Heartland Community College
Social and Business Sciences
Course Syllabus for Students
COURSE PREFIX AND NUMBER: SOC 222-01
COURSE TITLE: SOCIOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING
CREDIT HOURS: Lecture Hours: 3 Laboratory Hours: 0
SEMESTER: Spring 2010
DAYS AND TIMES THE CLASS MEETS: 12:30-1:45 p.m. MW
Classroom: ICB 2703
INTRODUCTION:
This course will examine the significance of death in society using sociological concepts, theories, and research
methodologies. Historical changes as well as cultural differences in attitudes toward death and rituals
surrounding death will be discussed. Also, coping with dying and grief, age differences in dealing with death,
beliefs about what happens after death, and legal issues regarding death are addressed.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Sociological aspects of death and dying. Includes historical changes in attitudes toward and causes of death,
cultural diversity in the meanings and rituals surrounding death, coping with dying and grief, age differences in
dealing with death, suicide, funerals, and legal issues regarding death.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Liz Hoisington
Phone: (309) 268-8579
E-mail: liz.hoisington@heartland.edu
ICB 2119 (inside the ICB 2100 suite of offices, take a left, immediately take another left)
Instructor’s office hours: Monday-Thursday: 9:30-11:30; Tuesday: 12:30-1:30, and by appointment.
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:30
10:30-11:00
11:00-12:30
12:30-1:45
M
T
Class
Class
Office Hour Office Hour
Class
Class
W
R
F
Class
Class
Office Hour Office Hour
Class
Class
Office Hour (to 1:30) Class
Class
TEXTBOOK:
Leming, Michael R. and Dickinson, George E. (2007). Understanding Dying, Death, and Bereavement (6th
edition). Belmont, California: Thomson Wadsworth.
RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND TRANSFER:
This course fulfills 3 hours of elective credit for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. It should transfer to most colleges
and universities as an elective course. However, since it is not part of either the General Education Core
Curriculum or a baccalaureate major program described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative, students should
check with an academic advisor for information about its transferability to other institutions. Refer to the IAI
Web page at www.itransfer.org for more information.
COURSE OBJECTIVES (LEARNING OUTCOMES):
SOC 222 contains learning outcomes that help students develop proficiency in Communication, Diversity,
Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking. Specifically, upon completion of this course, students will develop an
increased proficiency in the following areas:
Communication:
1.
Define and give examples of the major bioethical issues related to dying and death in the U.S.
Diversity:
1.
Demonstrate an awareness of differences in death-related beliefs and rituals across cultures.
2.
Analyze the issues involved in caring for the dying, from the perspective of the dying person and from
the perspective of the caregivers.
Problem Solving:
1.
Analyze loss and grief from a developmental perspective.
Critical Thinking:
1.
Identify the major forms of inflicted death, and explain how they are influenced by current death
attitudes and how they are changing death
attitudes and practices.
Course Specific:
1.
Identify and explain historical changes in familiarity with death, causes of death, and body disposition in
the U.S.
2.
Identify the major legal issues concerning death, including the “Funeral Rule,” the role of the
coroner/medical examiner, and probate.
3.
Demonstrate an awareness of the facts about suicide.
4.
Demonstrate an awareness of the history of death education and the current issues in death education.
COURSE/LAB OUTLINE:
1.
Studying Death and Dying
2.
Death in the U.S.
3.
Death throughout the Life Cycle
4.
Beliefs about After Death
5.
The Dying Process
6.
Living with Dying, Hospice Care
7.
The Medical Model Approach to Dying in the U.S.
8.
Biomedical Issues and Euthanasia
9.
Suicide
10.
Diversity in Death Rituals
11.
The Death Business
12.
Legal Aspects of Death and Dying
13.
Grief
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
METHOD OF EVALUATION (TESTS/EXAMS, GRADING SYSTEM):
There are 480 total possible points for this course. No letter grades will be assigned to exams and activities, just
points. Grading scales will be constructed at midterm and again at the end of the semester.
Exam 1: Chps. 1, 2, 3
Exam 2: Chps. 4, 5, 6
Exam 3: Chps. 7, 8, 9
Exam 4: Chps. 10, 11, 12
Final exam: Chps. 13, 14
Projects:
Obituaries
Condolence Letter
Listening to a Griever
10 activities
TOTAL
Grading Scale:
430-480
(90-100%)
382-429
(80-89%)
334-381
(70-79%)
286-333
(60-69%)
less than 333 (below 60%)
80 pts.
80 pts.
80 pts.
80 pts.
80 pts.
5 pts. each
10 pts.
10 pts.
10 pts.
50 pts.
480 pts.
A
B
C
D
F
EXAMS:
Each of the four “regular” exams will cover three chapters and will consist of 30 multiple-choice and true-false
questions (2 points each) and some short-answer questions worth another 20 points (total of 80 points). The
exam questions will primarily refer to textbook information but may also include information from videos,
guest speakers, or other materials used in the course. Attending class regularly will help you in answering the
exam questions because we will spend a great deal of time discussing the information from the text.
The final exam will consist of 20 multiple-choice and true-false questions (2 points each) from the last two
chapters of the text, and some short-answer questions for another 20 points, for a total of 60 points. There will
also be an essay question requiring you to apply information from throughout the course, worth 20 points.
Make-up exam policy:
If you have a major emergency that causes you to miss one of the first four exams, you may take a make-up
exam in the Testing Center. YOU ARE ALLOWED JUST ONE MAKE-UP EXAM – NO EXCEPTIONS.
The make-up exam will consist of all essay questions and must be taken within 1 ½ weeks of the original exam
(for example: if you miss Exam 1 on Wednesday, February 3, you would need to take the make-up exam by the
time the Testing Center closes on Friday, February 12). The final exam is required.
Reason for only allowing one make-up exam: The likelihood that you will have a major emergency on more
than one exam date is very small, and if you do have a series of emergencies or a major crisis during the
semester that causes you to miss more than one exam, you need to consider either withdrawing from the class or
discussing an Incomplete with the instructor (certain conditions are required for Incompletes). The goal is for
you to have a successful learning experience, and multiple emergencies and/or crises are incompatible with this
goal.
PROJECTS:
There are three projects due later in the semester. The instructions and deadlines for these projects are at the end
of this syllabus. Projects that are handed in late will lose 1 point for each day late.
ACTIVITIES:
There are in-class activities throughout the semester and you can earn 5 points each for the first 10 of them that
you complete. You may earn up to 2 points extra credit for each additional activity that you complete. The
purpose of doing these activities is to encourage further reflection on and discussion of the material, so effort
counts. Activities must be completed in class. There are no make-up activities.
Midterm Grade:
Your midterm grade will be based on the first two exams and six activities (190 points). (Note: If you have
missed some of the first 6 activities, it may affect your midterm grade.)
CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY:
If class is canceled the day on which an exam is scheduled, that exam will be given the next time the class
meets.
Cancelled class sessions for all HCC classes will be listed under Cancelled Class Meetings in the A-Z Index and
under Academic Information in the Current Students page on the HCC Web Site. Go to
http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what classes have been cancelled for that day and the
upcoming week. Be sure to check the last column, which might contain a message from the instructor.
DEADLINES:
Every student in this class is required to abide by all of the deadlines as stated in this syllabus. If a situation
arises which causes a student to be unable to meet the deadlines but which does not meet the criteria for
receiving an Incomplete, the student should consider withdrawing from this class. The last day to
withdraw and receive a “W” grade is April 8.
PARTICIPATION:
Attendance will be taken each day except on exam days. Attendance is extremely important: part of the
learning experience involves BEING PRESENT IN CLASS. Persistent tardiness or leaving early will result in
being counted absent.
Learning is best achieved in an atmosphere of open discussion -- students are expected to draw upon their own
experiences, observations, and areas of expertise in making contributions to class discussion. Please do not feel
that you have to share very personal or painful experiences with the class; but if you do, be assured that your
statements will be received with respect and support.
CHILDREN:
Heartland Community College has a policy which restricts all children from attending any class at Heartland. If
you have a conflict between family and academic responsibilities, other arrangements will need to be made.
EVALUATIONS:
During the last three weeks of class, all students are encouraged to complete a course evaluation form online at
www.studentevals.com/heartland.
INCOMPLETES:
Incompletes are given only in extreme circumstances, according to College policy.
REQUIRED WRITING AND READING:
Students are expected to read and study the required material for each class period before coming to class. All
written assignments should have proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM:
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College and is essential
to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because grading may be competitive,
students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of their fellow students. The College, therefore,
views any act of academic dishonesty as a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course
failure, suspension, and even expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may have
unforeseen effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, aiding or suborning cheating or other
acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, falsification of academic records or
documents and unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions
of these violations may be found in the College catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper, create a project,
do a presentation or create anything original, it is assumed that all of the work, except for that which is
attributed to another author or creator, is your own. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and
may take the following forms:
• Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
• Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
• Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own.
• Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source.
• Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were your own.
• Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were your own.
[Adapted from the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New
York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Note that word-for-word copying is not the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism may be
severe, ranging from failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from the school in
extreme cases.
STUDENT CONDUCT:
Although participation in classroom discussion is encouraged, talking while the instructor is talking or while
other students are talking is distracting and will not be tolerated. Side conversations in class are disruptive not
only to the instructor, but also to the other students around you who are trying to listen. Everyone is spending
time (and money!) to be in this class and it should be an enjoyable experience.
Food and Beverage in the Classroom: There is an official policy of no food or beverages other than water in
HCC classrooms.
Cell Phones: Cell phones should be set on vibrate only.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Don’t use electronic devices during exams. Students using an electronic device of
any type during an exam (laptop computer, cell phone, iPod nano, PDA, mini-computer, CD player, AM
transistor radio, Playstation 3 with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City, Nintendo Wii playing Zelda connected to a
Sony 40" widescreen LCD TV, Roboraptor, Viewmaster Incredibles Telescope, or anything else not cleared in
advance as needed) will be presumed to be using them for cheating and will face the appropriate consequences.
COMMUNICATION:
You may call my office number at any time and leave a message: (309) 268-8579. Please be sure to include
your name and which class you are in (SOC 222-01) in your message. You may also send e-mails to:
liz.hoisington@heartland.edu. Please use your Heartland e-mail account to send me e-mails and identify
your class (SOC 222-01) in the subject line of the e-mail message.
HCC Portal
Just a reminder that to access WebCT, IRIS, and your Heartland Student Email, you will need to log into
myHeartland, at https://my.heartland.edu.
WEBCT
The class syllabus, a calendar listing dates for exams, and chapter outlines are available via WebCT.
SYLLABUS DISCLAIMER:
While every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information about this course within this
syllabus, the instructor reserves the right to make changes to this information as needed.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
A web page with lots of death-related links, provided by one of the authors of your text, Michael Leming:
www.stolaf.edu/people/leming (click on “Death Web” button on the left side of the screen)
Any questions that you might have about death and dead bodies are probably answered in the book Death to
Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies?, by Kenneth V. Iserson. This book is available in the HCC Library.
Death-related books that you might find interesting:
Final Exam by Pauline W. Chen (2007). The author writes a very personal account of her encounters with
death, from medical school through medical practice.
The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson (2006).
This is an entertaining look at the world of writing obituaries. There are chapters on how obituaries were
handled by the New York newspapers in the days after 9/11, the writing of obituaries for ordinary people who
were seen as extraordinary by family and friends, obituaries in four major London newspapers, and a look at
how to write the obituary of an obituary writer. A lot of the information comes from the author’s interviews
with obituary writers. There are wonderful quotes throughout the book, giving the reader an idea of what makes
a great obituary.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (2003). A fascinating book about how cadavers
are used by the living. The author has such a sense of humor that the book makes you laugh, but it’s also very
educational.
Facing difficulties:
If you find that you need help for personal problems, there are services available.
You will find information regarding these services under “Academic Advising” (click on “Personal
Development”) on the A-Z listing at www.heartland.edu
PATH Crisis Center: (309) 827-4005
SOC 222-01 CALENDAR: Spring 2010
MONTH
JAN
FEB
MAR
DAY
M
DATE(S)
11
TOPIC
Course Overview
ACTIVITY
Activity: Death Questionnaire
W
13
Chapter 1: Studying Death & Dying
M
18
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – no class
W
20
Chapter 2: Death in the U.S.
M
25
Chapter 2
W
27
Chapter 3: Death throughout the Life Cycle
M
1
Chapter 3
W
3
EXAM #1: Chapters 1, 2, 3
M
8
Chapter 4: Beliefs about Life After Death
W
10
Chapter 4
M
15
Chapter 5: The Dying Process
W
17
Chapter 5
M
22
Chapter 6: Living with Dying
W
24
Chapter 6
M
1
EXAM #2: Chapters 4, 5, 6
W
3
Chapter 7: Dying in the U.S. System
8-13
SPRING BREAK – no class!
M
15
Chapter 7
W
17
Chapter 8: Biomedical Issues & Euthanasia
Activity: Organ Donation
M
22
Chapter 8
Activity: Euthanasia
W
24
Chapter 9: Suicide
Activity: Suicidal Behavior
Activity: Loss Inventory
Activity: Beliefs
Activity: Life-Threatening Illness
Activity: Creating a Hospice
Activity: Ethical Dilemmas
SOC 222-01 SP10 Calendar (continued)
MONTH
DAY
DATE(S)
TOPIC
MAR
APR
MAY
M
29
Chapter 9
W
31
EXAM #3: Chapters 7, 8, 9
M
5
Chapter 10: Diversity in Death Rituals;
OBITUARY PROJECT IS DUE IN CLASS
W
7
Chapter 10
M
12
Chapter 11: The Death Business
W
14
Chapter 11
M
19
Chapter 12: Legal Aspects of Death & Dying Activity: Death Penalty Attitudes
W
21
Chapter 12
M
26
EXAM #4: Chapters 10, 11, 12
W
28
Chapter 13: Coping with Loss
Activity: The Language of Sympathy
CONDOLENCE LETTER PROJECT DUE IN CLASS
M
3
Chapters 13/14: Grieving Throughout Life
Activity: Ethical Will
LISTENING TO A GRIEVER PROJECT DUE IN CLASS
W
5
Chapter 14
FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, May 12, Noon
Chapters 13 & 14; Learning Outcomes question
Activity: Planning Your Funeral
Activity: Creating a Funeral Home
Activity: Children’s Books
Project Instructions
There is no specification as to the length of each project. Just make sure to follow the
instructions and include everything that is required.
#1. Obituary Collection & Analysis (10 points) – DUE BY THE END OF CLASS APRIL 5
A. Collect 10 obituaries dated between January 11 and April 4 of regular people (NOT
celebrities or other famous people) Include the actual obituary and a brief notation as to the
source (e.g., The Pantagraph, 2/5/10).
B. Based on these 10 obituaries, make a list of all of the parts of an obituary (e.g., name of the
deceased, age at death, surviving relatives, etc.).
C. Rank order the top five parts that you think every obituary should include and explain why
they should include each part.
D. Describe two other parts that aren’t in your top five list that you think are good to include in
an obituary and explain why you think they should be included.
E. What advice would you give to someone about writing a “good” obituary?
#2. Condolence Letter Template (10 points) – DUE BY THE END OF CLASS APRIL 28
On page 476 of your textbook there is a “Practical Matters” box which describes 7 parts of a
condolence letter. For this assignment, write a condolence letter that includes each of those 7
parts (in the same order given in the text). Please number each part. You may write the letter
to someone who has actually experienced a death (that’s the best way to do this assignment,
even if you are not going to send them the letter), or you may use a hypothetical example (if you
had to write to a nephew about the death of his father, if you had to write to a friend about
the death of his/her sibling, etc.). This is a great way to practice writing such a letter and you
can use this as a template for a letter that you might have to write in the future. (It’s much
more personal than sending a card.)
#3. Listening to a Griever (10 points) – DUE BY THE END OF CLASS MAY 3
The purpose of this assignment is to give you a chance to practice good listening skills and to
show you the importance of listening to someone who is grieving. You will be surprised at how
much someone who is grieving appreciates the chance to be heard.
Your assignment:
a. find someone with whom you do not have a close relationship (e.g., a classmate, a coworker, an
acquaintance, a distant relative); it might be better to talk to someone who is older than you
b. ask that person if they would be willing to talk to you about how the death of a loved one
affected them (the death does not have to be recent); explain that their identity will not be
included in the assignment and that the purpose of the assignment is to practice good listening
skills to help someone who is grieving
c. make sure that both you and the griever have the time to do this without feeling rushed
d. TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE!!!
e. do this face-to-face (not over the phone)
f. when you have explained that you want them to talk about the death of a loved one, simply ask
the person “How did the death affect you?”
g. DON’T TALK! – the less you say, the better (don’t feel that you have to prompt them)
h. it’s probably best not to take notes while they are talking (unless you have a really poor
memory); wait and write your notes immediately afterward
Write a description of what they talked about and how they expressed themselves (nonverbal
behavior, emotions, how long they talked, any comments they made about being able to talk
about it, etc.). Please do not identify the person in your paper.