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.
杏吧专区淲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,杏吧专区 says Dr. DeAnn Kalich, professor of sociology. 杏吧专区淲e just take so much for granted and go on autopilot 杏吧专区 we杏吧专区檙e not really living a fully engaged life.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区淲hen we have it out there in the periphery, it sharpens our focus on living in this moment,杏吧专区 Dr. Kalich says. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 really about life and living as fully as possible in the present moment so we don杏吧专区檛 have regret. That is the worst thing about death 杏吧专区 the if-onlies and what-ifs.杏吧专区
Dr. Kalich took the death and dying class herself as an undergraduate at the 杏吧专区 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.
杏吧专区淭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,杏吧专区 says Dr. Kalich.
杏吧专区淲e look very broadly at how loss changes us as we go through life. That杏吧专区檚 really the way the course is set up. Even though it杏吧专区檚 called death and dying, it杏吧专区檚 about life and living and how do we do that in the midst of loss.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区淪ometimes people are afraid of the topic. Sometimes that杏吧专区檚 appropriate. They may have background that杏吧专区檚 important for us to take into account,杏吧专区 Dr. Kalich says. 杏吧专区淚 always commit myself fully to the students who enroll in the course. I tell them if they decide to continue in the course, we杏吧专区檙e going to contract with one another, and here杏吧专区檚 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杏吧专区檙e never going to be in a situation where they don杏吧专区檛 have support.杏吧专区
Loss derailed Kennette Toussaint杏吧专区檚 initial attempts to earn her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree. When she was ready to complete her degree, she enrolled in UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 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.
杏吧专区淏ut when you do those activities, it makes you think about life, not death,杏吧专区 says Toussaint. 杏吧专区淚t forces you to want to do better and achieve your goals because you have to take advantage of your life now.
杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 a really interesting class.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区淚t was challenging, but doable,杏吧专区 Talbot says. 杏吧专区淭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.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区淚 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,杏吧专区 Dr. Kalich says. 杏吧专区淗ow do we best experience that by companioning someone or if we ourselves are dying?杏吧专区
The 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 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!