Sociology 310: Death and Dying - Second Meeting

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Welcome to class. Please have a seat and I will begin your first lecture.

Lecture Notes (Topics covered include a basic definition of death, the physiology of death, some basic terms.)

As many of you have stated you have previous experience with death, I'd like to discuss the stages of grieving in class.

1. Denial and Isolation
2. Anger, Rage, Envy, and Resentment
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Please share your thoughts, if you believe these are in the correct order, if any steps have been missed, or if one or more does not belong. Also, feel free to color your thoughts with personal examples as much as you'd like to share, and debate how different circumstances can change this system.

Assignment for Next Class: Read Emile Zola's short story - Death of Olivier Becaille (Scroll down) You will be given as essay topic from it in your next class to complete before you leave.

Comments

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

*is sketching pictures of various weapons in her notebook*

Stages?

*looks up*

Makes it sound all neat and self-contained. Like a person can only feel one of those things at a time, and after they "change stages" they'll won't feel like they did again.

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Doesn't that lead to an overload of emotions, however? How can someone process so many feelings concurrently without shutting down?

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

How can a trapped animal chew off its own leg?

*shrugs*

Survival instinct's a pretty strong thing. You do what you have to to stay alive.

At least, with emotions you don't need teeth...

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

But the animal chewing off its own leg, that's more a trauma response, is it not? Not all cases of death illicit such overwhelming responses in people to the point where their brain is only able to function on a base level. And that animal, even a person in that situation, is certainly not running through all the emotions at once, but rather processing in fight or flight. They don't have time for anger, or bargaining.

But you bring up an interesting point - how does a traumitized person function? Your classmate Rogue doesn't believe they necessarily can. Would you agree?

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

Depends what you mean by function...

You mean get up in the morning, go to classes, fight, lead armies, all that kinda stuff?

Sure they can if they need to, like I said, survival instincts pretty strong motivator.

You mean go out there and become a strong, active, fully integrated, productive member of society?

I'll get back to you if I ever figure it out...