SOC 331 Distributive Justice Across the Generations
SOC 331 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:
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a. 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.
b. Rationing by any other name: Reasons for resisting the push to limit medical care
c. Should we ration end-of-life care? [Radio broadcast]
d. Rationing health care at end of life: Student handout 3
In Chapter 1 of your textbook, justice is analyzed from three perspectives, each with its own set of relevant concepts. The text includes three case studies for consideration from each perspective. Select one (only one) of these case studies as the focus of your initial post in this discussion. Then analyze the selected case study from the justice perspective which accompanies it and answer the following questions.
a. If you select “Case Study 1.1 – Jacob Little and Walmart,” analyze it from the perspective of justice as a moral concept. Your analysis must address the following questions:
§ Did Walmart offer Jacob a just wage? Why or why not?
§ Was the alderman’s decision to let Walmart operate in the city just? Why or why not?
§ If you were the alderman, what would you do to more fully promote justice in the situation? Why?
b. If you select “Case Study 1.2 – Just Desserts?,” analyze it from the perspective of justice as a legal concept.
§ Was the court’s sentence for Mr. Allen just? Why or why not?
§ Was the court’s sentence for Mr. Brown just? Why or why not?
§ If you were the judge presiding over both of these trials, what would you do to more fully promote justice in them? Why?
c. If you select “Case Study 1.3 – Honor the Sabbath or Keep Your Job,” analyze it from the perspective of justice as a religious concept.
§ Did Chief Gerst treat Corporal Brown justly? Why or why not?
§ Did Corporal Brown act justly after his agreement with Chief Gerst? Why or why not?
§ If you were the Chief of TSU’s Police department, what would you do to more fully promote justice in the situation? Why?