PTH 1800 - Advanced Issues in Thanatology

Advanced Issues in Thanatology

Doctorate Degree in Pastoral Counseling & Thanatology

PTH 1800

Breyer State University
Instructor: Juan Kenigstein, PH.D, M.ED., GC-C

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to Advance Issues in Thanatology, a Doctorate Level course in the curriculum for the Degree, Doctorate in Pastoral Counseling and Thanatology. I'm pleased to offer you this course. This is an exciting course. In this course we will review and analyze some of the best selections from the recent literature on death and dying. There is four main parts: cultural contexts, social issues, personal dimensions of loss, and death in life.

TIME FRAME: This is a six-semester hour course. This course is allotted ten weeks of time. You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the ten-week period. The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your text book(s) have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded six semester hours of credit. Students may accelerate, but may not complete this course in less than four weeks.

TEXTBOOK: There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Book 1: The Path Ahead: Readings in Death and Dying. Lynne Ann DeSpelder and Albert Lee Strickland. Mayfield Publishing Company. 1995: ISBN # 1-55934-256-0.

This text may be found at your local bookstore. Your local bookstore most often will order it as a special order for you. Or, you may purchase it online from:

Amazon.com at
www.amazon.com

Barnes & Nobel at
www.bn.com

Borders Books at
www.borders.com

EXAMINATIONS: There are no examinations for this course; grades are based on completion of assignments and activities.

GRADING SCALE: The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100%    = A
80-89%      = B
70-79%      = C
Below 70% = Fail

GRADING COMPOSITION:

Self evaluation 10%
Assignment 80%
Discovery & Intention Statement 10%

TOTAL 100%

GOALS: The aim of education about Advance Issues in Thanatology is to help you gain your bearings on the journey through life to death. "Theories evolve, research broadens to include populations previously unstudied, and practices related to care of the dying, funerals, and mourning change over time" (DeSpelder & Strickland).

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course. Primarily, communication is through email. However, I am also available for conversation by telephone if you would like. Our classroom for this course has a "chat" room. I am also very willing to meet with you one-on-one in the chat room at your request. From time to time, depending on how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we will have some scheduled group chats. You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled. Please keep my email address handy so that you can contact me whenever necessary. Upon registration, you will receive my email address. If at any time during this course you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1). Confronting Death.
2). Multicultural Perspectives on Dying and Death.
3). The Health Care System.
4). Medical Ethics and Decision Making.
5). Violence.
6). Suicide.
7). The Experience of Grief.
8). Recognizing Hidden Sorrow.
9). Social Support for Survivors.
10). Coping with Life-Threatening Illness.
11). Death Education for Living.
12). Acknowledging our Mortality.