Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
SP10194 The social context of death, dying and bereavement |
| Credits: 5 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 25%, ES 75% |
| Requisites: |
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This unit is only available to students on the Foundation Degree in Funeral Services. Aims: * To introduce students to a range of perspectives on dying, death, bereavement rituals and afterlife beliefs; * To introduce theories, methods and data associated with these perspectives; * To introduce students to critiques of these perspectives. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will be able to: * Describe and assess the usefulness for practice of a range of perspectives on death, dying and bereavement; ; * Describe and assess the different theories used to explain these perspectives; * Describe and assess the types of evidence used to assist in understanding different perspectives; * Describe the social and religious contexts of death and dying in the UK. Skills: * To think creatively and analytically; * To evaluate arguments and research; * To consider research evidence as well as a variety of other information; * To synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding; * To recognise how working with issues around mortality impacts on our sense of self identity and the way we view others. Content: Students are introduced to the major issues and trends associated with death, dying and bereavement in Western societies: * The changing nature of death in society * Death, denial and diversity * Demographic trends in mortality * Death 'out of time' * Religion and spirituality * The medicalisation of dying * The institutional management of dying * The concept of the 'good death' * Traditional models of grief * The notion of 'continuing bonds' |