Overview
An advanced anthropological analysis of responses to death and dying, drawing on cross-cultural case studies and relevant anthropological theories of grief, mourning and funerary practice.
This paper contextualises a variety of historical and contemporary responses to death and critically examines the development of "modern" death practices.
About this paper
| Paper title | Rites of Passage: Death, Grief and Ritual |
|---|---|
| Subject | Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2025 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,040.70 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 200-level ANTH points or 108 points
- Restriction
- ANTH 225
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
- This paper is designed for students with and without strong backgrounds in Anthropology.
- Contact
- More information link
Please visit the Programme of Social Anthropology
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
- Required reading is from journal articles and book chapters available electronically through the library using course reserve.
- Course outline
Will be available on Blackboard at the beginning of the course.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
- Understand some of the seminal anthropological approaches/theories around the study of death and dying
- Link specific death-related practices to broader social and cultural contexts
- Identify the role of cultural values in debates around ethics and care in relation to death, dying, and the dead
- Critically and reflexively consider the scope and limits of academic knowledge about grief and mourning