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Corr CA. Some Personal Reflections on the History and Current Status of Textbooks in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024:302228241247590. [PMID: 38841770 DOI: 10.1177/00302228241247590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the history of education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of textbooks in our field that have been or are currently published in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest textbooks in this field published in the 1960s and 1970s and extends to textbooks published in the early 2020s. Critical comments are offered on general trends or on textbooks that are no longer in print, but not on individual titles that are currently available for adoption and instructional use. Because I am the lead author of one such textbook, I do not choose to engage in invidious comparisons. Instead, this article includes descriptions of contemporary textbooks taken from the Amazon website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A Corr
- Department of Philosophy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Lacey, WA, USA
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Corr CA. Some Reflections On The History And Current Status of Education in the Field of Death, Dying, and Bereavement at the College and University Level In North America. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024:302228241248879. [PMID: 38703088 DOI: 10.1177/00302228241248879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
This article is a contribution to recording one dimension of the field of death, dying, and bereavement. It offers some personal reflections on the history and current status of formal education in this field at the college and university level in North America. The scope of this reflection looks back on the earliest known examples of formal education in this field that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, provides examples of some of the early pedagogical resources that were created to support and foster those initiatives, and sketches more recent developments as regards introductory or undergraduate survey courses in this field, other death-related courses, programs in thanatology, and efforts to offer certificates or certification for educators and other professionals in this field. The article concludes with some thoughts about what we have learned from and about education in the field of death, dying, and bereavement.
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Wittkowski J, Paré PM. Dimensions of Death-Related Attitudes in a French-Speaking Sample. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2023; 88:121-138. [PMID: 34490817 DOI: 10.1177/00302228211043698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the structure of death-related attitudes among French-speaking people. Participants from Canada, Belgium, France, and from Switzerland whose mother tongue was French in an online survey responded to the French adaptation of the item pool of the Multidimensional Orientation Toward Dying and Death Inventory (MODDI; N = 373). Exploratory factor analyses with orthogonal and oblique rotation yielded a 5-factor Fear domain and a 3-factor Acceptance domain, thereby reproducing the a-priori conceptualization. These results are discussed with respect to the issue of universal dimensions of death-related attitudes across cultures.
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Phan HP, Chen SC, Ngu BH, Hsu CS. Advancing the study of life and death education: theoretical framework and research inquiries for further development. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1212223. [PMID: 37575440 PMCID: PMC10413111 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1212223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Life and death education, also known as life education and death education, is an interesting subject that may coincide with the subject of lifespan development. In brief, from our theoretical perspective, which guides our teaching and curriculum development, life education considers personal understanding of life functioning on a daily basis, whereas death education explores matters that are related to death and dying. For example, how can a social worker utilize his life knowledge, or life wisdom, to assist a relative to understand the intricate nature of death? In a similar vein, how can a senior citizen use her personal experience of Buddhist meditation practice to overcome a minor Covid setback? Central to our teaching practice is the premise of 'active transformation' (i.e., transforming life knowledge into positive practice) and the premise of 'theoretical infusion' (e.g., the infusion of a distinctive epistemological belief in the teaching of life) that would, in turn, help to enhance and facilitate deep, meaningful understanding of life and death. The purpose of the present article is for us to discuss a proposition of a theoretical-conceptual model, which depicts the 'unification' or integration of three major viewpoints of life and death: the social viewpoint, the philosophical viewpoint, and the psychological viewpoint. We theorize that unification of the three theoretical viewpoints may help provide grounding for effective teaching and holistic understanding of the subject contents of life and death. Such discourse, importantly, may also assist to advance the scope and complexity of the lifespan development subject. Finally, in addition to our theoretical-conceptual model of life and death, we propose three major research inquiries for development: the meaning of situated mindset, the underlying nature of spiritual transcendence, and proposition of appropriate methodological accounts for usage. Overall, then, we purport that our conceptual analysis and discussion overview, based on philosophical reflection, may serve to stimulate interest, intellectual curiosity, scholarly dialog, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy P. Phan
- School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Si-Chi Chen
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing H. Ngu
- School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Chao-Sheng Hsu
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
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Park S, Kim H, Jang MK, Kim H, Raszewski R, Doorenbos AZ. Community-based death preparation and education: A scoping review. DEATH STUDIES 2022; 47:221-230. [PMID: 35275034 PMCID: PMC9990089 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2022.2045524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need for people and communities for death preparation. Few studies have examined community-level interventions for death preparation and education. This scoping review scrutinized the relevant literature following PRISMA 2018 guidelines. Six databases were searched for articles published between 2010 and 2020. We found that cultural, socioeconomic, and individual values affected death preparation and that online courses and life-death education were effective preparation methods. Additional research is needed to identify the population-specific effectiveness of interventions. To fully investigate death preparation and education at the community level, theory-based studies employing quantitative and qualitative methods are also needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwon Park
- College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hyungkyung Kim
- College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Hyungsub Kim
- Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Rebecca Raszewski
- Library of the Health Sciences Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Beaunoyer E, Guitton MJ. Cyberthanathology: Death and beyond in the digital age. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Life, death, and spirituality: A conceptual analysis for educational research development. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06971. [PMID: 34036188 PMCID: PMC8138599 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Life education, also known as life and death education, is an important subject in Taiwan. Life education is more than just the study of a person's development throughout the lifespan (e.g., cognitive development). Within the learning and sociocultural contexts of Taiwan, interestingly, the study of life and death education is concerned with the premise of the promotion and fulfillment of life qualities (e.g., a person's state of contentment), and the meaningful understanding of the nature of death. To facilitate appreciation and deep, meaningful understanding of the subject, and to emphasize its uniqueness, educators have included in their teaching the importance of Eastern-derived philosophical beliefs and religious faiths (e.g., Buddhism). For example, relatively significant in its emphasis, the teaching of this subject involves detailed examination of theoretical accounts of spiritual cultivation and its positive effect on a person's interpretation and enlightenment of life wisdom. The study of life education, or life and death education, we contend, is of significance as it provides life-related insights and theoretical understanding into the intricate nature of life and death. One notable aspect of the subject entails a person's acquired life wisdom, which in turn may shape his/her life practice on a daily basis (e.g., the proactive engagement in Buddhist meditation). Importantly, the study of life education may assist individuals with their coping of grief, and to approach death with a sense of peace, calmness, and dignity. In this analysis, coupled with Buddhist faith (or any other religious faith for that matter) and facilitated by spiritual cultivation (e.g., the belief in the notion of transcendence experience), a person may overcome grief by believing in the possibility that there is some form of post-death experience and the presence of a loved one's spiritual being. Given this emphasis, we consider an important focus for discussion in this article: to explore the significance of life and death education and to determine how its ‘positive nature’ could potentially yield two comparable implications for development: (i) to engage in appropriate pedagogical practices that would encourage and promote the study of life and death education, and (ii) to advance innovative research inquiries, theoretical, methodological, and/or empirical, which could highlight the significance of life education for life purposes (e.g., the significance of Chinese ideograms, such as 孝).
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Phan HP, Ngu BH, Chen SC, Wu L, Lin WW, Hsu CS. Introducing the Study of Life and Death Education to Support the Importance of Positive Psychology: An Integrated Model of Philosophical Beliefs, Religious Faith, and Spirituality. Front Psychol 2020; 11:580186. [PMID: 33117246 PMCID: PMC7578223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.580186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Life education, also known as life and death education, is an important subject in Taiwan with institutions (e.g., high school) offering degree programs and courses that focus on quality learning and implementation of life education. What is interesting from the perspective of Taiwanese education is that the teaching of life education also incorporates a number of Eastern-derived and conceptualized tenets, for example, Buddhist teaching and the importance of spiritual wisdom. This premise contends then that life education in Taiwan, in general, is concerned with the promotion, fulfillment, and cherishing of quality life experiences (e.g., personal contentment, happiness). One example of life education, which resonates with other spiritual beliefs and religious faiths (e.g., Hinduism), is related to spiritual cultivation and the enlightenment of life wisdom. Our own teaching of the subject, likewise, places emphasis on the goal of teaching students to seek meaningful understanding of and appreciation for three major, interrelated components of life education: life wisdom, life practice, and life care. It has been acknowledged, to a certain degree, that life education has made meaningful contributions, such as the creation and facilitation of a civil, vibrant society, and that many Taiwanese individuals show dignity, respect for elders, and reverence for spiritual and religious faiths. For example, aside from high-quality hospice care, many Taiwanese engage in different types of benevolent acts (e.g., providing spiritual advice to someone who is dying), where possible. Life education is a beneficial subject for teaching and learning as its theoretical understanding may help individuals cope with pathologies and negative conditions and life experiences. One negative life experience, in this case, is the ultimate fate of humankind: death. Approaching death and/or the onset of grief is something that we all have to experience. How does one approach death? It is not easy feat, and of course, grief for a loved one is personal, and some of us struggle with this. We contend that spiritual cultivation and enlightenment, arising from life education, may assist us with the topic of death (e.g., the possibility of transcendence beyond the realm of life). More importantly however, from our own teaching experiences and research development, we strongly believe and rationalize that the subject of life education could, indeed, coincide with and support the paradigm of positive psychology (Seligman, 1999, 2010; Seligman and Csíkszentmihályi, 2000). Forming the premise of the present conceptual analysis article, we propose that a person's "spiritual and enlightened self," reflecting the convergence of three major aspects of life education (i.e., philosophical reflection, enrichment of personal well-being, and spiritual cultivation), would result in the initiation and creation of a number of virtues and positive characteristics, for example, having a positive outlook in life, having a perceived sense of spirituality, showing compassion, forgiveness, etc. These virtues and quality characteristics, from our philosophical reasoning, are equivalent to those qualities that the paradigm of positive psychology advocates for. In summary, we conceptualize that the subject of life education, from the perspective of Taiwanese education, may intertwine with the paradigm of positive psychology. A person's spiritual and enlightened self, or his/her "holistic self," from our rationalization, is the ultimate optimal life experience that he/she may have, enabling him/her to address the gamut of life conditions and experiences. The distinctive nature of life education in this case, as a point of summary, is that it incorporates spiritual beliefs and religious faiths (e.g., Buddhist faith), encouraging a person to seek nature and divine-human relationships, as well as to contemplate and to explore the complex nature of his/her inner self. The notion of Buddhist samsâra, for example, as "evidence" of spirituality, entailing the endless cycle of birth, rebirth, and redeath, may provide a person with hope into the afterlife. Such esoteric discourse, we contend, is positive and optimistic, allowing individuals to discard the dividing line between life and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy P. Phan
- School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing H. Ngu
- School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Si Chi Chen
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lijuing Wu
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Wen Lin
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Sheng Hsu
- Department of Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
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Jones-Eversley SD, Rice J. A call for epidemiology and thanatology to address the dying, death, and grief pipeline among Blacks in the United States. DEATH STUDIES 2020; 46:140-147. [PMID: 32027243 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2020.1721618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Dying, death, and grief are significant events that impact individuals, families, and communities. In the United States, Blacks historically have higher morbidity and mortality rates than other racial-ethnic groups. While death is a normal and natural phase of the life-course process, high incidents of infant mortality, premature death, and preventable death are not. The disproportionate burden of dying, death and grief among Blacks have detrimental consequences which demand interdisciplinary interventions from public health and death study researchers. This manuscript explores dying, death and grief from three distinct fields of study: (1) epidemiology of death, (2) social epidemiology of death, and (3) thanatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon D Jones-Eversley
- Department of Family Studies and Community Development, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USA
| | - Johnny Rice
- Department of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, Coppin State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Brown EC, Coker AD. Promoting the Resiliency of African American Teens Experiencing Ambiguous Loss. JOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN GROUP WORK 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/01933922.2019.1669751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Wheat LS, Thacker NE. LGBTQ+ Loss Experiences and the Use of Meaning Reconstruction with Clients. JOURNAL OF LGBT ISSUES IN COUNSELING 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/15538605.2019.1627973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura S. Wheat
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Nancy E. Thacker
- Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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