SOC 135 DEATH AND DYING

Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo Iowa

COURSE SYLLABUS                  

SECTION: 135-2     20468  

SPRING 2009

11-12:15 TR  BH 201

INSTRUCTOR: Patrick Ashwood Ph.D.

OFFICE: Black Hawk 225A

OFFICE HOURS: T 1-2, W 10-12, 1-2  R 1-2

PHONE (319) 296-4430

LINK TO ANGEL     Angel Help

E-MAIL: pashwood@hawkeyecollege.edu

WEBLINKS for this course

Department webpage: Social Science, Education & Wellness

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course provides a basic background on historical and contemporary perspectives on death and dying. Attention is given to current American practices regarding death, as well as cross-cultural interpretation. Emphasis is placed on the special situation of the terminally ill and bereaved.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

This course will:

1.    emphasize the importance of and the process of grief work.

2.    take account of how attitudes toward death develop throughout the life cycle and how variables such as sex, occupation, religion, social class, and culture affect these attitudes.

3.    provide an overview of the stages or phases of the dying process likely to be experienced by the terminally ill patient.

4.    examine the needs of the terminally ill patient and how hospice is organized to meet those needs.

5.    provide an overview of the history, purpose, and current practices in funeral rituals.

6.    examine the sociological and psychological models of suicide.

7.    delve into traditional philosophical and theological attitudes toward death.

8.    focus on ethical issues as relates to the area of death and dying in contemporary society.

For more information on this course please see its course guide.

 

REQUIRED TEXT

Lynne DeSpelder and Albert Strickland. (2009) The Last Dance (8th Edition) Boston: McGraw Hill.

 

GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS

There will be four major exams over lecture materials and readings. The lowest score will be "dropped". However Exam #4 cannot be dropped. (You cannot receive an "A" in this class without receiving at least an "A-" average on the exams.) Unannounced quizzes and assignments will occur throughout the semester. There will be no makeup of exams or other in-class work. All exams must be taken during the announced time. There will be several out of class projects.

Exam #1

February 10th

 

Exam #2

March 5th   

 

Exam #3

April 9th 

 

Exam #4

May 7th  

Exams = 60% of total grade

Projects

25% of total grade

In-class activities

 

15% of total grade

GRADING SCALE

90-100%      A

80-89.99%   B

70-79.99%   C

60-69.99%   D

 

PROJECTS

anson2

grief7

 

field

funeralser

Obituary

Recollection of Death Experiences

 

Cemetery

Planning your Death Ritual

 

 

LINKS TO DEATH AND DYING WEBSITES

 

 

STUDENT HELP FOR THIS CLASS (and others)

1.  LINK TO TEXTBOOK

2. SQ3R STUDY METHOD             

3. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT     (Available in Bremer 116, tutors and help)

4. A HELP PAGE FOR EXAM TAKING, WRITING PAPERS, STUDYING

 

 

PARROT & WOOD FUNERAL HOME TOUR 10/28/03

CLASS FUNERAL HOME TOUR  10/30/01

 

CLASS POLICIES

Participation is the only "extra credit" available in this course. Disruption of lecture will result in penalties toward your course grade. Do not talk during lecture or discussion. Do not arrive late, leave early, or come and go out of the classroom during lecture. College policy is no food or beverage in the classroom. This is not your home or a movie theater. Please be civil to others in the class.

Attendance will be taken regularly. If you are not in class, it will directly influence your grade.

To receive full credit for projects and tests, they must be presented when due. Late work will lose one letter grade per day late. There are no make-ups. Do your own work.

Cheating: Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will be dealt with severely. Do not use others' works without crediting the source. You will receive a zero for assignments that are plagiarized. Depending on the circumstances you may receive an F for this course and have a letter describing your cheating in your permanent student file. Check the student handbook for more information on plagiarism and cheating.

I will not provide lecture notes for missed classes. Please complete your notes with assistance from your peers.

 

WEATHER CLOSINGS If this class is not held due to a weather closing, we will continue where we left off. If weather hits a test day, the test will be the next day back, etc. I will post a message on the Angel page and send out emails to your Hawkeye email addresses.

 

STUDENTS’ SPECIAL NEEDS  Hawkeye Community College strives for student-centered, quality education with flexibility to allow for student’s special needs.  Students with disabilities or special needs should feel free to contact the instructor privately if there are services or adaptations which can be made to accommodate specific needs.

 

HAWKEYE EMAIL:  As a Hawkeye student you are provided an email account.  Hawkeye sends important college information including your grades, attendance, graduation, etc by email only.  You are expected to check it once a week.

 

 

C O U R S E  C A L E N D A R

DEATH & DYING

WEEK

TOPIC

ASSIGNMENT

1

Introduction

Historical Perspectives

Read CH 1 & 3

2-3

Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Read CH 3 again

Obituary Project Due January 22

4

Socialized to Death

Children and Death

Read CH 2 & 10

Recollection of Grief Project

Due January 29

5

More Children

EXAM 1 February 10

6-7

Dying and Institutions

Read CH 4 & 5

 

8-9

Medical Ethics and the Law

Read CH 6 & 7

EXAM 2 March 5

10-11

Death Rituals

Read CH 8

12

Suicide

Read CH 12

Cemetery Project Due March 24

13

Social Death

Read CH 13

EXAM 3 April 9

14

Griefwork

Read CH 9 & 11

Planning Death Project

Due April 16

15

More Grief

 

16

After Life

Read CH 14 & 15

17

The End

EXAM 4 May 7  10-11:50AM

Disclaimer: All information on calendar except exam dates is tentative

 

Go to Patrick Ashwood Homepage

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