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Active as of Fall Semester 2010
I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Sociology of Death and Dying
2. Course Prefix & Number:
SOCL 2480
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lab Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level |
Score: |
|
6. Prerequisite Courses:
SOCL 2480 - Sociology of Death and Dying
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
SOCL 2480 - Sociology of Death and Dying
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution
|
Course Number and Title
|
Credits
|
|
Minnesota State, Mankato
|
SOC 405 Sociology of Death
|
3
|
|
Winona State University
|
SOC 440 Sociology of Dying and Death
|
3
|
III. Course Purpose
MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills |
Discuss emotionally sensitive topics in front of their peers. |
| Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Discuss current ethical issues on the subject of death and dying. |
| Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
Compare and contrast cultural differences in death related rituals. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome
|
MnTC
Goal Area
|
|
Identify & apply alternative explanatory systems or theories.
|
5
|
|
Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures.
|
5
|
|
Recognize and respect human diversity.
|
5
|
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
|
I. Studying Dying, Death, and Bereavement
A. The mystery of death
B. Popular culture
C. Discipline approaches – sociology, psychology, biology etc.
|
|
II. The American Experience of Death
A. Social meaning
B. Contemporary attitudes
C. Fear
|
|
III. Growing Up with Death
A. Childhood
B. Agents of socialization – media, religion, family
|
|
IV. Perspectives on Death and Life after Death
A. What lies beyond death
B. Cross-Cultural perspectives
C. Religious interpretation of death and the life after death
|
|
V. The Dying Process
A. Prognosis of death
B. Stages of dying
C. Relating to the dying
|
|
VI. Dying in the American Health Care System
A. The medical model approach of dying
B. The “normalization” of dying in the medical setting
C. Hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care
D. The cost of dying
|
|
VII. Biomedical Issues, Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide
A. Ethical behavior
B. Use of body in medical research
C. Life vs. quality-of-life debate
D. Euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide
|
|
VIII. Suicide
A. Changing attitudes
B. Social factors and suicide (age, sex, class, marital status, religious affiliation)
C. Suicide bombers
|
|
IX. Cultural Diversity in Death Rituals
A. Understanding death rituals
B. Mourning behaviors
C. Preparing the corpse, embalming, final disposition
D. Death rituals among major religious groups
|
|
X. The Business of Dying
A. The business of preparing the dead
B. The funeral industry
C. Funeral expenses
D. Death midwives and the home funeral
|
|
XI. Coping with Loss and Grieving Throughout the Life Cycle
A. Coping with loss
B. Stages of grieving
|
I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Sociology of Death and Dying
2. Course Prefix & Number:
SOCL 2480
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lab Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level |
Score: |
|
6. Prerequisite Courses:
SOCL 2480 - Sociology of Death and Dying
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
SOCL 2480 - Sociology of Death and Dying
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
|
Name of Institution
|
Course Number and Title
|
Credits
|
|
Minnesota State, Mankato
|
SOC 405 Sociology of Death
|
3
|
|
Winona State University
|
SOC 440 Sociology of Dying and Death
|
3
|
III. Course Purpose
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills |
Discuss emotionally sensitive topics in front of their peers. |
| Apply ethical principles in decision-making |
Discuss current ethical issues on the subject of death and dying. |
| Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
Compare and contrast cultural differences in death related rituals. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
|
Expected Outcome
|
MnTC
Goal Area
|
|
Identify & apply alternative explanatory systems or theories.
|
5
|
|
Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures.
|
5
|
|
Recognize and respect human diversity.
|
5
|
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
|
I. Studying Dying, Death, and Bereavement
A. The mystery of death
B. Popular culture
C. Discipline approaches – sociology, psychology, biology etc.
|
|
II. The American Experience of Death
A. Social meaning
B. Contemporary attitudes
C. Fear
|
|
III. Growing Up with Death
A. Childhood
B. Agents of socialization – media, religion, family
|
|
IV. Perspectives on Death and Life after Death
A. What lies beyond death
B. Cross-Cultural perspectives
C. Religious interpretation of death and the life after death
|
|
V. The Dying Process
A. Prognosis of death
B. Stages of dying
C. Relating to the dying
|
|
VI. Dying in the American Health Care System
A. The medical model approach of dying
B. The “normalization” of dying in the medical setting
C. Hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care
D. The cost of dying
|
|
VII. Biomedical Issues, Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide
A. Ethical behavior
B. Use of body in medical research
C. Life vs. quality-of-life debate
D. Euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide
|
|
VIII. Suicide
A. Changing attitudes
B. Social factors and suicide (age, sex, class, marital status, religious affiliation)
C. Suicide bombers
|
|
IX. Cultural Diversity in Death Rituals
A. Understanding death rituals
B. Mourning behaviors
C. Preparing the corpse, embalming, final disposition
D. Death rituals among major religious groups
|
|
X. The Business of Dying
A. The business of preparing the dead
B. The funeral industry
C. Funeral expenses
D. Death midwives and the home funeral
|
|
XI. Coping with Loss and Grieving Throughout the Life Cycle
A. Coping with loss
B. Stages of grieving
|