Suicidology and the Right to die (IN: Suicidology: Essays in Honor of Edwin S. Shneidman, edited by A A Leenaars)

The issue of euthanasia is looked at from the cultural perspective of three countries: The Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. The author notes that all three countries are similar in their respective levels of industrialization and are all in the fourth stage of the epidemiologic transition. The views of euthanasia were found to vary a great deal, i.e. The Netherlands accept it, the Germans reject it, and the U.S. is neutral; all for different reasons. (37 refs.)