MW 11 a.m.-12 noon; Tues 2:00-3:45 p.m. in 4226 AH
And by appointment. Please knock if you see the door closed. Despite appearances, I may be inside. If you need accommodation due to a disability, please let me know.

This course looks at the variety of ways humans deal with death, both religiously and spiritually, as well as socially, culturally, and medically. We will examine our attitudes toward death and dying, and see how children learn about death. We will study instances of violence, suicide and homicide, and we will see how more and more people are choosing to die peacfully at home. The course also considers the vast range of bioethical issues involved in making end-of-life decisions, such as organ and tissue donation and advance directives. The ways different religions and cultures view death, and how they understand the afterlife and its affect on disposition of remains will also be covered. The course uses videos, guest speakers, readings, class discussions, and individual reflection papers to gain an understanding of the meaning of death in our society.

What I would like you to learn...

The different ways humans approach death spiritually, ritually, and behaviorally
Your own understanding of how death gives meaning to life, and vice versa

What I would like you to learn to do...

Be able to use the technical vocabulary of the theological, medical, and legal professions on death
Identify your personal views on death and those of your family

David Chidester, Patterns of Transcendence, 2d. ed.
Stephen Levine, Who Dies?
Course Packet at Cal Copy

You will be graded on the following assignments:

Three in-class essay tests (10 points each) = 30 points
Four short (4-5 page) papers (12 points each) = 48 points
One short writing assignment = 10 points
Participation = 12 points


Total = 100 points

Late Papers and Make-up Tests : I encourage you to turn in papers, late if necessary, and to schedule make-up exams if you miss a test. You must know, however, that there is a penalty for submitting assignments late and for taking the test outside of the regularly scheduled time period. The reason should be obvious: regardless of the reason for being late or missing an exam, you have an unfair advantage over those students who have prepared, done the work, and completed it within the limits and guidelines of the assignment. Therefore, I am happy to accept late assignments and to re-schedule exams, but know that there is a 10 percentage point penalty for doing so, no matter what the reason (health, death in the family, computer crisis, etc.). This is to discourage you from procrastinating or otherwise missing deadlines, and to encourage you to do your work in a timely fashion. Make-up work must be completed within one week of the assignment. No exceptions!

Academic Honesty : Please read the guidelines for academic honesty, and the consequences of cheating by looking at my website, http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~remoore/honesty.html

There is no extra credit available.