Where does death sit in your field of vision?
Putting death directly into our central focus area can be panic-inducing. But pushing death into our blindspot allows us to take too much for granted.
小蝌蚪APP淲e sort of coast through life not appreciating the breaths that we breathe, not appreciating the sun on our shoulders, not appreciating the taste of the orange in our mouth,小蝌蚪APP says Dr. DeAnn Kalich, professor of sociology. 小蝌蚪APP淲e just take so much for granted and go on autopilot 小蝌蚪APP we小蝌蚪APP檙e not really living a fully engaged life.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Kalich, who also serves as the Department Head of Sociology, Anthropology, & Child and Family Studies, invites her Sociology 480 students to allow death into their peripheral vision as they learn about confronting and surviving death and loss.
小蝌蚪APP淲hen we have it out there in the periphery, it sharpens our focus on living in this moment,小蝌蚪APP Dr. Kalich says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 really about life and living as fully as possible in the present moment so we don小蝌蚪APP檛 have regret. That is the worst thing about death 小蝌蚪APP the if-onlies and what-ifs.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Kalich took the death and dying class herself as an undergraduate at the 小蝌蚪APP and says she was drawn then to the idea of teaching the course. In 1998, she had the opportunity and has been teaching it ever since.
小蝌蚪APP淭he way I approach the death and dying class is a social psychological approach. We look at death and dying and bereavement in a social context in the modern Western world and cross-culturally, as well,小蝌蚪APP says Dr. Kalich.
小蝌蚪APP淲e look very broadly at how loss changes us as we go through life. That小蝌蚪APP檚 really the way the course is set up. Even though it小蝌蚪APP檚 called death and dying, it小蝌蚪APP檚 about life and living and how do we do that in the midst of loss.小蝌蚪APP
In 2017, Dr. Kalich made the leap to offer the course online, taking pains to ensure important course elements translated to the new format and that students continued to feel supported.
小蝌蚪APP淪ometimes people are afraid of the topic. Sometimes that小蝌蚪APP檚 appropriate. They may have background that小蝌蚪APP檚 important for us to take into account,小蝌蚪APP Dr. Kalich says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 always commit myself fully to the students who enroll in the course. I tell them if they decide to continue in the course, we小蝌蚪APP檙e going to contract with one another, and here小蝌蚪APP檚 the contract: I will commit to being with them if they are triggered by this material until I can get them to somewhere safe or someone safe, so they小蝌蚪APP檙e never going to be in a situation where they don小蝌蚪APP檛 have support.小蝌蚪APP
Loss derailed Kennette Toussaint小蝌蚪APP檚 initial attempts to earn her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree. When she was ready to complete her degree, she enrolled in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 General Studies online program. As part of her degree requirements, she needed a 400-level sociology course. She was hesitant about taking Death and Dying.
小蝌蚪APP淏ut when you do those activities, it makes you think about life, not death,小蝌蚪APP says Toussaint. 小蝌蚪APP淚t forces you to want to do better and achieve your goals because you have to take advantage of your life now.
小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 a really interesting class.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Kalich takes students through the ways we deny death, face death, and survive loss, as well as some of the controversial issues and practices surrounding end-of-life care. That includes considering our own wishes and those of loved ones.
Student Edmond Talbot says he was more concerned about tackling a 400-level online sociology course than he was about the material but found both manageable. He was even able to make the coursework more meaningful to him by researching hospice practices at Angola Penitentiary. Talbot says he has family in nearby St. Francisville and was able to learn more about the area through his project.
小蝌蚪APP淚t was challenging, but doable,小蝌蚪APP Talbot says. 小蝌蚪APP淭he subject matter is something that most people avoid talking or even thinking about. Tackling it head-on was pretty amazing. The way Dr. Kalich teaches it, the content was presented in a very sensitive and thoughtful way without trying to sugarcoat it.小蝌蚪APP
Many students who enroll in the course plan careers in medicine or counseling where they may work with those facing death or bereavement. Through the course content, students begin to consider approaches and best practices for helping loved ones or patients to face death on their terms; the terms that make them most at peace.
小蝌蚪APP淚 want every one of my students to leave the class able to focus on living in this moment as fully as they can, even if that moment is a moment of dying,小蝌蚪APP Dr. Kalich says. 小蝌蚪APP淗ow do we best experience that by companioning someone or if we ourselves are dying?小蝌蚪APP
The 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 online undergraduate degree programs prepare you to excel in the workforce while growing personally and academically. about how to apply and enroll. Terms start five times a year!