SOC 135  DEATH AND DYING (ON-LINE)

Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo Iowa

COURSE SYLLABUS

SECTION: 135-4  20470  

SPRING 2009

WEB VERSION

INSTRUCTOR: Patrick Ashwood Ph.D.

OFFICE: Black Hawk 225A

PHONE (319) 296-4430

E-MAIL: pashwood@hawkeyecollege.edu

Department Webpage Social Science, Education and Wellness     

Weblinks for this course

Please send me an email with your basic contact information. 

This course is housed in ANGEL.  Here is the link to ANGEL.  Students will not be able to access ANGEL until the first day of class.

 

If you are having problems logging into ANGEL or have other problems with ANGEL do the following:

 

Call 319 296-2320 ext 1415 or email angel@hawkeyecollege.edu

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND DISCUSSION ARE TAKING PLACE NEARLY EVERYDAY MONDAY-FRIDAY.  WATCH FOR THE DUE DATES. Send in projects and web activities early or on due date.  Discussion must be done within the dates specified.  Exams must be taken within the dates specified. All other work can be done ahead of time.

(ADEC: If you are interested in this class in order to get ADEC certification click here)

 

WEB COURSE POLICIES:

This course is on-line. You must be comfortable with your computer for this course.

 

COMPUTER SKILLS

I cannot tutor you on e-mail, web site usage, word processing etc.    Lack of computer skills cannot be used as an excuse for late work.  For example, you will need to send me assignments attached to your email. You need to know how to do this.  I prefer email assignments to be in Microsoft Word (.doc) or in rich format text (.rtf).  You really need to have a working computer in your home.

Copies:  Be sure to make copies of all of your work just in case.  It is YOUR responsibility to have back-up copies

Reading will be heavily emphasized in this course. The entire textbook will be utilized as well as other readings.

Workload: You can expect a minimum of 6 hours of work for this class per week.  Lecture is replaced with projects and web activities. You are expected to pace yourself and get your work in on time.

Required readings and activities are listed in the class schedule and they must be read by the day indicated on the schedule. Students are responsible for the material in the textbook for their exams.

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.

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.

 

DEATH & DYING 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 TEXTS

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

Mitch Albom. (1997) Tuesdays With Morrie.  Doubleday. 

These books are available in the Hawkeye Bookstore and online.

 

GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS

There will be four major exams over readings.  All exams must be taken during the announced time.  You cannot earn an A in this course without receiving A grades in all areas of the course.  In other words, you need to have A on exams, projects, discussion, and web activities to receive an A.

Exam #1

February 5th

 

Exam #2

March 5th  

 

Exam #3

April 9th

 

Exam #4

May 7th

Exams = 30% of total grade

Projects

 

30% of total grade

Web Activities

 

 

25% of total grade

Discussion & Chapter Quizzes

 

15% of total grade

 

PROJECTS

anson2

grief7

MORRIE

Obituary

Recollection of Death Experiences

Tuesdays With Morrie

field

MMj02834710000[1]

1tjxbart[1]

Cemetery

Death Movie Assignment

Death & Dying Arrangements

 

 

LINKS TO DEATH AND DYING WEBSITES

 

 

STUDENT HELP FOR THIS CLASS (and others)

1.  LINK TO TEXTBOOK

2. SQ3R STUDY METHOD             (ANOTHER VERSION OF SQ3R)        

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

 

SCENES FROM A CLASS FUNERAL HOME TOUR  10/30/01

 

 

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 21

4

Socialized to Death

Children and Death

Read CH 2 & 10

Recollection of Grief Project

Due January 28

5

More Children

EXAM 1 February 5

6-7

Dying and Institutions

Read CH 4 & 5

Tuesdays with Morrie Project

Due February 18

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 25

13

Social Death

Read CH 13

Planning Death Project

Due April 7

EXAM 3 April 9

14

Griefwork

Read CH 9 & 11

 

Death Movie Project

Due April 22

15

After Life

Read CH 14 & 15

 

16

The End

EXAM 4 May 7

Disclaimer: All information on calendar except exam dates is tentative

 

This educational offering is recognized by the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) to meet the thanatology-related contact hour requirement to be Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

(ADEC: If you are interested in this class in order to get ADEC certification click here)

 

Go to Patrick Ashwood Homepage