Marinescu-Nenciu [Abstract]

Euthanasia and normality in Romania or Being reluctant to a good death
[Full text]

Alina Petra Marinescu-Nenciu [1]

Abstract: The present paper explores the perspectives of introducing human euthanasia on the Romanian public agenda by using the realm of normality as framework for argumentation. When choosing the topic I was inspired by the growing debate regarding physician-assisted suicide in the context of the global population aging on the one hand and by a recent Romanian public opinion’s strong opposition to the organization of a national referendum regarding stray dogs’ euthanasia. The premises of the paper are based on the findings of various studies underlining 1) the traditional feature of the Romanians and 2) their poor health condition prone to make them anxious and also more preoccupied with their well-being. The argumentation points to the fact that in a modern society as the Romanian one, the concepts of euthanasia and normality are prone to enter a complex relationship with various displays and implications that are discussed further on in the paper.

Keywords: Good death, normality, norm, health condition

[1] Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Romania, alina.marinescu@sas.unibuc.ro