WGSS 8122 - Death, Dying, and Loss

3 Credit Hours
Description
This course will focus on the ways in which cultures construct - and people experience - death, dying, and loss. We will consider the societal institutions and power dynamics that shape sickness, dying, death, and bereavement from many vantage points, including interdisciplinary, social constructionist, intersectional, and feminist perspectives. We will also think critically about the ways in which a global pandemic brings death and loss on a global scale. There are many reasons to study end-of-life issues (which we will discuss); ideally, what we learn together will enrich our intellectual, emotional, personal, and professional lives ahead. Students should gain knowledge in this class that will help them to think critically, cross-culturally, and socio-historically about death, dying, and loss.