At the end of this course students will be expected to:
1. Critically discuss contemporary sociological debates about death and dying;
2. Relate the social and cultural context of death and dying to wider social structures;
3 Demonstrate an understanding of the way conceptions of death and dying change over time, place and culture;
4. Understand the consequences of the medicalisation of death, dying and bereavement.
5. Identify and discuss key theories and concepts relating to human mortality in contemporary societies.
6. Demonstrate oral and written skills in discussing and evaluating different arguments and approaches in the study of human mortality;
7. Develop research and analytical skills in writing academic essays, seminar presentations and social analysis.

1. Key theories, concepts and debates in the sociology of death and dying;
2. The social organisation and management of death and dying;
3. Historical and cross-cultural analysis and comparisons of human mortality;
4. Images of death, dying and bereavement in film, art, literature, music and popular culture;
5. The medicalisation of death, dying and bereavement;
6. The Euthanasia debate;
7. The denial of death and suppression of grief in contemporary western societies;
8. Cultural practices and rituals relating to dying, death, burial, mourning, remembrance;
9. Human mortality, social inequality and social structure.

SOCA3169 Death, Dying & Human Mortality

Students who have completed SOCA3169 are not eligible to enrol in this course.

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40 units at 1000 level.

Internal Mode

Seminar

Seminar: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term