SOCIOLOGY OF DEATH (Sociology 405/505)
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Fall Semester 2004
Dr. Leah Rogne
113 Armstrong Hall
Ph: 389-5610 (w) 625-5546 (h)
Leah.rogne@mnsu.edu
Office Hours: Office Hours: MWF 10-11 a.m. & 3-4 p.m. & by appointment; call me at home if
you need to—I don’t mind!
Course: Study of the structure of human response to death, dying, and bereavement in their
socio-cultural, interpersonal, and personal context. Formation of children’s perception of death,
functions of the funeral, euthanasia, and suicide are among the topics to be discussed.
Texts: Death and Dying: Life and Living, 4th Edition, Charles A. Corr, Clyde M. Nabe, and
Donna M. Corr, 2003, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; Annual Editions: Dying, Death, and
Bereavement, 2004/2005, George E. Dickinson and Michael R. Leming, Guilford, CT: McGrawHill/Dushkin. Other readings as assigned.
Course Objectives: After completing the course, students will be able to:
1) Describe changing demographics, attitudes, and practices surrounding death;
2) Describe how individuals and groups deal with social-psychological aspects of
dying, death, and bereavement;
3) Describe dying, death, and bereavement for persons at various stages in the life
course and in various societies;
4) Discuss how various professionals and social institutions manage dying, death, and
bereavement;
5) Describe the social functions of funerals and religious rituals surrounding death;
6) Explain current trends, attitudes, and/or dynamics of end-of-life issues such as
euthanasia, suicide, and the social organization of death & dying in modern
society.
Course Responsibilities:
1. Readings: Readings from the text and other readings as assigned. Readings should be
completed on the day assigned in the schedule, and students should be alert for handouts
or additional readings assigned in class. If you miss a class, you are responsible for any
handouts or announcements made in your absence.
Attendance: If you must miss a class, please arrange to get notes, handouts, and any
announcements/changes in schedule from another student.
2. Class participation: Students are expected to participate in the life of the class. The
class will be highly interactive, and your preparation and participation are essential.
3. Accommodation: Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with
disabilities. If you are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in
the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the
Disability Services Office at (507) 389-2825 (V) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY).
4. Personal Concerns: If there are any personal concerns that might get in the way of your
doing the best you can, there is help available. Contact the Personal Counselors’ office:
located in Student Union 245, phone number 389-1455.
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5. Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is expected. Cheating on exams, plagiarizing
papers, or falsifying information will be addressed according to University policy.
Before you submit any assignments, please review the policy at:
http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/administration/basic-stuff/policies.html.
6. Communication: I am very committed to your success in and enjoyment of this class!
Feel to ask questions at any time during class. Please keep in close touch with me about
any concerns you have about how you are doing in the class, any questions about the
content or requirements, or anything that may be interfering with your best performance.
Please see me after class, during my office hours, or call me to make an appointment to
meet at a time that works for you.
7. Please Note: The topic of death, dying, and grief often brings difficult personal issues
to the surface. If any of the readings, discussions, or exercises creates undue stress for
you, please talk with me. Those who experience particularly stressful reactions might
consider talking with someone from the Personal Counselors’ Office at the location
listed above. Please don’t feel alone. Your experiences are common and help is
available.
Assignment of Letter Grades: Letter grades are assigned based on the percentage of total
points earned from all course components. A is 90%; B is 80%; C is 70%; D is 60% and F is
below 60%. Note: Any changes in course requirements will be announced in class. Late article
reviews, book reviews, or research papers will discounted one letter grade per day. In case of
an emergency, such as illness or family responsibilities, a late assignment may be accepted
without penalty, but you must contact me as soon as possible.
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Assessments:
1. Exams: Two exams which covers material from the text, handouts, other assigned
readings, and any classroom discussions and activities. Exams cannot be made up except
in the case of a documentable emergency. Please contact me in advance if possible if
there is an emergency. Each exam is worth 100 points for a total of 200 points.
2. Article Reviews: Each student will complete two reviews of articles from Annual
Editions. Students completing articles will act as discussion leaders on the night their
articles are due. Guidelines will be distributed separately. Each review is worth 100
points for a total of 200 points.
3. Quizes/Response Papers: There will be five quizes or response papers based on
either the readings in Corr et al. or on an in-class activity. Each quiz/response paper
is worth 20 points for a total of 100 points. Quizes cannot be made up.
4. Book Review: Each student will complete a book review of a book on some aspect of
death and dying, drawing in information from at least three other sources
(journal articles or books) on the key subject(s) of the book you’ve chosen and making
connections to course text(s). Guidelines will be distributed separately. The book must
be approved in advance by the instructor. The book review is worth 200 points.
Total Points: 700
Graduate Students:
Above requirements plus:
Research paper-Graduate Students: Graduate students will complete an 8-10 page
research paper on a topic approved by the instructor. Each student will give a brief class
presentation on her/his research paper. The class presentation is worth 50 points and
the paper 150 points for a total of 200 points.
Total Points: 900
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TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
(Be alert for any changes in the schedule. If you miss a class, you are responsible for getting
handouts, announcements, and changes in the schedule from a classmate.)
Week 1
Wed., Sept. 1
Introduction to Course
Week 2
Wed., Sept. 8
Changing Encounters with and Attitudes toward Death
Corr et al., Ch. 2-3
An. Eds, Article 1: Dwinell, 7 Final Chapters
An. Eds, Article 4: Welford, American Death & Burial Custom
Derivation from Medieval European Cultures
An. Eds., Article 5: Dickinson & Field, Teaching End-of-Life Issues:
Current Status in the United Kingdom and United States
Medical Schools
Week 3
Wed., Sept. 15
Death-Related Practices and the American Death System
The Meaning & Place of Death in Life
Corr et al., Ch. 4 & Ch. 19
An. Eds., Article 2: Blank, Technology & Death Policy: Redefining
Death
An. Eds., Article 3: Monaghan, The Unsettled Question of Brain Death
Week 4
Wed., Sept. 22
Coping with Dying
How Individuals Can Help
Corr et al., Ch. 6-7
An. Eds., Article 14, Groopman, Dying Words
An. Eds., Article 27, Bennetts, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s Final Passage
Week 5
Wed., Sept. 29
Coping with Dying: How Communities Can Help
Corr et al., Ch. 8
An. Eds., Article 16, Speaks, Start the Conversation: The MODERN
MATURITY Guide to End-of-Life Care
An. Eds., Article 17, Singer, Martin, & Helner, Quality End-of-Life
Care: Patients’ Perspectives
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Week 6
Wed., Oct. 6
Coping with Loss and Grief
Corr et al., Ch. 9
An. Eds., Article 35: Leming & Dickinson, The Grieving Process
An. Eds., Article 39: Rando, The Increasing Prevalence of Complicated
Mourning: The Onslaught Is Just Beginning
Week 7
Wed., Oct. 13
Coping with Loss and Grief: How Individuals Can Help
Corr et al., Ch. 10
An. Eds., Article 38: Mashburn, Till Death Do Us Part
An. Eds., Article 41: Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Grief
Takes No Holiday
E-Reserve: Ender & Hermsen, Working with the Bereaved: U.S. Army
Experiences with Nontraditional Families
(Go to the Library webpage to E-Reserve and follow directions.
The password for the article will be ROGNE405 (all caps).)
Week 8
Wed., Oct. 20
Exam 1
Week 9
Wed., Oct. 27
Grief and Loss: How Communities Can Help
Corr et al., Ch. 11
An. Eds., Article 28: Leming & Dickinson, The Contemporary
Funeral
An. Eds., Article 33: Cullen, What a Way to Go
Week 10
Wed., Nov. 3
Death and Youth
Corr et al., Ch. 12-13
An. Eds., Article 7: Schaefer, Communication Among Children,
Parents, and Funeral Directors
An. Eds., Article 8, Lamers, Children, Death, and Fairy Tale
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Week 11
Wed., Nov. 10
Death and Adults
Corr et al., Ch. 14-15
An. Eds., Article 12: Sahyoun et al., Trends in Causes of Death
Among the Elderly
An. Eds., Article 19: Zerzan et al., Access to Palliative Care and
Hospice in Nursing Homes
Week 12
Wed., Nov. 17
Legal Issues and Death
Corr et al, Ch. 16
Book Review Due
Week 13
Wed., Nov. 24 `
Thanksgiving vacation--No Class
Week 14
Wed., Dec. 1
Suicide
Corr et al., Ch. 17-18
An. Eds., Article 26, Ingram & Ellis, Attitudes toward Suicidal Behavior:
A Review of the Literature
Week 15
Wed., Dec. 8
Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia
An. Eds., Article 22, Quill: Doctor, I Want to Die. Will You Help
Me?
An. Eds., Article 23, Foley, Competent Care for the Dying Instead of
Physician-Assisted Suicide
Graduate Student Research Papers Due
Finals Week
Wed., Dec. 15
Exam 2
5 p.m.
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