treatments for reasons other than a patient’s desire to have the treatment   (e.g., Medicare not paying for certain treatments for very elderly patients).
 

  In your discussion, you must, from the perspective of distributive justice,   summarize the major arguments on both sides (the pros and cons) of the issue   of whether health care should be rationed to the elderly. You must also   characterize these arguments according to whether they are primarily   libertarian, utilitarian, or egalitarian in nature. Finally, you will   evaluate these arguments from your view of distributive justice, explaining   both how your personal life experiences and your own libertarian,   utilitarian, or egalitarian views influence your evaluation.
 

  To help you successfully complete this discussion, review the following   required resources:

1. Callahan, D., & Nuland,        S. B. (2011, June 19). The quagmire: How American medicine is destroying        itself. The New Republic, 242(8), 16-18. Retrieved from the        EBSCOhost database.
2. Rationing by any        other name: Reasons for resisting the push to limit medical care
3. Should we ration        end-of-life care?        [Radio broadcast]
4. Rationing health        care at end of life: Student handout 3

   Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length. Support your claims   with examples from at least two of the required resources for this   discussion, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your   classmates’ posts by Day 7 whose viewpoints are different from yours. Each   peer response must be at least 125 words. Stimulate critical thinking by   contrasting your perspective with your classmate’s and explaining yours, or   by asking your classmate a question and explaining why your question is   significant.