Heartland Community College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Course Syllabus for Students Spring 2004
Course Prefix and Number: SOC 222
Course Title: Sociology of Death and Dying
Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory Hours: 0
Days and times the course meets: Monday and Wednesday 2:00-3:15
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, and legal issues regarding death will be included.
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:
Instructor Name: Colleen S. Holtz, B.S.,M.S.
Phone number to contact instructor: 268-8595
Instructor e-mail address: Colleen.Holtz@Heartland.Edu
Location of instructor’ office: ICB 2100
Hours and days of instructor’ office hours: By Appointment Only
Textbook:
Required:
DeSpelder and Strickland. The Last Dance. 6th Ed. Mayfield.
Supplies: Textbook required
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer:
(Indicate if course is General Education/IAI)
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):
Upon completion of this course, students will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Know the historical changes in experiences surrounding death and how certain
historical events have influenced current death-related attitudes and practices.
Be aware of the impact of diverse cultural contexts on the meaning and
experience of death.
Know the institutional procedures which result from the ending of a life.
Be familiar with the causes of death as well as with the legal and moral issues
surrounding the various causes.
Know the age differences in experiences of death and in coping with death.
Know the principles of a hospice program.
Have acquired knowledge and skills helpful in caring for the dying and the bereaved,
including: being able to choose the appropriate strategy in providing such care,
adapting communication to meet the needs of the other person, and being sensitive to
nonverbal cues.
Methods of Instruction: Grades will be based on participation and attendance as well as 5
exams that will be evenly spaced out throughout the semester. Each exam will cover
approximately 3 chapters each. The final grade will be a paper that will be worth 100 points.
Each exam will be worth 100 points for a total of 600 possible points.
Course Policies:
Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
We will follow the guidelines of 90 = A, 80 =B, 70 = C, 60 = D, and 50 = F. Each exam will
be worth 100 points. The total number of points is 600. Therefore, 550-600 is an A, 499-549
is a B, 448-498 is a C, 397-447 is a D, and 396 and below is an F. Class attendance and
participation is critical. Especially if your grade is borderline. We will be doing in-class
assignments and activities as well.
Participation (or Attendance):
Students are expected to attend all classes and participate meaningfully in the activities each
class day.
Incompletes: Will only be assigned due to extenuating circumstances and upon notification
to the instructor of these circumstances as soon as possible. Incomplete will not be
considered unless the student has completed over 50% of the course requirements. No
student has an automatic right to receive an incomplete.
Extra Credit: Extra credit is assigned only at the Instructor’s discretion.
Make-up of tests and assignments: Tests can be made up the next class period in the
testing center. If you are going to miss a test…you must let the instructor know ahead of time.
Deadlines: All assignments are due at the beginning of each class period.
Required Writing and Reading:
Students are required to read the text(s) and other assigned materials. Writing will be
required on exams and/or assignments.
Student Conduct: All students are to be respectful of the thoughts, opinions, and comments
of their fellow classmates. Under no circumstance will demoralizing, degrading, or
humiliating comments be tolerated toward other students or the instructor. Any such
behavior will be dealt with immediately and is cause for being expelled from the class. Each
student is expected to be courteous and respectful to one another and to the instructor.
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 dishonest 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 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:
1.
Copying word-for-word from another source and not giving that source credit.
2.
Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit.
3.
Adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own
4.
Using an image or a copy of an image without crediting its source
5.
Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it
were your own.
6.
Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if
it were your own.
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 school in extreme cases.
[Adapted from the Modern Language Association’s MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Heartland Library Information
The Library, located in the Students Commons Buildings at the Raab Road campus, provides
Heartland students with a full range of resources including books, online journal databases,
videos, newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and interlibrary loan. Librarians are available to assist
in locating information.
For more information please call the Library (309) 268-8200 or (309) 268-8292
Tutoring Center
Heartland Community College offers tutoring in various forms at no cost to Heartland students at
the Academic Support Center (ASC) in Normal and at the Pontiac and Lincoln Centers. Tutors
are available at convenient times throughout the week. Study groups, group tutoring facilitated
by a specially-trained tutor, are also available by request. For more information about services
available at each location, please call the ASC in Normal (309) 268-8231; the Pontiac Center
(815) 842-6777; the Lincoln Center
(217) 735-1731.
Testing Center
The Testing Center provides a quiet environment for students to complete make-up exams,
online exams, and exams for students with special accommodations. Students may be able to
complete exams in the Testing Center if arrangements are made with their instructor. For more
information, contact the Testing Center at (309) 268-8231.
Specifications for written materials: Your paper should be double-spaced, typed, and
approximately 8-10 pages in length. It should relate to the topic of Death and Dying and sources
used should be cited accordingly. You may utilize several resources, but do not exceed 5. The
paper should come from you and not the work of others. It must meet MLA standards. Similar
to the ones used in English 101. Punctuation and grammar are important as well. It must be
related to the concepts presented in the text. We will discuss the details in class, so be sure that
you are in class to get those.
Syllabi disclaimer: This syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the student. Changes
made will be discussed during class time. That is why it is imperative that you attend class, just
incase there are changes made regarding the course schedule. The instructor holds the right to
make adjustments in the course schedule if it is necessary to do so.
Course Calendar:
Jan. 12: Syllabus Review
Jan. 14: Chapter 1: Attitudes Toward Death: A Climate of Change
Jan. 19: No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Jan 21: Chapter 2: Perspectives on Death: Cross-cultural and Historical
Jan.26: Critical Thinking
Jan 28: Chapter 3: Learning about Death: The Influence of Sociological Forces
Feb. 2: Critical Thinking
Feb. 4: Exam 1: Chapters 1-3
Feb. 9: Chapter 4: Healthcare Systems: Patients, Staff, and Institutions
Feb. 11: Critical Thinking
Feb. 16: Chapter 5: Facing Death: Living with Life-threatening Illness
Feb. 18: Critical Thinking
Feb. 23: Chapter 6: Medical Ethics: Dying in a Technological Age
Feb. 25: Critical Thinking
March 1: Exam 2: Chapters 4-6
March 3: Chapter 7: Survivors: Understanding the Experience of Loss
March 8-12: No School: Spring Break
March 15: Chapter 8: Last Rites: Funerals and Body Disposition
March 17: Critical Thinking
March 22: Chapter 9: The Law and Death
March 24: Critical Thinking
March 29: Exam 3: Chapters 7-9
March 31: Chapter 10: Death in the Lives of Children and Adolescents
April 5: Critical Thinking
April 7: Chapter 11: Death in the Lives of Adults
April 12: Critical Thinking
April 14: Chapter 12: Suicide
April 19: Exam 4: Chapters 10-12
April 21: Chapter 13: Risks of Death in the Modern World
April 26: Chapters 14 : Beyond Death
April 28: Chapter 15: Afterlife and The Path Ahead
May 3: Critical Thinking
May 5: Review for Final Exam
May 12: Final Exam: Chapters 13-15 at 2:00
Exam 1: Chapters 1-3 = 100 points
Exam 2: Chapters 4-6 = 100 points
Exam 3: Chapters 7-9 = 100 points
Exam 4: Chapters 10-12 = 100 points
Exam 5: Chapters 13-15 = 100 points
Paper: 8- 10 pages, dbl spaced, typed = 100 points
Total = 600 points
550-600 = A
499-549 = B
448-498 = C
397-447 = D
396- below = F
Adapted by the Curriculum and Academic Standards Committee June 1998
Revised 6/98
Updated 7/1/03