Mar 19, 2024  
College Catalog 2020-2021 
    
College Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ANTH 241 - Anthropology of Death and Dying


This course examines the dying process and the ways that humans beings come to terms with their mortality in different societies. We will learn how people die in major illnesses and critically analyze controversial issues regarding brain death, suicide, and euthanasia. We will survey funerary traditions from a variety of cultures and compare the social, spiritual, and psychological roles that these rituals play for both the living and the dying. We will examine cultural attitudes towards death; and how the denial and awareness of human mortality can shape social practices and institutions. Finally, we will consider issues regarding the quality of life, the opportunities and challenges of caregiving, and hospice traditions around the world. Prerequisite(s):   or   . Offered alternate years. (4 Credits)