SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
MORTUARY SCIENCE AND FUNERAL SERVICE
SPRING, 2000
COURSE NO., SECTION NO., HOURS, AND TITLE:
MSFS 108-002, 3 Credit Hours, Funeral Service Psychology
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Designed to acquaint the student with an overview of psychology in funeral
service as applied to death, grief, and mourning. Students will examine
interpersonal and public relations as they affect the funeral service practitioner
in relationship with the public served. This course is designed to satisfy
the writing portion of the ASA Communication Across the Curriculum requirement.
PREREQUISITE TO: MSFS 401
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, the student shall be able
to:
1. state the psychological and sociological purposes and values of the
funeral;
2. describe opinions regarding psychology of death, grief, and bereavement;
3. describe various types of counseling techniques applicable to funeral
service, and the use
of each in individual circumstances;
4. list and describe the stages of dying;
5. describe recent developments pertaining to death, grief, and bereavement;
6. explain the aspects of dealing with children and death; and
7. understand how a society buries their dead, and examine the social
structure as it relates
to death, grief, and the funeral.
TOPICAL OUTLINE:
Topics Percentages of Time
I. Review of General Psychology 5%
II. Psychology of Funeral Service 15%
III. Sociology of Funeral Service 15%
IV. Family Structure and the Effects of Death 5%
V. Understanding Death and Death Attitudes 10%
VI. Stages of Grief 15%
VII. Consideration of Special Circumstances 25%
(i.e. Traumatic/Accidental Death; Suicide; Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome; Death of Children, Parents,
and Pets; Hospice; and Euthanasia)
VIII. Burnout and Stress 5%
XII. Others 5%
TEXTBOOKS:
Required:
Canine, J. (1996). The psychological aspects of death and dying. Stanford,
CT: Appleton & Lange.
Westburg, G. E. (1985). Good grief. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.
Worden, J. W. (1982). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook
for the mental health practitioner. New York: Springer Publishing.
Recommended:
Aaron, J.E. (1998). The little, brown compact handbook (3rd ed.). New
York: Longman.
(Packaged with Researching online).
LECTURE:
Tuesday 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
EXAMINATIONS AND QUIZZES:
There will be two examinations given during the semester, and each examination
will be worth approximately 100 points. The dates of the examinations will
be given in advance. A comprehensive final examination will also be given
at the end of the semester and will follow the final examination schedule
set by the University. Quizzes will also be given without prior notice.
MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS AND QUIZZES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED!!!
ASSIGNMENTS:
Thought Question:
On selected weeks, a Thought Question will be assigned which will relate
to reading assignments, lecture material, group discussion, and/or any other
class activities. Each Thought Question must be typed using a maximum 12
point font, double spaced, and one inch margins on the top, bottom, and
both sides of the paper. The length of the Thought Question should be a
minimum of one typed page and no more than two typed pages. The Thought
Question will be due at the beginning of class one week from the day it
is assigned. Each Thought Question will be worth 10 points and will be evaluated
on content. No points will be given if the student misses the class session
when the Thought Question is assigned. In addition, no Thought Question
will be accepted for credit when it has been turned in after the class has
begun on the day it is due. There will be a total of ten (10) Thought Question
assignments.
Death Awareness Scrapbook:
Each student will compile a Death Awareness Scrapbook which will consist
of a collection of articles related to the topics of dying, death, counseling,
grief, bereavement, etc. The Scrapbook should contain a minimum of 50 articles
which can be obtained from any current or recently published newspaper,
magazine, or other resource. PLEASE DO NOT CUT OR REMOVE THE ARTICLES
FROM ANY OF THE NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, OR OTHER RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY,
THE CLASSROOM, OR ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY RESOURCE!!! A maximum
of 5 obituaries will be permitted in the Scrapbook. The source for each
article must be included (i.e. name and date of the newspaper, magazine,
etc.) under each entry.
In addition, each article will include a typed entry which a) provides
a summary of the article, b) states how it relates to death awareness, and
c) gives the student's own reaction to the article (i.e. thoughts, feelings,
opinions, ideas, etc.). Each descriptive entry should be no less than a
half of a page.
The format for compiling the articles and note card entries in the final
Death Awareness Scrapbook can be determined by the student, but they should
be presented in a neat and organized manner.
ALL DEATH AWARENESS SCRAPBOOKS WILL BE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS
ON TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2000!!!!!!
The Death Awareness Scrapbook will be worth 125 possible points, and
will be graded according to the following criteria: number and content of
articles (50 points), descriptive entry for each article (50 points), neatness
(10 points), organization (10 points), and originality (5 points). A sample
of the grading sheet for this assignment is included at the end of the syllabus.
Professional Papers:
There will be five (5) professional papers assigned throughout the semester.
These assignments will consist of professional communications a funeral
director/embalmer might write during normal business operations of a funeral
home. The instructor will select the assignment appropriate for the class
materials and determine an appropriate due date. Writings may consist of
thank you letters to families, order of service for a memorial service,
obituary writings, eulogies, anniversary letters, grief/bereavement support
documents, etc.
Each Professional Paper will be worth 20 points and will be evaluated
on grammar, spelling, content, professionalism, and format.
Research Assignment:
Each student will work with another student in the class to develop a Research
Project related to a topic discussed in this course. Each student will choose
his/her own partner during the first day of class. If there is an uneven
number of students in the class, one group will have three members. The
group members will then meet at another time to make a decision regarding
their topic for this assignment.
The assignment will consist of four (4) components:
1. Summation Proposal: On Tuesday, February 22, 2000 each group will
submit a typed proposal identifying the group members and the selected research
topic. The proposal should summarize the importance of the topic, the ideas
for developing the research, each members responsibility in the project,
and seven references (in APA format). This portion of the assignment will
be worth 25 possible points. If there are any questions regarding the topic
or the references, the group members should consult with the instructor
before this date.
This proposal must be approved by the instructor before the group will
be allowed to earn credit for the project. The research assignment should
not begin until the proposal format and content is approved by the instructor.
2. Paper Component: Each group will write a research paper of five TEXT
pages in length. Each paper should include a minimum of seven references
and these should be cited in accordance with the guidelines of the Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (4th edition). ONLY
THREE INTERNET RESOURCES CAN BE USED! The remainder can be books, journals,
newspaper articles, etc. Regardless of the source, no reference should be
older than 1997. Only one copy of the research paper should be submitted
for each team. A sheet listing the specific for the research paper are included
at the end of the syllabus. This portion of the assignment will be worth
100 possible points and one grade will be assigned to all team members.
3. Poster Presentation. The poster presentation will include a brief
summary of the key points taken from the research paper and mounted on a
36" x 48" project display board (which can be purchased at one
of the local book or office supply stores). PRESENTATIONS ON REGULAR
POSTER BOARD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED! Each team can determine the format
for the poster, but the use of charts, graphs, pictures, and outlines are
often helpful. This portion of the assignment will be worth 50 possible
points and will be displayed during the oral presentation.
4. Oral Presentation of Research: Each team will be given 15 minutes
during class time to make an oral report on their research paper and professional
poster. This should include at least five minutes for answering questions.
Each team member should participate, and the research paper should not be
read. Instead, the poster should be used to present the information about
the chosen topic. This portion of the assignment will be worth 50 possible
points.
ALL RESEARCH PAPERS AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS WILL BE DUE THE DAY OF
THE GROUP ORAL PRESENTATION! Presentation dates will be assigned on
a raffle basis by the instructor.
A sample of the grading sheets for this assignment is included at the
end of this syllabus.
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!
ATTENDANCE:
ATTENDANCE AT EACH CLASS SESSION IS REQUIRED!!! Class attendance
should be regarded as an obligation, and all students are expected to attend
and be punctual at each class session. Attendance will be taken at the beginning
of every class. Attendance will be worth 10 points each week. Zero (0) points
will be given to any student who is absent, or who walks into class late
(after the instructor has begun). Zero (0) points will also be given to
any student who does not pay attention in class, or who does not participate
in the class discussion. Any student who misses three class sessions will
be referred to the University's Early Warning System.
Please do not talk, sleep, read the newspaper, or work on any other class
assignments during the class session. If you choose to do so, you will be
dismissed from the class, marked absent, and cause the class to have a pop
quiz or additional assignment.
GRADES:
Grades will be determined on a percentage basis as applied to the total
number of possible points accumulated during the course of the entire semester.
This will include class attendance, scheduled examinations (3), announced
and unannounced quizzes, Thought Questions, Death Awareness Scrapbook, Professional
Poster Presentation, and any other assigned activities. The percentage breakdown
is as follows:
90% to 100% Grade: A
80% to 89% Grade: B
70% to 79% Grade: C
69% or Below Grade: F
INSTRUCTORS:
Mrs. Cydney Griffith, M.S.Ed. AND
Mr. Anthony Fleege, MBA
OFFICES:
Mrs. Griffith:
Hours: M 10:10 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
T 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. & 1:10 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
W 1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Location: ASA Building, Room 18C
Telephone: (618) 453-7214
E-mail: cgriffit@siu.edu
Mr. Fleege:
Hours: M T W F 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Location: ASA Building, Room 114
Telephone: (618) 453-8883
E-mail: atfleege@yahoo.com
Please note the instructors office hours. Faculty will be available during
these times to answer any questions regarding the class requirements, assignments,
and/or any other matters which may arise during the course of the semester.
CHANGES MAY BE MADE TO THIS SYLLABUS DURING THE SEMESTER, AS NEEDED,
AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTORS.
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