Death and Dying Fall 2005 Syllabus

Course Description: Perhaps nothing is more profoundly human and universal than the experience of and awareness of mortality and loss -- our own and those around us. As a nation, for example, sometimes our attention is riveted on the death of an individual figure (Terry Schiavo, The Pope, Chief Justice Rehnquist). Sometimes we are collectively shocked, horrified, and galvanized by the sheer magnitude of deaths caused by events such as the tsunami or genocide in Sudan or the impact of hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Perhaps nothing is more unique and personal -- and yet informed by our community, our cullture, and our sense of history -- than the ways in which we experience, process, and express such awareness. And, finally, perhaps nothing is more paradoxical and remarkable than the ways in which such awareness can be brought to enrich our lives to challenge us to live differently and to act differently -- to enhance our creativity, social commitment, compassion, thoughtfulness, and joy. This course allows students to focus in on questions of Death and Dying and on Life and Living. The semester's work will emphasize the topics of grief, bereavement, aging, and the dying process as it relates to individuals and to caregivers. These topics will be considered with an awareness of history and of various cultures with the central stress being on the present and on American multiculture. We will consider too how such topics are complexified by issues of race, class, gender, cultural values, etc. Although the focus on various topics at different points in the semester (see Assignment Calendar below) allows us to consider many areas, there is much interweaving of the materials of this course. Thus topics such as aging or gief are not just treated separately in a strictly linear approach, but are woven togther in an "intellectual tapestry." As various texts and a/v materials "talk to" and "talk back to" other texts, so I encourage you to engage thoughtfully, critically, and imaginatively with the texts and the materials we encounter during the semester. I especially encourage you to bring the materials to bear on your own experiences and to bring those experiences to bear on the course materials.

Course Objectives:
The objectives that follow are not sequential or linear in any sense. They will be approached in various ways, at various times, and in various pieces throughout the semester's readings, discussions, and writings, etc.
1. Students will understand and recognize the impact on individuals and society of the universality of impermanence, death, and loss
2. Students will appreciate the various ways that people can live their own lives, and value their lives to address the inevitability of death and loss
3. Students will be broadly familiar with historical changes in the Western perception, experiences, and treatment of death and dying, bereavement and loss.
4. Students will have a clear recognition of the significant variability in the experience of death, dying, grief, and healing depending on culture, economics, race, religion, gender, nation and a number of other factors.
5. Students will understand the uniqueness of death, dying, and bereavement for each individual in terms of relationship, manner of death, complicating emotions, age, circumstances etc.
6. Students will have a basic familiarity with the field of thanatology, and with research techniques and appropriate resources for thanatology, bereavement counseling, care for the dying, etc.
7. Students will have sharpened critical thinking skills, research skills, and writing skills.
8. Students will know the primary formulations of the concepts of the "pool of grief," "stages of grief," "grief work", "the tasks of grief," "the processes of grief" etc. and the way that these models have challenged, refined, and built on one another to offer alternative ways of understanding grief
9. Students will have a special awareness and appreciation for the experiences and challenges of the caregiver and of strategies that can assist the caregiver
10. Students will be familiar with key legal, medical and health approaches to dying and death such as hospice, palliative care, living wills etc. and of ethical debates concerning death and dying such as euthanasia, availability of transplants, differential delivery of health care, lack of appropriate insurance, etc.
11. Students will appreciate the rich complexity of literature, humor, art, music, and other cultural and artistic media which address death, dying and loss and which help individuals and cultural groups heal, cope, come to terms with and transcend.
12. Students will appreciate the multiple ways that people seek to "make meaning" of loss, pain, illness, etc. through spiritual care and/or social activism and/or learning and/or creativity and/or relationship strengthening etc.

Required Texts : Get ALL FIVE (5) of your books early from the bookstore. Do not wait until they are due because the bookstore returns leftover books to the distributors shortly into the semester. The remaining texts are available through WebCT or the Web. Texts: **Kastenbaum = Kastenbaum, Robert. . The Death, Society, and Human Experience . 8TH EDITION (YOU MUST USE THIS EDITION) 2004; DD&B = Dying, Death, and Bereavement Annual Editions 05/06 ed. George Dickinson and Michael Lerning. NOTE: You must have the 05/06 edition (pub. Nov. 2004) because the earlier editions do not have all of the assigned readings for the course. Schmidt and Pizzarello. Laura Schmidt and Joe Pizzarello. A Good Death: A Couple's Journey; Lorde. Audre Lorde. Cancer Journals; and Tolstoy. Leo Tolstoy. The Death of Ivan Illych;

Readings are indicated on the syllabus below in abbreviated form and on the Quickview in even more abbreviated form. For full citations for the readings see D&D F05 Texts & Key .Texts not included in the 5 main books are available through WebCt . The syllabus will only list a brief citation. You can access WebCt directly from here or through your usual routes. You need your Ramapo email username and password and you need to be formally enrolled in the course. If you can't get into WebCt go immediately to the TEC trailer to find out how to get on. Many readings are also available on reserve in the library. Search Potter Library catalog under Course Reserve and then under course MMET314 Death and Dying for the call number. Paper materials are available at the circulation desk on the main floor of the library. Most are also available through electronic reserve and can be accessed from any computer with your Ramapo email username, password, and library bar code number.

You will be reading a number of books, essays, chapters, etc. during the semester. The reading is significant and important. I will quiz you regularly and randomly to ensure that you are keeping up with the reading because the reading will inform our discussions, in-class activities, and your writings. I expect you to have the assigned reading completed before the class meets each week. The quizzes will count 10% of the overall grade of the course

a. Grief/Caregiving essay Guidelines: You have three alternatives for this first paper. The first is to describe "An Experience I Have Had with Death and/or Grief." Use the Loss Assessment sheet completed the first class and the Loss History completed for the second class to help you in thinking about and drafting the Grief Essay the first draft of which is due in the third class. Describe in 3-4 pages drawn from your own personal experience (no research is necessary at this point) an encounter that you have had with death or loss or grief. You may describe any experience that you have had with loss or grief or death that has had a strong impact on you. It could be a death or the life-threatening illness of yourself or of someone you love, or the loss of an ability, or a relationship, the loss of a pet, etc. Grief takes many forms. Option 2 is to describe "An Experience I Have Had with Caregiving for someone with a life-altering illness." Option 3 is to describe "An Experience I Have Had with living with a life-altering illness."

Note: Keep a copy for yourself. When you receive this paper back with my comments make a xerox immediately to attach to the final revision which is due Class 11. The revised version will need to incorporate insights -- and be reshaped through the lens of the course and will need to demonstrate clearly and convincingly (with appropriate documentation) where reading, a/v, discussion, and experiential materials from the semester (including Kastenbaum especially) have helped further your understanding and thinking about this experience -- or have led you to explore in detail an entirely different one. Let me know if you expect that your focus will change dramatically on the second version of the essay! The second draft of the essay must be appropriately documented with parenthetical citations and a bibliography page. Please follow MLA or APA style for your documentation. Attach a copy of your first version with my comments to the revised version. Your grade will in part depend on how well you address suggestions made at the earlier stage, Due Class 11. Worth 20% of the overall semester grade.

b. Quizzes and brief writings in class. There will be frequent unannounced quizzes on the readings. These quizzes will collectively be worth 10% of the semester's grade. I will drop the lowest quiz grade from the final average. If you are absent your quiz grade will be a zero for that class. You may make up one missed quiz.

c. A take-home midterm exam between 5-10 pages in length (guide distributed Class 6, paper due Class 8). The midterm is worth 10% of the overall semester grade.

d. Group Panel research, Annotated Bibliography AND Presentation: Note: In lieu of a full-scale research paper for this class you will be asked to do a limited research task as a part of a group working on a common theme. The group will pursue a research project which will result in a collective annotated bibliography and a panel presentation on the date of the assigned topic. Group A: Elderly Due Class 6; Group B Caregiving Due Class 8; Group C Children and Death Due Class 10; Group D: Sudden Traumatic Bereavement (Individual - Heart Attack, Accident, Homicide, Suicide). Due Class 11; Group E Ethical Dilemmas Due Class 13.

The group will collectively develop an annotated bibliography including the sources identified by all members of the group. Annotations will be further condensed from the formal abstracts (see below for Individual Journal Article Abstracts). The collective annotated bibliography will be prepared by the group and copied for class members and presented to the class as part of a panel presentation on the overall topic. It will be accompanied by a Topic Overview, a 2-3 page handout of key points about the topic based on the groups' analysis of the research (See below for Research Resources and Tips) that was done and 3-4 concise recommendations for actions or changes or new policies regarding improving the situation for this topic. (Note: These recommendations can be framed for individuals, employers, communities, government, schools, etc.) Each individual will receive a group grade based on the panel presentation and the collective handout. (All members of the group will receive the same group grade so be sure that you are pulling your weight and expecting the same of the other members of your group. Note: the group grade is in addition to the individual grades awarded for the 3 abstracts).

e. Individual Journal Article Abstracts (3) Each member of the group will research one particular aspect of the group's topic and will identify 3 key juried journal articles on the topic (not the first 3 -- the best 3!) -- ideally from the perspective of the individual's particular professional field -- i.e. a social work major should be looking at social work articles on the selected aspect of the group topic e.g. "social work interventions in caregiver burnout." The individual member will prepare a full formal abstract of these three articles (see guidelines from LEO at http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/bizwrite/abstracts.html or the University of Toronto Abstract Guidelines). These abstracts will be submitted along with copies of the original articles and the abstracts provided by the databases -- for individual grades on the day that the Group presents. The abstracts are worth collectively 10% of the semester's grade.

f. Experiential Projects (2 of these) EP1 due Class 5; EP2 Class 13. Click here for options. Each EP2 is worth 10% of the overall semester grade.

g. A final exam -- details will be announced later. The final is worth 10% of the overall semester grade.

h. Please read the "Reflections" entries which will be used in microlabs during the semester and which you may also want to draw from in your various work.

3) Research Resources and Tips: General Guidelines: Click here for various sources on writing and research in general: Writing/Research Links | and for the D&D bibliography which I have compiled to assist you in your research. We will be visiting the library early in the semester for special help from a librarian in beginning and focusing the research process. Note: You are being asked to do a limited focused research project rather than a full-scale research paper but the same principles, techniques, and strategies apply.

Library Research: The very best way to do your non-experienced research is by using journal articles. Many are available through our electronic databases (go to library homepage http://www.ramapo.edu/content/campus.resources/potter/ and click on electronic resources. Enter your campus email username and password. (In some cases you will also see your library barcode.) This gives you access to any of our many databases a number of which provide full-text versions of the articles you are seeking. You can search for various topics using keyword searches. Particularly relevant databes include CINAHL (nursing and allied health); Encyclopedia of Life Scieces; LexisNexis Academic; ProQuest, PsycInfo(Ebsco), Social Sciences Abstract. Some journals you might consult (some in paper, others electronically) are: Death Studies (This is an especially important journal and it is available in two full text electronic databases available through Ramapo: EbscoHost/Academic Search and ProQuest.) Omega: An International Journal for the Study of Dying, Death, Bereavement, Suicide, and Other Lethal Behaviors (available in Ramapo's periodicals section). Other useful journals include Loss, Grief and Care: A Journal of Professional Practice; Bereavement Magazine; Illness, Crisis and Loss; Thanatos. Gerontology Journals include: The Journal of Gerontology; The Gerontologist; Research on Aging; The Journal of Gerontological Nursing; and The Journal of Gerontological Social Work. You may need to consult these via interlibrary loan or at another library (your Ramapo card entitles you to use any state college or university library in New Jersey). In addition, Ramapo has a substantial collection of books and other resources on death and dying.

Specialized books on thanatology can be obtained (purchase only) from: Compassion Books, 477 Hannah Branch Road, Burnsville, NC 28170 ((828) 675-5909. The ADEC Catalogue of books is on reserve and is an excellent resource for an overview of available materials. You can write to them directly to have a free catalogue sent to you. You can also consult the website www.compassionbooks.com Excellent pamphlets for distribution are available from Media Publishing, PO Box 89, Redmond, VA 90073 (206) 881-2883.

Internet Research: Web resources and links for D, D, & B can be found at http://www.dushkin.com/ for selected weblinks regarding death, dying, bereavement and loss. Choose Annual Editions and click on Dying, Death, and Bereavement 8e 05/06. I have also collected additional links at http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~kfowler/d&dlinks.html .
Do be wary about internet research. Anyone can put anything out on the net. Evaluate your site for usefulness and credibility. In most cases you will want to corroborate internet materials with journal materials that have gone through a peer review (i.e. other professionals in the appropriate area have reviewed the article and judged it worthy of publication). Ramapo's library has an excellent guide to evaluating websites at http://potter.ramapo.edu/homepage/evaluating.html and to citing websites and print resources at http://potter.ramapo.edu/homepage/citing.html

Organizations and Agencies:
Association of Death Educators and Counselors (ADEC). This is a key organization sponsoring conferences and workshops. It also has an accreditation process. For information contact the ADEC Central Office at 638 Prospect Avenue, Hartford Ct. 06105. There are student rates and Ramapo students have attended. The 2006 conference will be in Tampa, Florida from March 29- April 2, 2006. The theme this year is: Grief and Loss: Wisdom and Insight. There are Student Initiative Scholarships that pay for conference attendance and ADEC membership for a year. See http://www.adec.org/awards/studinit.htm For more info about the organization and/or about the conference consult their home page: http://www.adec.org/

Hospice Foundation of America broadcasts an annual teleconference on some aspect of "Living with Grief." Ramapo College is a host site for the teleconference. The 2006 teleconference on Pain Management at the End of Life will be held Apr. 6, 2006.

United Hospice of Rockland, 5 Parkview Plaza, Thiells Mt., Ivy Road, Pomona, NY 10970 (845) 354-5100; Center for Help, 326 Hillsdale Ave., Hillsdale, NJ 07642 (201-666-0009

As this course proceeds throughout the semester, the written materials, lectures, class discussions and contributions of guest lecturers build upon each other and integrate into a cohesive whole. Thus attendance is a "must" and it is expected that no more than one class will be missed. Attendance will be gathered via quiz papers at the beginning of each class and may be taken again at the end of the class. In case of difficulty, see me. Tardiness over ten minutes or leaving the class early counts as 1/2 absence.

In class we will be approaching the material through a number of techniques including large group discussion, small group exploration, sharing of experiences, brief in-class writings, and reading aloud. We are a community of learners approaching the subject of death and dying together to understand, to celebrate, to commemorate and to share. I expect all of you to participate actively in all of these forms of engagement with the texts and the minds behind the texts. And -- to encourage you to take an active role -- the more you talk, the less I talk! Participation is important and will count as 10% of your grade.

Class decorum is essential. Please be on time and orderly about your arrival. Late arrivals and early departures not only damage your learning but disrupt the concentration of others in the class. If you must be late, for some reason, please enter quietly and take a seat near the door. Be respectful of the opinions and contributions of your classmates. On occasion this class will raise difficult feelings in members of the class. Please treat yourselves and each other with compassion and patience. I will not hesitate to ask anyone to leave who chooses not to behave in a responsible and respectful manner. Your conduct will enter into your participation grade.

We will work very hard to listen to and really hear each other -- modeling the kind of listening that is essential to professional and personal interaction. People will come from multiple perspectives (and no despite the news channel there are not only 2 ways of looking at things!) and seeking to hear and understand each other is an act of courage and a responsibility. Note, as Lee Knefelkamp reminds us "understanding does not imply agreement -- just understanding."

All students are expected to adhere to rules of conduct that contribute to an atmosphere conducive to the discussion of perspectives which spring from differences in age, race, gender, physical and mental abilities, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class background, and personal experiences. Because we are reading, writing about, and discussing very sensitive material -- and because we have all been acculturated in a society which remains racist/sexist/heterosexist/classist etc. at the most profound linguistic level -- we need to be aware when we make comments which are hurtful or offensive to others. Hence -- "the Ouch Rule." If someone makes a remark which causes you pain or offense, say "Ouch." It is not necessary to explain why you have said "ouch," although you may if you wish. The word itself will cause us to pause and rethink what has just been said.

9) Academic Integrity: Academic Integrity is essential. Do Not Violate! Plagiarism and cheating are the theft of another's words or ideas and can result in penalties as serious as expulsion from the college. See the Student Handbook for guidelines on plagiarism and cheating. If you have any doubts about how to present material from other sources, please come see me for help. If I find a paper which I believe has been plagiarized I will forward it to the Vice President's Office for action. Don't do this to me or to yourself!

The following is an All College Statement: Academic Integrity (College Guidelines):

All students at Ramapo College are expected to maintain academic integrity. There are four broad forms of academic dishonesty.

1. Cheating: An act of deception by which a student misrepresents his or her mastery of material on a test or other academic exercise.
2. Plagiarism (including internet) Representing someone else's words, ideas, phrases, sentences, or data as one's own work without citing the source.
3. Academic misconduct: Alteration of grades, involvement in the acquisition or distributions of unadministered tests and the unauthorized submission of student work in more than one class.
4. Fabrication: The deliberate use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive.

Violation of any of these may result in an "F", and students may be subjected to disciplinary proceedings.

Note on Reserve Materials: Some of the readings on WebCt are also on reserve in the library if you prefer this form of access. In that case go to the library homepage http://www.ramapo.edu/content/campus.resources/potter/ , click on Course Reserve, for instructor choose Kay Fowler, for course, choose MMET314 Death and Dying. The library has put many of the shorter reserve pieces on electronic format which will allow you to access them remotely from any computer using your Ramapo email address and password and your library barcode. Where the electronic form is not available you will need to go directly to the library and ask for the item by its call number at the circulation desk. You will need your student I.D. Among the reserved material is Sogyal Rinpoche's Tibetan Book of Living and Dead (on the syllabus as TBLD). This book is a paperback and is fairly readily available. (The bookstore should have a few copies). We will be reading about 65 pages of it. You may wish to own your own copy. If not several hard copies of the material have been placed on reserve along with the electronic extracts on WebCT.

Note on Collaborative Learning : I encourage you to work together in study groups to enhance your engagement with these materials. This course should be collaborative rather than competitive. Student Presentations and writings should, of course, be your individual product but understanding should be our collective achievement.

Note on Service Learning Option: Service Learning allows you to work in an agency or other organization (often nonprofit). By keeping a reflective journal incorporative course materials you are able to combine your academic course material with "hands on" experience. Specifics will be available in class and in individual consultation with me. Contact person: Karen Booth, Office of Experiential Learning C209, X7447. See the Service Learning Web page at http://www.ramapo.edu/studentlife/cahill/servicel/info.htm

Note for Honors Students : If you wish to take this class as an Honors option, you must notify me right away. We will develop together a plan of additional readings and assignments.

Note for Students with Special Needs: Please let me know as soon as possible if you will have special needs or challenges in taking this course. If you are a student with a documented disability seeking academic accomodations that are disability related, you need to be registered with the Office of Specialized Services (OSS). This is a college policy. After you have registered with OSS, please make an appointment with me during the first three weeks of the semester to discuss any requests or accomodations that you may need. See the Office of Specialized Services website at: http://www.ramapo.edu/studentlife/studentServices/oss/home.html

Fall 2005 Class Assignments Calendar

(See Quickview for the same information in abbreviated form)

Note the Thursday section meets first (due to Labor Day). If you must miss a Thursday class; the topic will be repeated in the Monday class. Avoid this option if you can because the classes will develop different personalities and you will be part of a particular group. Note the classes will switch over following Thanksgiving and thereafter the Monday section will meet first being repeated in the Thursday section.

Note: THERE MAY BE CERTAIN SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS GUEST SPEAKERS AND FIELD TRIPS WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEARER THE TIME AS OPPORTUNITIES ARISE.

CLASS 1: Thurs. Sep. 8; Mon. Sep. 12:    Focus on Introductions and Beginnings:

Inclass:    Introduction. Syllabi. Discussion of course requirements and major project guidelines. Discussion of themes and questions for the course.   Experiential Projects: Discussion of options. See D&D Experiential Project Guide. Completion of student information cards; index card questions, fears, goals and Loss Assessment (from D101 p. 82). Completion of Bugen Coping Scale (we will repeat this on the final day of the class).

Creation of Groups:   Group A: Aging/Elderly; Group B: Caregiving; Group C: Children and Death; Group D: Sudden/Traumatic Bereavement (Individual - Heart Attack, Accident, Homicide, Suicide): Group E: Ethical Dilemmas and EOL Decisions (Note: we will talk in class about the ways that these groups should be constructed and the guidelines for the group projects and panel presentations). (Note: Visit my D&D bibliography (divided up by topics) for a starting place on your research for your Group/Individual Projects. Also visit Compassion Books at http://www.compassionbooks.com/ for access to a wide variety of excellent print and a/v resources on death, dying, and bereavement for sale.) In the meantime note on the syllabus where the Group you are in has particular assignments -- see for instance, next week.

Language of death, dying, and grieving. "About Thanatology" (Handout ) Poetry (Read in Class) : John Donne, "Death Be Not Proud"; Emily Dickinson, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Dylan Thomas , "Do Not Go Gentle" Roberta Hill, "A Nation Wrapped in Stone"; Gerard Manley Hopkins "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child"; Lucille Clifton "For deLawd"; Li Ch'ing Chao "P'u-Shen Sheng Man" Mary Oliver, "Blossom" Wilfred Owen "Anthem for Doomed Youth" William Carlos Williams "To Waken an Old Woman" (Handout ) See D&D Poetry

Submit (Everyone): Completed Loss Assessment Sheet, and Bugen Coping Scale (HO only) Plus a signed copy of the Course Understanding Sheet (another copy for your own use is available through WebCt under "D&D Questionnaires & HOs

CLASS 2: Thurs. Sep. 15; Mon. Sep. 19: Focus on The Death System and Public Death

Required readings: (TO BE DONE BEFORE CLASS!) Kastenbaum: Chap. 4: "The Death System" 78-111 AND from Azar Nafizi Reading Lolita in Tehran: Chapters 20-32 (pp. 207-241) AND WebCt : Herbert "Black, Dead, Invisible." (2004)

Written Assignments to submit: Completed Loss History (available through WebCt under "D&D Resources" and then "D&D Questionnaires & HOs"); SPECIAL NOTE: Keep a copy of this -- and everything!! -- for yourself.

Special Note: Before today's class complete for yourself (not to submit!) the Shneidman Questionnaire: "You and Death" available through WebCt under "D&D Resources" and then under "D&D Questionnaires & HOs" . Use this questionnaire to help yourself decide if this is the right time for you to take this class.

Group Assignments due today (Class 2): Group A: Find a cartoon that relates to death and dying and bring it with you to Class 2 (today). Group B: Find a joke or humorous story about death and dying and bring it with you to Class 2 (today). Group C: Find a piece of music that relates to death and dying and bring it with you to Class 2 (today) (you can bring a CD, an audiotape, or a computer disk or weblink for this). Group D: Find a poem that relates to death and dying and bring it with you to Class 2 (today). Group E: Find a work of visual art that relates to death and dying and bring it with you to Class 2 (today).

In-class: Bibliographic Instruction in library 8:15-9:20 (We will meet first in the regular classroom) .

Optional supplemental readings: Kastenbaum: Ch. 1 "Sep. 11, 2001 and The American Death System 1--17. WebCt : Henig, Robin Marantz Henig. “Will We Ever Arrive at the Good Death?” (2005).

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Special Event Outside of Class (Strongly suggested): Sep. 21 Convocation: Azar Nafisi 2-4. Attendance and brief response paper (2-3 pages) can count as one of the 2 Experiential Projects required.

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CLASS 3: Thurs. Sep. 22; Mon. Sep. 26: Focus on History and Culture: The Death of Ivan Ilych.

Required readings: **Leo Tolstoy "The Death of Ivan Ilych" (1886) (Title story only); {To prepare for class discussion read the Tolstoy keeping in mind the reading/study questions on Ivan Ilych. We will be working together in class on these questions.} AND WebCt Robert Frost "Home Burial" PLUS J. Mack Welford "American Death and Burial Customs" AND a brief extract from the Epic of Gilgamesh (3000 BCE) {Be prepared to discuss in detail in class the values, beliefs, and assumptions about death that you found in this work. How is it different from modern Western attitudes to death? In what ways does it still resonate for us?}

Written Assignments to submit: Grief/Caregiving essay (initial draft): (See guidelines)

In-class: FIELD TRIP: GRAVES BY RAMAPO RIVER. WE WILL START CLASS TODAY BY VISITING SEVERAL GRAVES THAT ARE ACROSS RTE 202 NEAR THE RIVER.   In case of bad weather -- this may be rescheduled for next week. Someone will stay in the classroom so that you can leave your things in the room.

Optional supplemental readings: Kastenbaum: Chap. 13 "The Funeral Process ..." 387-426 and WebCt Phillipe Aries "Death Inside Out" .

CLASS 4: Thurs. Sep. 29; Mon. Oct. 3:   Focus on Understanding Grief

Required readings (everyone):    Kastenbaum: Chap. 12 "Bereavement ..." 347-386 AND  Michael R. Leming and George E. Dickinson. "Grieving Process" DD&B 6.36, 178-182

Group Assignments due today: (Each group is to do a different reading through WebCt: Group A read: Earl A. Grollman. "What You Always Wanted to Know About Your Jewish Clients' Perspectives Concerning Death and Dying -- But were Afraid to Ask" AND Group B read: Shukria Allimmi Raad. "Grief: A Muslim Perspective"; Group C read: Janmarie Silvera. "Crossing the Border"; Group D read: Ron E. Wilder "Sexual Orientation and Grief" Group E read: Zora Neale Hurston "Wandering" (from Dust Tracks on a Road)

CLASS 5: Thurs. Oct. 6; Mon. Oct. 10: Focus on The Dying Process

Required readings:     Kastenbaum: Chap. 5: "Dying" 113-152 AND WebCt Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. "What is it Like to be Dying?"AND Jane Dwinell. "7 Final Chapters" (2000) AND Oliver Sack's "Passage to India." AND   Lee Atwater "Lee Atwater's Last Campaign" AND Morrie Schwartz excerpts from "Morrie in His Own Words" (1996); AND Jack Thomas "Facing a Fatal Disease, Morris Schwartz Teaches How to Live Until the Last Moment" (1995) AND Mitch Albom: excerpts from Tuesdays with Morrie

Written Assignments to submit: Experiential Project Report #1 (See Experiential Project Guidelines)

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt Roshi Bernard Glassman "There Are No Words" 1999 AND Holcomb Noble. "Kubler-Ross, Who Changed Perspectives on Death, Dies at 78). DD&B 4.27, 146-149.

CLASS 6: Thurs. Oct. 13; Mon. Oct. 17:   Focus on the Elderly

Required readings:     Nadine R. Sahyoun, et. al. "Trends in Causes of Death Among the Elderly" (2001) DD&B 4/19, 100-105    AND WebCt : Pearl Cleage "Hospice" AND Anna Lee Walters "Buffalo Wallow Woman" (1992) AND **Rinpoche 2/3: (i.e. Sogyal Rinpoche Tibetan Book of Living and Dying 7-40 and 173-186 (excerpts from Ch. 2 "Impermanence" and Ch. 3 "Reflection and Change") {To prepare for class discussion read the Rinpoche keeping in mind the reading/study questions on Rinpoche. We will be working together in class on these questions.}

Group Assignments: Group A Panel Present: Aged/Elderly. Group A Submit: Prepare handouts for full class of collective annotated bibliography and Topic Overview (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Group A individual members are to submit 3 abstracts of juried journal articles along with copies of the original articles and abstracts provided in the databases (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Handouts:   Takehome Midterm guidelines

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt Judith Treas "Older Americans" 1995 and Margo Jefferys " A New Way of Seeing Old Age is Needed" 1996 under "Treas/Jefferys on Elderly"

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Special Event Outside of Class (Strongly suggested): Oct. 18 3:30 p.m. HWing Auditorium: Denise Bell, Amnesty International, "Disabling of the Women of Darfur." Attendance and brief response paper (2-3 pages) can count as one of the 2 Experiential Projects required.
(Sponsored by Office of Specialized Services, the Holocaust Center and the Women’s Center)

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CLASS 7: Thurs. Oct. 20; Mon. Oct. 24: Focus on Living with a Life-Altering Condition.

Required readings: **Audre Lorde. The Cancer Journals (All). To prepare for class discussion read the Lorde keeping in mind the reading/study questions on The Cancer Journals. We will be working together in class on these questions. AND Rachel Simon "January: The Journey" excerpt from "Riding in the Bus with My Sister." (2002) Also Read: through WebCt   Kaytura Felix Aaron and Carolyn M. Clancy, "Improving Quality and Reducing Disparities" (2003) AND Kevin A. Schulman et. al "The Effect of Race and Sex on Physician's Recommendations for Cardiac Catheretization." (1999); AND AND Sandra Bertman "Bearing the Unbearable.'

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt Sissela Bok "Lying and Lies to the Sick" (1978) AND Jerome Groopman. "Dying Words: how Should Doctors Deliver Bad News" DD&B 3:13, 65-70 AND Arnold Epstein "Health Care in America: Still too Separate, Not Yet Equal" (2004)

CLASS 8: Thurs. Oct. 27; Mon. Oct. 31: Focus on Caregiving

Required readings:      Kastenbaum: Chap. 6: " The Hospice Approach to Terminal Care"161-180.   AND WebCt : Carol Levine. “Introduction: Nature of Caregiving.” AND Brian Alexander. “Jitterbug” AND Rinpoche 11 (i.e. Sogyal Rinpoche Tibetan Book of Living and Dying Ch. 11 "Heart Advice on Helping the Dying")

Written Assignments to submit: Take Home Midterms AND List of Support Network Members

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt Marcia Lattanzi-Licht "Hospice as a Model of Caregiving." AND "Caregivers Information and Resources (a collection of materials)" Note: Additional information is available at the National Caregivers Alliance website: http://www.caregiving.org/ The site includes special material on Caregivers for Alzheimers'; Long distance caregiving etc.)

Group Assignments: Group B Panel Present: Caregiving. Group B Submit: Prepare handouts for full class of collective annotated bibliography and Topic Overview (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)
Group B individual members are to submit 3 abstracts of juried journal articles along with copies of the original articles and abstracts provided in the databases (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

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Special Event Outside of Class (Strongly suggested): Nov. 2 2:00 pm. SC138:   Rachel Simon, author of "Riding the Bus with my Sister." 2-4. Attendance and brief response paper (2-3 pages) can count as one of the 2 Experiential Projects required. For more information see http://www.rachelsimon.com/ ******

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CLASS 9: Thurs. Nov. 3; Mon. Nov. 7:   Focus on End-of-Life Issues and Concerns

Required readings:    Kastenbaum: Chap. 7: " End of Life Issues and Decisions" and Schmidt and Pizzarello   Laura Schmidt and Joe Pizzarello. A Good Death: A Couple's Journey. (all). To prepare for class discussion read the Schmidt and Pizzarello keeping in mind the reading/study questions on A Good Death.   We will be working together in class on these questions. ALSO READ N. R. Kleinfield. "Patients Whose Final Wishes Go Unsaid Put Doctors in a Bind." (2003) DD&B 3.14, 71-73 AND WebCt: Donate Life: On Organ and Tissue Donation

Optional supplemental readings:   WebCt: Byock, Ira. “The Nature of Suffering and the Nature of Opportunity at the End of Life.” Palliative Care Service, Missoula, Montana, Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 12:2 (May 1996): 237-252) AND AARP Modern Maturity . "Start the Conversation." (2000) DD&B 3.15, 74-80

CLASS 10: Thurs. Nov. 10; Mon. Nov. 14 : Focus on Children: Illness and Death

Required readings:    Kastenbaum: Chap. 11: "Death in the World of Childhood" 347-379.  AND Linda Goldman. "Counseling Children in Contemporary Society" DD&B 6.44, 209-219 AND Alan D. Wolfelt. "Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief" (2003) DD&B 2.10, 49-50. Jay Reeve. "Discussing Tragedy with Your Child." (2002) DD&B 6.43, 208-209.

Group Assignments: Group C Panel Present Children and Death. Group C Submit: Prepare handouts for full class of collective annotated bibliography and Topic Overview (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Group C individual members are to submit 3 abstracts of juried journal articles along with copies of the original articles and abstracts provided in the databases (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Optional supplemental readings: In DD&B Fida 172-173 and Moore 174-176 on Pet Loss.

CLASS 11: Thurs. Nov. 17; Mon. Nov. 21: Focus on Sudden/Traumatic Bereavement

Required readings: Kastenbaum: Chap. 9: "Violent Death: Murder, War, Terrorism, Disaster, and Accident" 243-274 AND WebCt Linda Hogan. "Making Do" (1994) AND AND Zlata Filipovic "Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo" AND Victoria Cummock, "Journey of a Young Widow" (1996) AND Ken Doka "Sudden Loss: The Experiences of Bereavement" (1996) AND Bharati Mukherjee. "The Management of Grief" (1988)

Optional supplemental readings: Michael R. Leming and George E. Dickinson. "Contemporary American Funeral" (1998) DD&B 5.28, 152-154 AND William J. Whalen. "How Different Religions Pay Their Final Respects." DD&B 5.30, 160-162 AND Kristen Davis. "Six Feet Under: Thomas Lynch Has Buried 6,000..." (2002) DD&B 5.29, 155-160 AND Linda Goldman. "Terrorism, Trauma, and Children: What Can We Do?" DD&B 2.8, 45-48 AND Janice H. Lord, "America's Number One Killer: Vehicular Crashes"

Group Assignments: Group D Panel Present: Sudden/Traumatic Bereavement (Individual: Heart Attack, Accident, Homicide, Suicide) Group D Submit: Prepare handouts for full class of collective annotated bibliography and Topic Overview (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines) Group D individual members are to submit 3 abstracts of juried journal articles along with copies of the original articles and abstracts provided in the databases (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Written Assignments to submit: Revised/Final Draft of Introductory Grief Essay This must be attached to a copy of the first draft with my comments and suggestions noted on it. Reminder: Revisit Guidelines for Grief Essay before you rework.

Thurs. Nov. 24: Thanksgiving Break -- NO CLASS. ENJOY!

NOTE CLASSES NOW SWITCH OVER SO THAT MATERIAL IS FIRST COVERED IN THE MONDAY SECTION AND THEN REPEATED IN THE THURSDAY SECTION

CLASS 12: Mon. Nov. 28; Thurs. Nov. 30: Focus on Complicated Mourning and Disenfranchised Grief

Required readings: Kenneth Doka ""Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow" (1989) DD&B 6.37: 182-184. AND Charles Corr "Enhancing the Concept of Disenfranchised Grief" (1998-1999) DD&B 6.38: 185-193 AND Mickie Mashburn. "Till Death Do Us Part" DD&B 6.39, 194-195 AND Theresa Rando "Increasing Prevalence of Complicated Mourning" (1992-1993) DD&B 6:40, 195-203; Plus through WebCt : Bonnie Carroll, Lisa Hudson, and Dianne Ruby. “Complicated Grief in the Military” (1996) AND Therese Rando: Outline for Bereavement Self-Help AND Oliver Sacks "Rebecca"

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt Kastenbaum: Chap. 8: "Suicide" 205-242 AND J. William. Worden and James R. Monahan. "Caring for Bereaved Parents: Interaction Goals" (1993))

CLASS 13: Mon. Dec. 5; Thurs. Dec. 8: Focus on Medical Ethics

Required readings: Kastenbaum: Chap. 10: "Euthanasia, Assisted Death, Abortion, and the Right to Die" AND AND WebCt : Price, David M.. “Hard Choices in Hard Times: Helping Families Make Ethical Choices in Prolonged Illness.” AND Sally Satel. "Doctors Behind Bars: Treating Pain is Now Risky Business" (2004) Quill, Timothy. “Terry Schiavo: A Tragedy Compounded.” New England Journal of Medicine 352:16 (Apr. 21, 2005): 1630-1633. Okie, Susan. “Physician-Assisted Suicide: Oregon and Beyond.” New England Journal of Medicine 352:16 (Apr. 21, 2005): 1627-1630; ; AND Tierney, John. “Punishing Pain.” New York Times. July 19, 2005.

Written Assignments to submit: Experiential Project Report #2 (See Experiential Project Guidelines)

Group Assignments: Group E Panel Present: Ethical Dilemmas.
Group E Submit: Prepare handouts for full class of collective annotated bibliography and Topic Overview (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)
Group E individual members are to submit 3 abstracts of juried journal articles along with copies of the original articles and abstracts provided in the databases (see D&D F05 Panel Guide for guidelines)

Optional supplemental readings: WebCt: George Dickinson and Davie. "Field Teaching End Of Life Issues" (2002) DD&B 2.6, 25-30 AND John Broder, et. al. "In Science's Name: Lucrative Trade in Body Parts" (2004) DD&B 1.4, 16-19. AND Halley Forester-Miller and Thomas Davis. "A Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making."(1996)

CLASS 14: Mon. Dec.. 12; Thurs. Dec. 15. Focus on Grief Work and Healing

Required readings: Harvard Women's Health Watch. "Grief Takes No Holiday." (2002) DD&B 6.42: 205-208 Plus through WebCt : Sandra Bertman "The Healing Power of Art" AND Pick-Me-Ups AND Jan Ziegler "How Corporations Cope When Death Intrudes." (1996) AND Ellen S. Zinner "Group Survivorship: Effective Mourning Within the Organization." See also Grief Tips (James Miller) at http://www.willowgreen.com for very concrete suggestions for coping with grief.

Completion of Bugen Coping Scale (same instrument as completed day 1 of the course). Last Class Thoughts

FINAL EXAM: Mon. Dec. 19; Thurs. Dec. 22: FINAL EXAM (DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED)