The course examines and discusses broader sociological trends in death
and dying, such as causes of death, demographic change, death statistics
and end-of-life care processes across Europe.
We compare the settings in which people die (hospital, hospice, nursing
homes, home). Phenomena such as suicide and euthanasia are discussed.
We examine documents that organise living and dying conditions (organ donation, DNACPR, living will, power of attorney).
We compare the political and medical conditions under which people die,
including inequalities of dying and death (necropolitics).
The course also challenges simplistic binaries of life and death.
We look at how death and dying are embedded in everyday culture and at
the processes of meaning making during dying and after death.
The course provides space to reflect on mortality (human and on a
planetary level) and to ask how we as a society want to live and die.
The course is based on affirmative ethics and transformative educational principles.
The course will be taught in English. I recommend the seminar for
students with a B2 language level. You do not need to be fluent, but you
should be open to reading academic texts and following discussions and
presentations in English (you can also be crafty and use technology to
help with participation). Participation in discussions is not compulsory
but highly encouraged.
If you have additional or specific learning needs or requirements,
please do not hesitate to get in touch: eva-maria.willis@uni-siegen.de
- Dozent/in: Eva-Maria Willis