Perspectives on Death/Dying

This course explores the multifaceted concepts of death and dying across cultures through various lenses, including sociological, psychological, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. Students will examine historical attitudes toward death, the rituals surrounding dying, and the significance of grief and mourning in different cultures. The course will also address contemporary issues such as end-of-life care, ethical dilemmas, and the impact of technology on the dying process. Through discussions, readings, and assignments, students will develop a deeper understanding of how personal, societal, and cultural beliefs shape our perceptions of death and our responses to loss. Another goal of the course is to cultivate empathy and critical thinking skills while encouraging students to confront and articulate their own perspectives on mortality.

UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:

• Describing the practices related to death and dying across cultures, with particular emphasis upon the United States. 
• Identifying stereotypical relationships established between aging and dying. 
• Analyzing the societal attitudes toward controversial issues, such as euthanasia, selling of organs, and organ donation list. 
• Exploring the responses of family, co-workers, and friends to a dying person. 
• Analyzing, comparing, and contrasting the psychological and philosophical foundations for dying found in the predominant literature and media of the past and present. 
• Examining the interrelationship between the process of living and dying. 
• Analyzing public policies and practices related to issues of dying. 
• Comparing and contrasting healthy and unhealthy grieving. 
• Focusing on issues of dying and grieving specific to cases of suicide. 
• Analyzing the factors that contribute to higher suicide rates in certain populations and focusing on solutions for lowering these rates.
• Examining the relationship among selected demographics such as age, gender, religious preference, educational level and one’s expressed death anxiety. 
• Identifying sources of information for use by oneself, professionals and the public who are addressing issues of death and dying of others. 
• Exploring areas of thanatology study that require further research and increasing awareness of how many thanatology courses medical professionals are exposed to in their studies.
• Identifying the different cultural and religious perspectives on the meaning of death. 
• Defining and explaining near-death experiences. 
• Identifying the list of tasks that have to be completed from the point someone dies until the funeral or the burial/cremation.
• Identifying and understanding death certificates and the importance of other documents one needs to have completed at death or early in life in order to avoid undesirable outcomes. 
• Analyzing information from headstones in cemeteries in order to understand cultural, sociological factors, and historical events about individuals, families, and communities from different periods in history 
• Defining and explaining what people consider to be a “good death”. 
• Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to efficiently locate and evaluate professional resources published in the last five years for use in assignments, ensuring access to current research, best practices, and innovative approaches in the field of the perspective of death and dying.

ACQUIRED SKILLS

• Critical Thinking
• Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for research 
• Social Relations