MCCCD Program Description

Death and Dying Across Cultures

Course: ASB253

First Term: 2011 Spring

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Responses to death and dying in cultures around the world. Explanations for particular cultural responses to death and dying. Examples drawn from ancient and contemporary cultures

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Identify key anthropological concepts related to culture, religion and world view. (I) 2. Describe death rites in diverse cultures within the United States. (II) 3. Gain an historical perspective of the burial perspective and funeral rites from various cultures around the world. (II) 4. Explain the role of the shaman and priest in sickness, healing, and aging. (III) 5. Identify the importance of world view and beliefs as determinants of approaches to death and dying. (IV) 6. Describe the legal aspects of death and ethical bias. (V) 7. Describe the dying process and moment of death from a cross-cultural perspective. (VI) 8. Explain concepts of loss, grief, and healing cross-culturally. (VII) 9. Describe funeral content and form cross-culturally. (VIII) 10. Explain concepts of death as societal regulators. (IX)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Death: An Anthropological Perspective A. Cultural concepts B. Emic and etic approaches C. Death from an anthropological perspective D. Characterization of American dying, grief, funeral rites, and burial practices II. History of Approaches to Death A. Historical perspective of Western dying, grief, funeral rites, and burial practices B. Historical perspective of other cultures (e.g., Egypt, China, Greece) approaches to burial practices and funeral rites III. Cross Cultural Perspectives on Sickness, Healing, and Aging A. Shamanism: curing through spiritual means B. Practitioners and their worldview C. Shamanism: therapies in relation to worldview D. Examples from cultures around the world IV. World Views and Beliefs about the Soul as Determinants of Approaches to Death A. Death as a microcosm of worldview (examples from cultures around the world) V. Legal Aspects of Death and Their Ethical Bias A. Suicide: psychological, preventionist, existential, subjetivist, social, and symbolic interactionist theories B. Legal issues related to assisted suicide/euthanasia C. Worldview of suicide D. Profiles and causes of suicide in the Eastern vs. Western World VI. Worldview: The Dying Process and the Moment of Death A. Near-death experiences: definition B. Explanations of near-death experiences C. The souls journey to the afterlife: the shaman as part of the process VII. Loss, Grief, and Healing-Culturally A. Philosophy and origins of grief B. Bereavement C. Mourning D. Healing VIII. Funeral Content and Form Cross-Culturally A. Universals in funeral content: color, music, sexuality B. Fertility symbols C. Variations in funerals as a function of worldview and concepts of death-examples from around the world D. The souls journey to the afterlife IX. Concepts of Death as a Regulator of Social, Political, and Demographic-Ecological Order A. Death, myth, warfare, and population control B. Death and territory C. Death and social-political order

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 12/14/2004

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.