Course syllabus

 

 Please click here for full course outline Course Outline death 2017.doc

Introduction

 

One could argue, quite convincingly, that death and the study of death is at the centre of all human experience. One could further argue that much of that study has been disguised or cloaked within the relentless pursuit of other ventures. Culture, identity, quests for land and resources, issues of class, status, ethnicity and gender can be usefully re-examined through the lens of death. Derrida (1993) contends that there are not cultures of death but that culture is death.

 

Attempts to truly define death are problematic. Death is not lived through, not experienced (that is, my death is not experienced, we experience the death of others), so attempts to give it coherent form and precision often fail. If we cannot conclusively define death then perhaps the task is to fill death with meaning. Yet like definition, the assigning of meaning is not easy. All societies must deal with death in a very basic primary way, that is, all human groups must dispose of the bodies of their dead, help their bereaved members reorient themselves to society and adjust to the loss of their members. Though we cannot deny the universality of death we need to be aware of the multiplicity of explanations, understandings and perceptions. Reactions to death are not present just by chance or hazard but reflect the most important cultural values and attitudes by which individuals and communities attempt to make sense of their lives. This is not to say that within cultures there are monolithic explanations of death that are valid for all members of the community. Groups and individuals often contest or rearticulate dominant perceptions.

 

This course is an introduction to the study of death and dying. The course will reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the area so that we will examine contributions from sociology, medicine, psychology, philosophy as well as other areas of the social sciences. Coverage of historical and socio-cultural forces that influence our understanding of death form the core of the introductory section, we then turn to explore death issues that have current social prominence. The study of death and dying often includes a journey of sorts, intellectual and scholarly on one hand emotional and experiential on the other. The fusing of these elements offers a comprehensive understanding of our individual and collective mortality.

Course Objectives

 

At the end of this course you should be able:

• Have an understanding of the way conceptions of death change over time, place and culture
• Be familiar with both theorists and theoretical explanations of societal attitudes towards death
• Understand how social location can predict the death we are likely to experience
• Critically analyse different responses to death and illness
• Use death as a framework to examine existing social structures
• Use death as a framework to examine inequalities that exist in our societies
• Understand the medicalization of death and its social implications
• Research a topic pertaining to this course and critically analyse these findings

 

This 15 point paper has a workload requirement of approximately 10 hours per week.

To achieve the course objectives listed above you and successfully complete this course you will need to:

 

• Attend the weekly lecture
• Attend the weekly tutorial
• Read and understand each reading in the course reader plus do additional reading
• Sit the class test
• Complete and submit essay on time
• Sit the examination

 

 

 

Tuakana Arts in the Sociology Department

 

The Tuākana Arts Programme provides support for Māori and Pasifika students who feel they would benefit from a Māori and Pacific learning environment. Support is given in assignment writing and exam preparation through a peer mentoring programme. Sociology  strongly supports the Tuākana programme. More information can be found here:

 

http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/maori-and-pacific-students/tuakana-arts.html

 

 

Tā te Ākonga: Student Learning Services

 

Student learning Services provides workshops, Online resources and advice for students to develop academic skills.  This is a service provided to support students please use it to enhance your academic experience.

https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/services/student-learning

Visit their Learning Advice page: https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/services/student-learning

 

Email: slc@auckland.ac.nz

Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 88850 and leave a message.

Location:

Level 3, Kate Edger Information Commons

11 Symonds Street.

 

 Lecture Recording

The lectures for this course are recorded. Please note that this is not seen as a substitute for attending the course but is put in place to support student learning. Lecturers are not responsible for the recordings and very occasionally technological problems may mean that a lecture is not recorded. Some lecture content may be edited out at the discretion of the lecturer. This may be to comply with copyright regulations or where content works within the lecture room but translates poorly when recorded. Recordings will be delivered through CANVAS.

  

Readings

The readings of this course are provided through a Talis list accessed through Canvas.  It is a course expectation that you will be familiar with the readings set for this course. They will be essential in your preparation for the test and the examination. You will be expected to do all assigned reading as well as independent reading; a list of suggested reading is to be found within the course outline. What you read will depend on your own research interests and need: the list is not exhaustive but reflects the range of material available in the library. A good place to start in the library is at 306.9 in the main collection.

Remember for university study you need to draw on peer-reviewed sources. Make sure that on-line sources you use are peer-reviewed.