Choosing which topic to write about this week was
hard, being the first time we get a choice. I've ended up choosing 'what I
find most interesting about my topic for assignment 1'. I'm answering this
about assignment 1 because I don't feel I've made enough progress to have any particular interests in assignment 2.
In assignment 1 my topic had a few interesting factors. The first
thing I found really interesting was how much people didn't feel strongly about
the topic. There were a couple of sources with strong opinions but in sources
that asked the public's opinion very few people had strong feelings about the
topic. When I chose the topic I fully expected to find a lot more sources with
firm opinions on either side of the debate.
Another interesting part of the research for this was that there
was more sources supporting the idea of a system that gave priority to those
willing to donate organs. When I first read the question I had such a strongly
negative reaction that I assumed that many sources would take a similarly
negative approach but even the sources that did argue against the system
weren't very strongly against it. Most were either arguing both points or
arguing in support of a different system.
In the information collected I was interested by a few things. The
first was how few people are registered to donate organs worldwide. My family
are mostly in support of organ donation to to learn that so many people hadn't
registered or oppose the idea was a little bit surprising but after reading
about the reasons for these statistics I had a good idea of why it would be
that these people aren't prepared to donate their organs.
I was also interested to learn about the different systems in
place around the world. I'd never put much thought into the fact it would be so
different everywhere else. I was somewhat under the assumption that everywhere
had the same or a similar system to what we have in New Zealand but it turns
out we are very unusual in how we register to donate organs. We are one of the
only countries that tie registering to donate to our driver's licenses. Other
places, like America, have a system in which you have to actively seek to put
yourself down as a donor and other places have a system in which people are
automatically registered and must seek to be taken off the registered donors
list if they disagree.
There is so much interesting information surrounding the issue of
organ donation and I definitely came across a fair few things that intrigued me
in the process of researching for this paper. Organ donation is the kind of
topic that wouldn't come up in other papers I'm doing; I've had to write papers
on things like rivers and carnivorous snails this year so this was a step away
from my normal and I was relieved to find myself genuinely interested in the
information I was reading. I expect assignment 2 will also be well out of my
comfort zone and hopefully I will find more interesting information whilst
doing that as well.
4 comments:
Hi Alicia,
I also find it interesting that different countries have different systems for registering organ donation preference. I guess it comes down to the cultural preferences of the country (or the government in power)and the limitations they have to face in terms of opportunities and resources.
The cultural aspect probably ties in with Jess's topic and although not relevant to this particular course it is probably something policy-makers need to consider when tackling the big issues.
My essays thus far with Massey have had similar topics (native parrots, climate change, etc), so I'm definitely learning a lot about a topic I never expected to come up in the course of my degrees.
I think you picked up on some really interesting points connected to your topic and explained the reasons for your interest well.
Topic 2 is outside my comfort zone too so bound to offer heaps of learning.
Cheers,
Michelle
Hi Alicia
It is hard to write about something when you get a choice, and I stuck with what I have already done...I kind of feel like I shafted myself.
I, like you, am very interested as to why there aren’t more people on the donor lists. I have been on one since I can remember. I have no cultural or ethical reasons why I shouldn’t and I couldn’t help but think that if I was to die, why wouldn’t I want someone to benefit from my death.
Your blog showed how much you have learnt on the subject, some of your thought patterns and I enjoyed reading it.
Hi Alicia,
I was really interested in your topic when I first read the questions as I personally think it's a good idea. I've already stated in an earlier comment that I've recently learned that I sit in the minority on this argument.
If I had to guess, I would say the lack of sourcing from this point is because the idea would be so hard and expensive to monitor properly. If somebody was given incorrect priority, it would lead to a s**t-storm of controversy. The level of education on organ donation in NZ is also so low, that we can't really expect the population to make an informed decision on whether they wish to be donors. Probably better to sort out that issue first and once people actually know what they're getting themselves and their family into, they can decide whether they want to be involved in it.
Talk to you tonight.
Floyd
Hi Alicia, i find this really interesting too that different countries have different systems in place for organ donation, i had never really thought critically about it before, all i knew was that it's on my drivers license which i got way back when and i put 'donor' even though i was hardly educated about the process and issues surrounding donation. It has made me question and be reflexive which is really great. To think there are extremes where people have to actively seek to become donors or are automatically put on the list and have to actively unregister is really interesting. I would like to know that benefits of such a system of being automatically registered and ethical implications or if it actually increases organ donation.
Wow a lot to think about.
Jess
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