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Oct 23, 2026
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SOC 1108 - Death and Dying
Credits: 3
Catalog Description
Death is a natural part of the life cycle and a universal event, but it is still a topic that is often not discussed or examined. This course will explore historical and contemporary theories and research about grief and death issues. The course will examine death and grief from psychological, sociological, biological, and cultural perspectives. It will include topics such as the understanding of death across the lifespan, legal definitions of death, advance directives, religious and cultural death rituals, and grief trajectory research. It will also include a consideration of controversial issues related to death and dying, such as physician-assisted suicide.
Recommended Skills, Abilities, or Coursework: PSYC 1110 and SOC 1111
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Goal Area(s) fulfilled: Goal 05B: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Cross-Listed Course(s): PSYC 1108
Additional fee to student: No
Learner Outcomes
- Understand how lifespan development status affects the experience and understanding of grief and dying.
- Discuss death and dying issues from a historical perspective.
- Explore how religious and cultural beliefs shape a person’s view of grief and death.
- Describe demographic trends in the causes of death and in life expectancy rates.
- Examine legal and ethical issues concerning death and dying, including advance directives and physician assisted suicide.
- Understand end-of-life issues like pain relief and hospice care.
- Explore a student’s personal attitudes and beliefs about grief and loss issues.
- Analyze the impact that unexpected death, from accidents, homicide, or suicide, has on survivor grief.
- Explore how social institutions, like hospitals, nursing homes, and the funeral industry, affect the experience of dying and of grief.
Major Areas of Course Content
- Historical changes in the way societies view grief and death
- Cultural and religious understandings of death, dying and grief
- Coping with grief, dying, death on an individual, group, and societal levels
- Developmental perspectives about grief, dying and death
- Theories and research about grief trajectories
- Legal issues concerning death and dying
- Ethical concerns about end of life decision-making
- Hospice and palliative care
- Gender and ethic/race differences in causes of death and life-expectancy
Credit for Prior Learning Options
No credit for prior learning option is available for this course.
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