Fall
Semester: August 28-December 18, 2001, Tuesday 7:30-9:10pm MNTC
Goal 5 & 9
Instructor:
Connie Manos-Andrea, LA116, 450-8636, cmanosa@inverhills.mnscu.edu
Office
Hours: M, W, Th, 10-10:50am; T 5-5:30pm; F 7:30-8am and 9-9:50am.
If these times do not work we can try and schedule other office.
Website:
www.inverhills.mnscu.edu/psychology12309syl.f01.htm
Course
Description: A
psychological approach to death, dying and related topics.
Explore relevant theories, data, models, ethical issues and provides an
opportunity to confront and explore personal attitudes and feelings.
Text: Despelder,
L., Strickland, A. (1999). The
last dance. Mountain View, CA:
Mayfield Publishing.
For
Whom Intended:
Anyone interested in the study of the issues and problems related to death and
dying.
Prerequisites:
None.
Objectives:
By the end of the semester the student will be able to:
1.
Explain historical
and current attitudes toward death
2.
Become acquainted
with diverse death-related rituals.
3.
Describe children’s
understanding and attitudes toward death.
4.
Discuss the issues
surrounding life-threatening illness.
5.
Explain bereavement,
grief and mourning.
6.
Analyze and reflect
upon the ethical dimensions of dying, such as euthanasia, organ transplants,
living will, health care rationing and capital punishment.
7.
Explain the research
, theories of cause and personal and social ramifications of suicide.
8.
Identify ways to
exercise personal and societal rights and responsibilities concerning life and
death issues.
Classroom
Procedures:
Lecture, discussion, films, small group/large group work, weekly writing,
in-class writing and possibly touring and guest speakers will be incorporated
into class time.
Evaluation:
Percentage
Curve
100
points
5 tests
90-100%
- A
30
points
Deathography
80-89% - B
40
points
8-5 points short essay assignments
70-79% - C
30
points attendance
50-69%
- D
200
points
< -49% - F
If
you cheat, you fail.
If
students’ requests for “off-schedule” work are granted there will be a
reduction in points.
If
you have any special needs please contact the instructor or Disabled Student
Services 651.450.8628 or TTY: 651.450.8639, ASAP.
Tests:
5 tests, each worth 25 points will be given throughout the semester.
They will include multiple choice and true/false items.
These objective tests will be based on the assigned readings and
classroom experiences. Students may
choose or may find it necessary to miss one test or drop the lowest score. An
exception to this is the final test, which must be taken on time and cannot be
dropped.
Participation:
Spot
attendance, short “writes” and group work and presentations will earn
attendance points. We need you
present and actively participating to facilitate our learning.
Deathography:
Students will develop a 4-5 typed (word-processed), double-spaced paper
which meets the following guidelines:
First,
review your experiences with loss and death during childhood, adolescence and
adulthood. Select several which you
consider to be the most influential loss experiences of your life, and then,
develop a written description and analysis of each influential loss as to its
impact on your current attitudes toward death. The purpose of this writing
assignment is to have you explore your personal experiences with death by
thinking and writing. The following
excerpt from a previous student’s paper may help give you a flavor of this
exercise.
(Example)
“In examining my somewhat ambiguous feelings about ground burial, I began to
get an idea of how conflicting notions arose in my experience.
Memories of my mother’s response to my digging up a long-buried
goldfish moin in my mind with the childhhod rhyme, ‘The worms crawl in,
thworms crawl out, the worms play pinochle on his snout.’
No wonder I’m ambivalent about burial.”
Remember,
you are to inventory your past experiences with loss and death and make
connectins to your beliefs and action, today.
Short
essay assignment:
Students will regularly submit a typewriten short essay assignment at the
start of class meetings. Short
essays will be developed from selected essay questions on the material currently
being studied. The purposes of the
writings are to develop critical thinking skills of comparison, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluations within the content area of the Psychology of Death
and Dying, and improvement of communication.
A holistic grading system of 0-5 will be used.
Grading rubric: accuracy, logical substantiation of points with reliable
evidence, succinct integration of scientific research, theory and personal
experience/observations, questioning of personal assumptions, good grammar and
spelling, and timeliness. Length:
1 typewritten page.
CLASS
SCHEDULE
(May be subject to change.)
Aug.
28
Ch. 1
Attitudes about Death
Sept.
4
Ch. 2
Cross-culutral aspects
Paper
1
Sept.
11
*Test
Sept.
18
Ch. 4,5
Health Care
Paper 2
Life-threatening Illness
Sept.
25
Ch. 6
Medical Ethics
Paper 3
Oct.
2
*Test
Oct.
9
Ch. 7
Understanding Loss
Deathography
Oct.
16
Ch. 8
Funerals and Body Disposition
Paper 4
Oct.
23
Ch. 9
Law
Paper 5
Oct.
30
*Test
Nov.
6
Ch. 10
Children and Death
Paper 6
Nov.
13
Ch. 11
Adults and Death
Nov.
20
Ch. 12
Suicide
Paper
7
Nov.
27
*Test
Dec.
4
Ch. 13
Risks of Death
Dec.
11
Ch. 14, 15
Afterlife/ Path ahead
Paper
8
Dec.
18
*Test
*TESTS
1.
Sept.
11 Ch. 1, 2
2.
Oct. 2
Ch. 4, 5, 6
3.
Oct. 30 Ch. 7, 8, 9
4.
Nov. 27 Ch. 10, 11, 12
5.
Dec. 18
Ch. 13, 14, 15