Matters
of Life and Death
weekly
schedule.
Week 11 (Nov. 1-5)
Defining
death.
To be discussed: Is “brain death” really death? How does technology
influence our definition of death? How does culture influence our definition
of death?
Assignments:
Analytic essay on Conklin, “ ‘Thus are our bodies, thus was our custom’: mortuary cannibalism in an Amazonian society” (due Mon., Nov. 1 by 11:59 PM)
Response essay on Ariès, "Forbidden Death" (due Mon., Nov. 1 by 11:59 PM)
Response essay on Mitford, “What the Public Wants” (due Mon., Nov. 1 by 11:59 PM)
Reading
Assignment: Lock, “Displacing Suffering: The Reconstruction of Death
in North America and Japan”, pp. 207-244 (CR).
Callahan, “Death and the Research Imperative”, pp. 654-656 (CR).
Greenberg, “As Good as Dead”, pp. 36-41 (CR). (due by class time
Mon. Nov 1)
Skills & Information:
To read for week 12:
Callahan,
“Living with the Mortal Self”, pp. 120-155 (CR).
Behar, “Death and Memory: From Santa María del Monte to Miami
Beach”, pp. 34-89 (CR).
(due by class time Mon. Nov 10)
Assignments for week 12:
Course Log entry #4 (due Nov. 10)
Analytic essay on Lock, “Displacing Suffering: The Reconstruction of Death in North America and Japan” (due Mon., Nov. 8 by 11:59 PM)
Response essay on Conklin, “ ‘Thus are our bodies, thus was our custom’: mortuary cannibalism in an Amazonian society” (due Mon., Nov. 8 by 11:59 PM)