Death and Dying
SOC 248
Spring 2014
| Section:
01
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| Course Cluster: Urban Studies |
Nothing is as certain in life as the inevitability of death. However, our beliefs about death, the extent to which we accept or deny it, and the manner in which we handle it are socially, culturally, and historically variable. In this course, we will utilize classic and contemporary texts, as well as films, memoirs, and fictional accounts, to explore death and dying from a sociological perspective. We will examine the socially constructed nature of death-related beliefs and practices and the ways in which those beliefs and practices differ cross-culturally and over time. We will also take a critical look at how death is portrayed in popular culture in the US and how issues of class, race, and gender affect those portrayals. Finally, we will spend a good deal of attention on the politicization of death and the wide range of mechanisms through which death can take on meaning with profound political and social import (e.g., abortion, terrorism, mass shootings, euthanasia, etc.). |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS SOC |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (SOC) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Ernest Becker, THE DENIAL OF DEATH; Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, ON DEATH & DYING; Geoffrey Gorer, THE PORNOGRAPHY OF DEATH; Michael Kearl, ENDINGS; Kenneth Doka, DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF, Philip Simmons, LEARNING TO FALL
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Examinations and Assignments:
Two 5-page papers; one 10-12 page research paper; a presentation; and several quizzes. |
| Instructor(s): Birk,Lara Times: ..T.R.. 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: SCIE113; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 25 | | SR major: 7 | JR major: 8 | | |
| Seats Available: 0 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 5 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 11 | 1st Ranked: 2 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 1 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 8 |
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