<h1>Death & Dying</h1>
<h3>Dr. Sarah Rowe, Fall 2022</h3>
Welcome to Death & Dying, a special topic course of Expressive Culture (ANTH 1354).
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You can read some [[info about me]], check out the [[course description]] and [[course objectives]], find out about [[required texts]] for the course, learn about the [[assignments and assessments]], get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], or read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]].
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<font size="-1">t</font><h1>About Me</h1>
My name is Dr. Sarah Rowe (you can call me Professor/Prof Rowe, Dr. Rowe, or Dr. R). I'm an archaeologist, specializing in the archaeology of coastal Ecuador. I spend most of my summers excavating a 6000-year-old village located in a cloud forest along the coastal hills. My research partner is Dr. Guy Duke, also a professor in the Department of Anthropology here at UTRGV.
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My main research focus is on the ceramics that people used thousands of years ago. I look at it to get information about what they were eating, clues to group size, social identity, and more. I sometimes joke that I got a PhD in gluing pot sherds back together.
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If archaeology is something that interests you, you can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PARCCEcuador" target="_blank">follow our Facebook project page</a> or join us for our summer archaeological field school (<a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/ipp/study-abroad/program-list/index.htm" target="_blank">more information here</a>).
Where do you want to go now? You can continue on to the [[course description]] and [[course objectives]], find out about [[required texts]] for the course, learn about the [[assignments and assessments]] for the course, get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], or return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]].
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<p>Oh, you noticed this, did you?</p>
<p>Well, did you also notice that on several of the pages there was one letter, hanging out all by its lonesome? If you collect the letters and rearrange them, they will spell out a word related to our course topic. Send me an email with the unscrambled word and you'll get <b>1 point of extra credit.</b></p>
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<p>ANTH 1354 examines the varied language of human expressive culture in a multicultural perspective. The course reviews such topics as human traditions, folkways, folk literature and poetry, folk drama, indigenous literature, architecture, visual art, and religious expressions. The objective of this course is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, values, and personal and social responsibility as articulated in the language of expressive behavior.<p>
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This section of Expressive Culture will deal with death and dying from anthropological and archaeological perspectives. This course does not include theological debates about the afterlife, instead we focus on the rituals and material practices that surround death and the end of life. It may seem like an odd choice to launch a class on death in the shadow of a global pandemic, in which over one million people have died in this country alone. Many of us have experienced personal losses, which we may still be struggling to process and articulate, but it is for that exact reason that I hope a course on death may offer a fruitful intervention. We will discuss grief and loss, yes, but also commemoration and celebration, as we strive to understand how humans generally, and American specifically, grapple with death.
<b>Content & Trigger Warning:</b> This course will deal with topics that may provoke a strong emotional response. Additionally, course materials will include images of human remains. I will give a warning before showing any human remains in class and will flag readings that include images of human remains. Please feel free to step out of the classroom if you need to.
Where do you want to go now? You can continue on to the [[course objectives]], find out about [[required texts]] for the course, learn about the [[assignments and assessments]] for the course, get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]], or read [[info about me]].
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<font size="-1">t</font>This course has both <b>Course Learning Outcomes</b> (what you will learn from the course content), and <b>THECB Core Learning Objectives</b> (the skills you will gain through the course work). All course [[assignments and assessments]] contribute to each of these outcomes and objectives.
<h2>Course Learning Objectives</h2>
Through this course you will
<ul>
<li.Describe diverse cultural, religious, and historical perspectives on death</li>
<li>Recognize how anthropology and archaeology have contributed to our understanding of variability in societies’ responses to death</li>
<li>Describe how societal structures and beliefs shape material practices and ritual behavior in the mortuary context, both past and present</li>
<li>Reflect on how modern beliefs and norms shape how we act and react in the face of the death of a loved one</li>
</ul>
<h2>THECB Core Learning Objectives</h2>
ANTH 1354 The Anthropology of Expressive Culture fulfills the core learning objectives in the Language, Philosophy & Culture category. ANTH 1354 focuses on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. It explores ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation and expression in order to understand the diversity of the human condition. The LPC Core Objectives addressed in ANTH 1354 are:
<ul>
<li><i>Critical Thinking (CT):</i> Students will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of written texts and other information sources by analyzing and evaluating the logic, validity, and relevance of the information in them to solve challenging problems, to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions, and to develop and explore new questions.</li>
<li><i>Communication Skills (CS):</i> Students will demonstrate the ability to adapt their communications to a particular context, audience, and purpose using language, genre conventions, and sources appropriate to a specific discipline and/or communication task.</li>
<li><i>Social Responsibility (SR):</i> Students will recognize and describe cultural diversity, the role of civic engagement in society, and the link between ethics and behavior.</li>
<li><i>Personal Responsibility (PR):</i> Students will demonstrate an awareness of the range of human values and beliefs that they draw upon to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.</li>
</ul>
Where do you want to go now? You can learn about the [[assignments and assessments]] for the course, get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]], review the [[course description]], check out the [[required texts]] or read [[info about me]].
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<p>There is only one book required for this course, and you can access it <b>for free</b> through our library.</p>
<p><i>American Afterlives: Reinventing Death in the 21st Century</i>. 2021. By Shannon Lee Dawdy. ISBN: 978-0-691-21064-3.</p>
<p>There is a hardcopy on reserve in the library on the Edinburg campus. You can also access the <a href="https://utrgv.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UT_RGV_INST/1h0sr0i/alma991013468122304696" target="_blank">e-book by logging into the library website here</a>.</p>
<p>Other required course readings are loaded right into our course Blackboard.</p>
<p><i>From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death</i>. 2018. By Caitlin Doughty. ISBN: 978-0-393-35628-1. Book available in multiple formats through UTRGV Bookstore, public libraries, and online retailers.</p>
<p>Optional readings are marked on the syllabus with an asterisk(*)</p>
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Where do you want to go now? You can learn about the [[assignments and assessments]] for the course, get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]], review the [[course description]], read up on the [[course objectives]] or read [[info about me]].
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</section>Your grade is based on the following:
<table>
<tr>
<th><h3>Item</h3></th>
<th><h3>Value (pts)</h3></th>
<th><h3>Due Date</h3></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[[Class Participation]]</td>
<td>7.5 pts</td>
<td>Weekly</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[[Reading Annotations]]</td>
<td>7.5 pts</td>
<td>Weekly</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[[Journal Entries]]</td>
<td>30 total (3 each)</td>
<td>Weekly</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[[Assignments]]</td>
<td>20 total (5 each)</td>
<td>See [[course calendar]]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>[[Final Project]]</td>
<td>35 total</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>*Scholarly Sources & Citations</td>
<td>2 pts</td>
<td>Oct. 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>*Declare Project</td>
<td>3 pts</td>
<td>Oct. 9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>*Annotated Bibliography</td>
<td>5 pts</td>
<td>Nov. 13</td>
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<td>*Presentation</td>
<td>7 pts</td>
<td>Dec. 13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>*Final Product & Reflection</td>
<td>18 pts</td>
<td>Dec. 13</td>
</tr>
</table>
Where do you want to go now? You can get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], read up on the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]], review the [[course description]] and [[course objectives]], check out the [[required texts]] or read [[info about me]].
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<h1>Course Calendar</h1>
Weekly topics and key dates are listed below. All required readings are linked through Perusall. Schedule subject to change. Readings marked with an asterisk (*) are optional. Readings that contain images of human remains are marked.
<h2>Week 1 (8/30 & 9/1) – Cross-Cultural Approaches to Death & Dying</h1>
This week we will introduce the class and familiarize ourselves with key themes within the archaeological and anthropological study of death and death rites. Topics: Anthropology; Cultural Relativism; Death Studies; Rites of Passage
<ul>
<li>Dawdy Chapter 1: The Hole</li>
<li>Excerpts of anthropological classics</li>
<li>*Doughty Introduction</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 2 (9/6 & 9/8) – To Bury is Human, to Grieve is Divine?</h2>
This week explores burial practices and expressions of grief among our hominin ancestors and living, non-human primates. Topics: Neanderthal burials; Homo naledi burial; chimp grief; other animals mourning
<ul>
<li>Madison, P. (2018, February 16). Who First Buried the Dead? Sapiens. https://www.sapiens.org/culture/hominin-burial/ **Contains images of human remains**</li>
<li>Marshall, M. (2021, November 4). Homo naledi infant skull discovery suggests they buried their dead. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2296360-homo-naledi-infant-skull-discovery-suggests-they-buried-their-dead/</li>
<li>Wragg Sykes, R. (2020). Chapter 13: Many Ways to Die. In <i>Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art</i> (pp.281-315). Bloomsbury.</li>
<li>* Price, M. (2021, May 5). Scientists unearth Africa’s oldest burial: a small child, laid to rest 78,000 years ago. Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-unearth-africa-s-oldest-burial-small-child-laid-rest-78000-years-ago</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 3 (9/13 & 9/15) – Ancient Death Practices</h2>
There are a myriad of death rites that have been practiced by people through time. Some of them result in fantastic monuments and world-wide fame, while others are modest and leave barely a trace. This week we explore death practices, graves, and funerary monuments from the ancient world and think about what these can tell us about ancient peoples, society, and beliefs. Topics Chinchorro Mummies; Egyptian Mummies and Pyramids; Ship Burials & Sutton Hoo; Roman Catacombs; North American Burial Mounds
<ul>
<li>Parker Pearson, M. (1999). Reading the Body. In <i>The Archaeology of Death and Burial</i> (pp. 45-71). Texas A&M University Press. **Contains images of human remains**</li>
<li>Parker Pearson, M. (1999). Placing the Dead. In <i>The Archaeology of Death and Burial</i> (pp. 124-141). Texas A&M University Press. **Contains images of human remains**</li>
</ul>
<b>You will have time in class on 9/15 to brainstorm and discuss the final project</b>
<h2>Week 4 (9/20 & 9/22) – Playing with the Dead</h2>
Bodies that die don’t mean entities are that are gone. The dead play an active role in many societies. This week examines traditions, mostly from the ancient Andean region, in which the corporeal matter of the deceased still played an important role in daily or ritual life. Topics: Reliquaries; Mummy bundles and ancestor worship in the Andes; Moche sex pots
<ul>
<li>Dawdy Chapter 2: Flesh</li>
<li>Weismantle, M. (2021) Pots Give Power. In <i>Playing with Things: Engaging the Moche Sex Pots</i> (pp.110-137). University of Texas Press.</li>
<li>Pillsbury, J. (2015, October 29). When Mummies Were the Life of the Party. The Met. https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2015/when-mummies-were-the-life-of-the-party</li>
<li>*Lau, G. F. (2008). Ancestor Images in the Andes. In H. Silverman & W. Isbell (Eds.), <i>Handbook of South American Archaeology</i> (pp. 1027-1045). Springer.</li>
<li>*Doughty Spain, Bolivia, Indonesia</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 5 (9/27 & 9/29) – Sacrifice and Cannibalism</h2>
Taking a life or consuming human flesh are some of the biggest social taboos, yet examples of each abound. This week we explore cultural traditions that transgress these taboos, focusing on cases in which human sacrifice and/or cannibalism had a social role, rather than instances in which impending starvation necessitated difficult choices. Topics: Inka Capac Hucha; Nasca trophy heads; Aztecs; Eucharist; Ethnographic cases
<ul>
<li>Riehl, A. (2020, September). “The Bread of Life”: Exploring Ritualistic Cannibalism. Epoch Magazine. https://www.epoch-magazine.com/riehlthebreadoflife</li>
<li>McKeever Furst, J. L. (2003). Food for the Gods: Or, You are Who You Eat in Ancient Mexico. Penn Museum Expedition 45(2). https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/food-for-the-gods/</li>
<li>Conklin, B. A. (1995). ‘‘Thus Are Our Bodies, Thus Was Our Custom’’: Mortuary Cannibalism in an Amazonian Society. American Ethnologist 22(1): 75-101.</li>
<li>*Issac, B. (2005). Aztec Cannibalism: Nahua versus Spanish and mestizo accounts in the Valley of Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica 16: 1-10.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 6 (10/4 & 10/6) – Grief & Remembrance</h2>
As we frequently emphasize, death rites are ultimately about the living. This week we explore practices of grieving and remembrance through time and across cultures. Topics: Victorian Death Cult; Dia de Los Muertos; Funeral Food
<ul>
<li>Rosaldo, R. (1989). Introduction: Grief and a Headhunter’s Rage. In Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis. Beacon Press.</li>
<li>Excerpts from Dying to Eat: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Food, Death, and the Afterlife</li>
<li>Van Der Meer E. (2019, February 25). This is how different cultures grieve with food. Huffpost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/grieving-with-food_l_5c646722e4b0084c78e25df8</li>
<li>Mendoza, M. A. (2018, December 8). Death and Mourning Practices in the Victorian Age. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-grief/201812/death-and-mourning-practices-in-the-victorian-age</li>
</ul>
<b>Scholarly Sources & Citation Quiz and Final Project Declaration due by 11:59 pm Sunday, October 9.</b>
<h2>Week 7 (10/11 & 10/13) – Commemoration Part 1: Wars & Mass Casualty Events</h2>
Sometimes loss is so widespread or shocking that grief transcends the individual. These societal remembrances are marked by memorials of various types. What can we learn by examining what events are marked and remembered, and which events are ignored or erased? Topics: War memorials, Auschwitz, Oklahoma City; 9/11; COVID, Columbine/Sandy Hook/Parkland/Uvalde, Museo de la Memoria, Ayacucho; lynching memorial and sites of racial violence in the US
<ul>
<li>Lin, M. (2000, November 12). Making the Memorial. The Washington Post.</li>
<li>Mowatt, R. A. (2018). The peculiar heritage of lynching in America. In M. Frihammar & H. Silverman (Eds.), <i>Heritage of Death: Landscapes of Emotion, Memory and Practice</i> (pp.178-192). Routledge.</li>
<li>*Waterton, E. (2020). Memorializing War: Rethinking heritage and affect in the context of Pearl Harbor. In S. De Nardi, H. Orange, S. High, & E. Koskinen-Koivisto (Eds.), <i>The Routledge Handbook of Memory and Place</i> (pp. 237-248). Routledge.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 8 (10/18 & 10/20) – Commemoration Part 2: Thanotourism & Dark Tourism</h2>
Continuation of themes and locations from last week, with the addition of New Orleans (Voodoo), and ghost tours
<ul>
<li>Sather-Wagstaff, J. (2011). Unpacking “Dark” Tourism. In <i>Heritage that Hurts: Tourism in the Memoryscapes of September 11</i> (pp. 67-88). Routledge, New York.</li>
<li>Ashworth, G. J. & J. E. Tunbridge (2017). Death camp tourism: Interpretation and management. In G. Hooper & J. J. Lennon (Eds.), <i>Dark Tourism: Practices and interpretation</i> (pp.69-82). Routledge.</li>
<li>Dark Tourism website https://www.dark-tourism.com</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 9 (10/25 & 10/27) – A Landscape History of Cemeteries</h2>
This week explores the development of modern, primarily European and American, cemeteries from a landscape perspective. We explore “touchstone” cemeteries in this development, and which typify different kinds of cemeteries.
<ul>
<li>French, S. (1974). The Cemetery as Cultural Institution: The Establishment of Mt. Auburn and the “Rural Cemetery” Movement. <i>American Quarterly</i> 26(1): 37-59.</li>
<li>Francaviglia, R. (1971). The Cemetery as an Evolving Cultural Landscape. <i>Annals of the Association of American Geographers</i> 61(3): 501-509.</li>
</ul>
<b>Assignment 1: Thinking Through Memorials Due 11:59 pm October 30</b>
<h2>Week 10 (11/1; No Class 11/3) – Personal Commemorations</h2>
For Tuesday’s class you are invited to bring and share food, objects, music, etc. to remember people you have lost. You are not required to participate in this commemoration, but it is a chance for us to pause our academic investigation of death and ensure we remember the personal aspect as well.
There are no assigned readings or journal prompt for this week.
<h2>Week 11 (11/8 & 11/10) – Cemetery Archaeology</h2>
The study of cemeteries has been a mainstay in archaeology for as long as it’s been a discipline, particularly for those studying the historical period. Cemeteries communicate a wealth of information about gender, ethnicity, class, etc., and this is all without the analysis of the human remains themselves. This week we look at the foundations of cemetery archaeology.
<ul>
<li>Gorman, F. J. & M. DiBlasi (1981). Gravestone Iconography and Mortuary Ideology. <i>Ethnohistory</i> 28(1): 79-98.</li>
<li>Dethlefsen, E. & J. Deetz (1966) Death’s Heads, Cherubs, and Willow Trees: Experimental Archaeology in Colonial Cemeteries. <i>American Antiquity 31</i>(4): 502-510.</li>
<li>Excerpt from <i>Texas Graveyards</i></li>
</ul>
<b>Assignment 2: Record a Cemetery Due 11:59 pm Nov. 13</b>
<h2>Week 12 (11/15 & 11/17) – The Politics of Human Remains</h2>
Who and when archaeologists are justified in studying human remains is a critical ethical question of contemporary archaeological practice. This week explores the sordid history of archaeologists digging up ancestors, city governments building over cemeteries, and the other ways in which power and inequality play out after death. Topics: Necropolitics; NAGPRA; New York African American Burial Ground; Black Cemeteries and Legislation; Morton Collection and MOVE bombing
<ul>
<li>Dave, K. & J. Nussbaum (2021, October 31). How the possession of human remains led to a public reckoning at the Penn Museum. Hyperallergic. https://hyperallergic.com/688818/how-the-possession-of-human-remains-led-to-a-public-reckoning-at-the-penn-museum/</li>
<li>Atalay, S., J. Shannon, & J. G. Swogger (2017). Journeys to Complete the Work. University of Massachusetts.</li>
<li>LaRoche, C. J. & M. L. Blakey (1997). Seizing Intellectual Power: The Dialogue at the New York African Burial Ground. <i>Historical Archaeology 31</i>(3): 84-106.</li>
</ul>
<b>Assignment 3: Record a Grave Due 11:59 pm Nov. 20</b>
<h2>Week 13 (11/22; No Class 11/24 for Thanksgiving) – Contemporary Death Practices pt. 1</h2>
We begin our discussion of mainstream and contemporary death practices in the United States. We explore different burial methods being pursued, and rising practices of memorializing loved ones we have lost.
<ul>
<li>Dawdy Chapter 3: Bones</li>
<li>*Doughty Colorado</li>
</ul>
<h2>Week 14 (11/29 & 12/1) – Contemporary Death Practices pt. 2</h2>
We continue our discussion from last week.
<ul>
<li>Dawdy Chapter 4: Dirt</li>
<li>Sone, S. (2020, November 30). How to Die in Texas. Texas Observer. https://www.texasobserver.org/funeral-industry-texas/</li>
<li>*Doughty California</li>
</ul>
<b>Assignment 4: My Death Plan Due 11:59 pm November 27</b>
<h2>Week 15 (12/6; No Class 12/8 for Study Day) – The Future of Death and Dying</h2>
What does the future hold for funeral practices and death rites, particularly in the United States? We wrap the course by exploring some of these possibilities. Topics: high-tech funerals; death and social media; digital afterlives
<ul>
<li>Dawdy Chapter 5: Spirit</li>
<li>Arnold, M., M. Gibbs, T. Kohn, J. Meese & B. Nansen. (2018). Looking to the future of life after death. In Death and Digital Media (pp. 124-140). Routledge.</li>
<li>*Doughty Japan</li>
</ul>
<h2>Tuesday, December 13 10:15 am – 12:00 pm</h2>
Final Exam Period – Class Presentations and Final Projects Due
Where do you want to go now? You can continue on to the [[UTRGV policies & resources]], review the [[course description]] and [[course objectives]], find out about [[required texts]] for the course, learn about the [[assignments and assessments]], read [[info about me]], or return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]].
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<font size="-1">a</font><h1>UTRGV Policies & Resources</h1>
<h2>ACADEMIC INTEGRITY</h2>
Members of the UTRGV community uphold the <a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/studentlife/resources/vaquero-honor-code/index.htm" target="_blank">Vaquero Honor Code</a>’s shared values of honesty, integrity and mutual respect in our interactions and relationships. In this regard, academic integrity is fundamental in our actions, as any act of dishonesty conflicts as much with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: cheating, plagiarism (including self-plagiarism), and collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person; taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to commit such acts (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, STU 02-100, and UTRGV Academic Integrity Guidelines). All violations of Academic Integrity will be reported to Student Rights and Responsibilities through <a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/en-us/student-experience/report-it/" target="_blank">Vaqueros Report It</a>.
<h2>STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES</h2>
Students with a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects academic performance) who would like to receive reasonable academic accommodations should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for additional information. In order for accommodation requests to be considered for approval, the student must apply using the <a href="https://whitney.accessiblelearning.com/UTRGV/" target="_blank">mySAS portal</a> and is responsible for providing sufficient documentation of the disability to SAS. Students are required to participate in an interactive discussion, or an intake appointment, with SAS staff. Accommodations may be requested at any time but are not retroactive, meaning they are valid once approved by SAS. Please contact SAS early in the semester/module for guidance. Students who experience a broken bone, severe injury, or undergo surgery may also be eligible for temporary accommodations.
<h3>Pregnancy, Pregnancy-related, and Parenting Accommodations</h3>
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination, which includes discrimination based on pregnancy, marital status, or parental status. Students seeking accommodations related to pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, or parenting (reasonably immediate postpartum period) should submit the request using the form found at <a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/accessibility/pregnancy-parenting/index.htm" target="_blank">Pregnancy and Parenting | UTRGV</a>.
Student Accessibility Services staff can be contacted at either campus:
<b>Brownsville Campus:</b> Music and Learning Center building (BMSLC, 1.107), phone (956) 882-7374, email <a href="mailto:ability@utrgv.edu">ability@utrgv.edu</a>.
<b>Edinburg Campus:</b> University Center (EUCTR, 108), phone (956) 665-7005, email <a href="mailto:ability@utrgv.edu">ability@utrgv.edu</a>.
<h2>MANDATORY COURSE EVALUATION PERIOD:</h2>
Students are encouraged to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account (<a href="http://my.utrgv.edu" target="_blank">http://my.utrgv.edu</a>); you will be contacted through email with further instructions. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades. Online evaluations will be available on or about: <b>November 18 – December 7, 2022.</b>
<h2>SEXUAL MISCONDUCT and MANDATORY REPORTING</h2>
In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a “Responsible Employee” for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and so must report to the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity (<a href="mailto:OIED@utrgv.edu">OIED@utrgv.edu</a>) any instance, occurring during a student’s time in college, of sexual misconduct, which includes sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, and sexual harassment, about which she/he becomes aware during this course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at <a href="www.utrgv.edu/equity" target="_blank">www.utrgv.edu/equity</a>, including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect that is free from sexual misconduct, discrimination, and all forms of violence. If students, faculty, or staff would like confidential assistance, or have questions, they can contact OVAVP (Office for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention) at (956) 665-8287, (956) 882-8282, or
<a href="mailto:OVAVP@utrgv.edu">OVAVP@utrgv.edu</a>.
<h2>STUDENT SERVICES</h2>
Students who demonstrate financial need have a variety of options when it comes to paying for college costs, such as scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. Students should visit the Student Services Center (U Central) for additional information. U Central is located in BMAIN 1.100 (Brownsville) or ESSBL 1.145 (Edinburg) or can be reached by email (<a href="mailto:ucentral@utrgv.edu">ucentral@utrgv.edu</a>) or telephone: (956) 882-4026. In addition to financial aid, U Central can assist students with registration and admissions.
Students seeking academic help in their studies can use university resources in addition to an instructor’s office hours. University Resources include the Advising Center, Career Center, Counseling Center, Learning Center, and Writing Center. The centers provide services such as tutoring, writing help, counseling services, critical thinking, study skills, degree planning, and student employment. In addition, services such as the Food Pantry are also provided. Locations are listed below.
<table>
<tr>
<th><b>Center Name</b></th>
<th><b>Brownsville Campus</b></th>
<th><b>Edinburg Campus</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Advising Center</b>, <a href="mailto:AcademicAdvising@utrgv.edu">AcademicAdvising@utrgv.edu</a></th>
<th>BMAIN 1.400, (956) 665-7120</th>
<th>EITTB 1.000, (956) 665-7120</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Career Center<b>, <a href="mailto:CareerCenter@utrgv.edu:>CareerCenter@utrgv.edu</a></th>
<th>BINAB 1.105, (956) 882-5627</th>
<th>ESTAC 2.101, (956) 665-2243</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Counseling Center</b>, <a href="mailto:Counseling@utrgv.edu">Counseling@utrgv.edu<a/>, <a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/facultysuccess/_files/documents/syllabus-statement-for-counseling-12-16-19.pdf" target="_blank">Mental Health Counseling and Related Services List</a></th>
<th>BSTUN 2.10, (956) 882-3897</th>
<th>EUCTR 109, (956) 665-2574</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Food Pantry</b>, <a href="mailto:FoodPantry@utrgv.edu">FoodPantry@utrgv.edu</a></th>
<th>BCAVL 101 & 102, (956) 882-7126</th>
<th>EUCTR 114, (956) 665-3663</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Learning Center</b>, <a href="mailto:LearningCenter@utrgv.edu">LearningCenter@utrgv.edu</a></th>
<th>BMSLC 2.118, (956) 882-8208</th>
<th>ELCTR 100, (956) 665-2585</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>University Library</b>, <a href="mailto:circulation@utrgv.edu">circulation@utrgv.edu</a>, <a href="www.utrgv.edu/library" target="_blank">www.utrgv.edu/library</a></th>
<th>BLIBR, (956) 882-8221</th>
<th>ELIBR, (956) 665-2005</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th><b>Writing Center</b>, <a href="mailto:WC@utrgv.edu">WC@utrgv.edu</a></th>
<th>BLIBR 3.206, (956) 882-7065</th>
<th>ESTAC 3.119, (956) 665-2538</th>
</tr>
</table>
<h2>DEAN OF STUDENTS</h2>
The Dean of Students office assists students when they experience a challenge with an administrative process, unexpected situation such as an illness, accident, or family situation, and aids in resolving complaints. Additionally, the office facilitates student academic related requests for religious accommodations, support students formerly in foster care, helps to advocate on behalf of students and inform them about their rights and responsibilities, and serves as a resource and support for faculty and campus departments.
<a href="https://www.utrgv.edu/en-us/student-experience/report-it/" target="_blank">Vaqueros Report It</a> allows students, staff and faculty a way to report concern about the well-being of a student, seek assistance in resolving a complaint, or report allegations of behaviors contrary to community standards or campus policies.
The Dean of Students can be reached by email (<a href="mailto:dos@utrgv.edu">dos@utrgv.edu</a>), phone (956-665-2260), or by visiting one of the following office locations: Cavalry (BCAVL) 204 or University Center (EUCTR 323).
Where do you want to go now? You can learn about the [[assignments and assessments]] for the course, get an overview of everything on our [[course calendar]], review the [[course description]] or [[course objectives]], check out the [[required texts]]return to the main page of [[Death & Dying]], or read [[info about me]].
[after 5s; append]
[[*]]
<font size="-1">s</font><h2>Class Participation</h2>
Each week we will explore themes from the readings and review materials (such as films) which may be unavailable to you outside of the class meeting. Our discussions of reading themes will deepen your understanding of the topics, which will help you produce more nuanced assignments, which will in turn improve your grade. Reflection on media explored in the classroom will be essential for completing assignments.
You will note that this is not an attendance grade. I understand that things happen, particularly in a pandemic. You do not need to give me a doctor’s note if you are sick or tell me if your car doesn’t start. In addition to participating in class discussions, you can also contribute to the course by sharing an article, movie, or other resource that contributes to our exploration of the various course themes. If you can’t make it to class, make sure you contribute in this other way.
Return to [[assignments and assessments]] <h2>Perusall Annotations</h2>
Each assigned reading, and occasionally other resources as well, are linked to the Perusall reading system so that you can annotate each resource and engage in preliminary discussion of them with your classmates. <i>While you may make annotations on all materials, you are expected to contribute substantively to the commentary on each assigned reading.</i>
These annotations serve multiple purposes:
<ol>
<li>They are means of expanding the discussion of the materials beyond the classroom.</li>
<li>They are a means for you to ask me for clarification about terms or concepts or seek input from and/or respond to your classmate’s comments.</li>
<li>They are a means for you to demonstrate your understanding of the material and apply critical thinking skills by making connections between the concepts presented in the article and those from the textbook, in-class discussions, and videos.</li>
</ol>
Annotations will be visible to myself and your classmates. You also have the option to create private notes and/or notes visible to specific individuals (all shared/non-private annotations will be visible to me). The goal here is to create a venue for discussion with one another within the context of the readings.
Comments/questions should include:
<ul>
<li>connections made between the selected reading and other assigned materials (including any films)</li>
<li>questions regarding the subject matter, be they for clarification or elaborative (i.e., hypothetical/theoretical questions)</li>
<li>thoughtful, substantive responses to your classmates’ comments/questions</li>
</ul>
You are encouraged to relate the readings to your own personal experiences in your annotations. Additionally, if you have links to materials from other classes or your own personal research/internet wanderings, please share them when appropriate to the topic or specific passages from the readings.
Perusall also has a chat function and will display when you and your classmates are online, so you can talk directly with others while you are going through the material if you are online at the same time. I will read and monitor all annotations as well as joining with my own commentary.
Return to [[assignments and assessments]] .<h2>Course Journal</h2>
Each week I will provide a writing prompt that encourages you to reflect on course material. <b>You need to respond to at least 10 of these prompts. Required Journal Prompts are indicated on Blackboard.</b> Your entries will be via Blackboard Journal – you are encouraged to incorporate media (images, videos, etc.), quotes from readings, links to stories, and more as you reflect on the course topics each week. Your journal will only be visible to you and me. I will participate in these prompts through blog posts visible to the whole class.
I may not necessarily comment on your entry; this is primarily a place for you to work through course material. Entries will receive 3 points for exemplary engagement with the prompt (incorporation of visuals, external resources, or cultural references, etc.), 2 points for satisfactory engagement with the prompt (drawing on course material and personal experience), 1 point for minimal engagement (only reporting personal experience OR only discussing course material), and 0 points for not completing the entry.
Please note that there are certain themes that, if they appear in your entries, will require further action on my part. These include thoughts of harming yourself or others, or disclosure of stalking, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment or assault during your time as a UTRGV student. <b>Please see the SEXUAL MISCONDUCT and MANDATORY REPORTING section of the [[UTRGV policies & resources]].</b>
Return to [[assignments and assessments]].<h2>Assignments</h2>
There are four assignments in this class that ask you to explore themes of death & dying in your community. The four assignements and their due dates are listed below. Details for each one is included on Blackboard.
<ul>
<li><b>Assignment 1:</b> Thinking Through Memorials, Due 11:59 pm Oct. 30</li>
<li><b>Assignment 2:</b> Record a Cemetery, Due 11:59 pm Nov. 13 </li>
<li><b>Assignment 3:</b> Record a Grave, Due 11:59 pm Nov. 20 </li>
<li><b>Assignment 4:</b> My Death Plan, Due 11:59 pm Nov. 27</li>
</ul>
Return to [[assignments and assessments]].<h2>Final Project - Death UnEssay</h2>
Your final product for this class is an unessay. An unessay is a type of assignment in which students select a topic that interests them (related to the course content), conduct research on that topic, and then demonstrate their understanding of the topic in any manner that is meaningful to them. This is your opportunity to embrace creativity within your scholarly endeavors. The final form of the projects can vary greatly but may include:
<ul>
<li>Create a piece of art (painting, sculpture, etc.)</li>
<li>Write a short story or collection of poems</li>
<li>Develop a series of cartoons or a comic book</li>
<li>Do a book review of a fiction or nonfiction book related to the course</li>
<li>Compose a ballad</li>
<li>Write a longform essay/research paper</li>
<li>Create a website</li>
<li>Make an infographic</li>
<li>Develop a podcast series or YouTube explainer</li>
</ul>
You should select and explore, in-depth, one of the course themes for your unessay. This could be an exploration of death practices in another culture or specific historical period, research on a specific “death site”, discussions with family members about death preferences, etc. <b>You can work in groups of up to four people.</b>
Your grade is composed of the following parts:
<dl>
<dt><b>Scholarly Sources & Citations Quiz (2 points)</b></dt>
<dd>this module on Blackboard includes two narrated PowerPoint videos, one about finding scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources via the UTRGV library, and one about proper formatting procedures for APA citation style (the style you will use for this class). To demonstrate your knowledge on these topics you will complete a short quiz, worth 2 points. You can retake the quiz as often as needed to receive full credit but should complete it before <b>October 9</b>. You are encouraged to reference the videos as you complete the other portions of the final project.</dd>
<dt><b>Project declaration (3 points)</b></dt>
<dd>this is your initial attempt to articulate what your final product will look like, and to figure out the portion of work that each team member will do (if you are working in a group). I will provide feedback on your proposed topic and work plan to help you develop the most impactful project possible. If you are working in a group you will submit a single document with all of your teammates listed. Due on Blackboard <b>October 9</b>.</dd>
<dt><b>Annotated Bibliography (5 points)</b></dt>
<dd>You will submit an annotated bibliography of at least 5 sources that you will draw on for your unessay. This should include at least two scholarly sources (peer-reviewed journal articles, academic book, etc.). An annotated essay includes a properly cited reference (APA format) as well as a paragraph or two summarizing the source and describing how you will use it in your project. If you are working in a group you will submit a single document with all of your teammates listed. Due on Blackboard <b>November 13</b>.</dd>
<dt><b>Project Presentation (7 points)</b></dt>
<dd>You will share your project with your classmates during the exam period for the course. These are short, generally only 3-5 minutes in length. You do not need to prepare a PowerPoint (and probably shouldn’t) but you should be prepared to share your project and to highlight the key themes or findings. Presentations will be held during the class exam period on <b>December 13, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm</b>.</dd>
<dt><b>Final Product and Reflection (18 points):</b><dt>
<dd>The grade for your final product is based on two components, the object itself and a reflection essay. All team members will receive the same grade on the product itself, while personal reflections are graded individually. The two marks will be averaged for the final component.</dd>
<dd><b>*The product:</b> An unessay project is expected to be impactful and to “stand on its own”. As the culmination of your thinking in the class, your unessay creation should reflect a level of effort and refinement appropriate for a final project. Your group will submit your final product at the end of our class exam period on <b>December 13, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm</b>.</dd>
<dd><b>*The reflection:</b> In addition to the final product, you will write an individual 700–1000-word reflection on the project. In it, you will include an explanation of your project, how it relates to the themes of the course, what you hoped to achieve with your product, challenges you faced, how you overcame them, things you would do differently in hindsight (both in terms of the product itself and the process of creating it), and how effectively the final product meets your goals. A crucial element of your reflection will be to discuss what you learned about the collaborative process and about your own strengths and weaknesses as a collaborator. If you chose to do a standard essay/paper this can be your place to be more open about the process that you used to create the piece. Last, but certainly not least, you need to provide a comprehensive bibliography of the sources that informed your work, in APA format. <b>For those working in a group, you will each write and submit your own reflection via Blackboard by the end of our class exam period on December 13, 10:15 am – 12:00 pm</b>.</dd>
</dl>
Return to [[assignments and assessments]].