Description
The course provides a basic background on historical and contemporary perspectives on death, dying, and the afterlife. In particular, this course will focus on exploring the presence of death as a universal for cross-cultural analysis; as a multivalent symbol in Western Christian history; and as a contested site of meaning in American culture. Topics discussed in this course include beliefs regarding death held by the world’s major religions, the evolution of attitudes toward death and the afterlife in western society, the process of grieving, ethical concerns surrounding the topics of death and dying, and the manner in which hospitals shape the end of life.