SW 617, Section 001 Instructors: Death, Loss, and Grief Sally Schmall, MSW Winter, 2006 [email protected] 998-7210 ext. 240 Tuesdays: 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Kathy Wade [email protected] 764-8052 OH: Please feel free to make appointments with questions or concerns via e-mail. Course Description This course addresses the theoretical framework of human loss and grief from a culturally and philosophically diverse perspective. It seeks to provide information about why and how humans grieve and how grieving is affected by type of loss, socioeconomic and cultural factors, individual personality and family functioning. Attention is focused on life span development and the meaning of death and loss at different ages. Various types of loss are discussed from an individual, family and socio/cultural perspective. The importance of understanding trauma and its relationship to grief and loss will be addressed. Coping and resiliency in loss are explored, emphasizing the diversity of human response and focusing on the significance of social groups in integrating loss. The formation and practice of rituals, and diversity in religious and spiritual experience as a component of coping with loss will be discussed. Course Objectives On completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Describe the implications for practice and policy of the changing patterns of death in the U.S. regarding age, sex, and minority group status. 2. Describe the different meanings of death over time, and sudden death (including suicide, homicide, and disaster), for its impact on survivors, caretakers and society. 3. Describe responses and reactions of the various caretakers (including social workers) to death and their influence on medical treatment decisions regarding the patient. 4. Describe the medical-ethical issues in death and dying. 5. Describe the bereavement and grieving process. 6. Describe the practical issues and problems that arise for families following death of a member. 7. Describe the impact of racial, ethnic, and gender issues for the family and/or person facing death or bereavement.SW 617, Sec. 001 Winter, 2006 - 2 - Relationship of the Course to Four Curricular Themes • Multiculturalism and Diversity will be addressed through the discussion of worker-client differences and power/privilege differentials based on culture, ethnicity, race, gender, age, and social class. Social system and case examples, possible interventions, and readings will reflect this theme. • Social Justice and Social Change will be addressed through discussion of differences between problems that are responsive to interpersonal practice interventions and those which result from poverty, discrimination, and disenfranchisement and require systemic as well as individual intervention. • Promotion, Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation will be addressed through identification of ways to provide early intervention, guidance, and advocacy within systems, methods of preventing or mitigating later problems in loss and bereavement, and discussion of intervention theories and health care and social policies which support adaptive responses to loss that enhance later adjustment. • Behavioral and Social Science Research will inform this course, especially current research in the following areas: bereavement and complicated mourning attachment and develop-mental requirements, response to trauma and maltreatment and resiliency/coping/adaptation. Relationship of the Course to Social Work Ethics and Values Social work ethics and values will be addressed in this course using the NASW Code of Ethics. This course will increase awareness of the medical-ethical issues and decision making in death and dying. In addition, students will evaluate ethical issues involved in death and loss, and discuss the impact of the social worker’s values and reactions to these issues. Class Norms 1. Attendance and participation are expected. 2. We will begin class promptly and resume class promptly after the designated break, based on mutually agreed upon times to be discussed in the first class session. 3. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of the class will be didactic presentation by the instructor or guest speakers. The remainder will consist of discussion and experiential activities in which participation is encouraged and expected. 4. Other norms which may be important to the class will be discussed and incorporated. Course Texts Required: DeSpelder, L., & Strickland, A. (2002). The last dance: Encountering death and dying (6th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Press. Worden, J. W. (2002). Grief counseling and grief therapy (3rd edition). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Irish, D. P., Lundquist, K.F., & Nelsen, V. J. (Eds.). (1993). Ethnic variations in dying, death and grief. Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis.SW 617, Sec. 001 Winter, 2006 - 3 - Additional Readings: The amount of required text reading has been designed to provide you with a basic foundation while giving you freedom to individualize supplemental readings. YOU ARE EXPECTED AND ENCOURAGED TO DO LITERATURE SEARCHES AND ADDITIONAL READING IN AREAS OF PERSONAL INTEREST AND IN ORDER TO COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS IN A THOROUGH MANNER. Information and suggestions on references will be provided in class. In addition, handouts may be distributed in class for reading. Relevant Journals and Organizations: OMEGA, Journal of Death and Dying Baywood Publishing 26 Austin Ave. P.O. Box 337 Amityville, NY 11701 800-638-7819 Illness, Crisis and Loss Sage Publication P.O. Box 5084 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 805-499-9774 Death Studies Taylor & Francis (see address below) Journal of Near Death Studies Human Sciences Press 233 Spring Street New York, NY 10213-0196 212-620-8000 The Thanatology Newsletter c/o Health and Nutrition Sciences Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY 11210-2889 718-951-5553 Center for Loss & Life Transition 3735 Broken Bow Road Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-226-6050 Bereavement Magazine 5125 N. Union Boulevard, Suite 4 Colorado Springs, CO 80918-2956 719-266-0006 Compassion Books 477 Hannah Branch Rd. Burnsville, NC 28714 828-675-5909 www.compassionbooks.com Centering Corporation P.O. Box 4600 7230 Maple Street Omaha, NE 68104 402-553-1200 Journal of Trauma & Loss Taylor & Francis Journals Dept. 325 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 800-354-1420 x 216