SOCIOL 220/220G Last Call: The Sociology of Death and Dying
Examines the location of death in modern life. Draws on perception of death from sociological, philosophical, religious, historical, secular and medical approaches.
While this course introduces student to social theorists and social research methods, its assessment (particularly the research essay) allows students to tailor a topic to suit their particular interests. Each year this course has had students from theology, law, education and science programmes. Since 2002 3rd year medical students have been able to take this course as an elective and they have contributed strongly to the class. Few students from any discipline have had any prior experience of focused death studies.
At the end of this course students should:
- 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
- Be able to critically analyse different responses to death and illness
- Be able to use death as a framework to examine existing social structures
- Be able to use death as a framework to examine inequalities that exist in our societies
- Understand the consequences of the medicalization of death
- Be able to research a topic pertaining to this course and critically analyse these findings.
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 course covers: historical, cultural, religious and secular explanations and responses to death; popular culture and death, death in literature; medicalization of death; social issues and death: suicide, euthanasia, war and genocide. 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.
Three hours per week comprising a two-hour lecture plus a one-hour tutorial. It is assumed that students will devote between 7-8 hours a week spread over 14 weeks to read assigned readings, make notes, do library research, research and write coursework, revise lecture material and prepare for examination.
The course assessment is comprised of two assignments and an examination.
Assignment One Class Test 20%
Assignment Two Essay 30%
Examination (2 hours) 50%
Note: To pass the course, you must achieve a combined total (coursework marks and the examination) of at least 50%.
The course has a course-reader, readings are assigned for each week’s lecture and an extensive reading list is provided as well. Lecture power point presentations are available on CECIL as well as additional articles and commentary. DVDs and videos are shown in class to illustrate and extend lecture material.
Name: Tracey McIntosh
Email: t.mcintosh@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 85123
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