Examination of how society supports, controls and constrains our arrival into and departure from the world, revealing the ways that events often assumed to be "natural" are in fact conditioned by social and cultural forces. Special emphasis on the communication of cultural norms regarding birth and death, the impact of advances in medicine and technology, and how birth and death become cultural metaphors for other social phenomena. The course includes an interfaith studies component focused on Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Native American death rituals.
Term Offered
Spring Only