Death, Dying and the Corpse (L6307A)
30 credits, Level 6
Autumn teaching
This module will introduce you to various perspectives on death, dying, and deceased bodies. You will explore different crosscultural understandings and real-world approaches to provoke critical inquiries. These questions include topics such as:
- the definition of death
- the nature of a corpse
- cultural practices related to the dead
- the impact of technology, art, and media on our perceptions of, and relationships with, the dead.
It also considers the role of violence in our understanding of death and the concept of a 'good death'.
The main goal of this module is to expand your awareness and comprehension of diverse approaches to death and dying. It encourages you to examine how different cultures and contexts shape people's attitudes towards death and the dead, prompting reflection on issues such as mass killings, inequality in treatment, and the political and social implications of how we treat the dead for the living. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be human in contemporary society.
Teaching
100%: Practical (Workshop)
Assessment
100%: Written assessment (Project)
Contact hours and workload
This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 267 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
Courses
This module is offered on the following courses: