Download a copy of the Critical Reflection 1 assignment instructions: SOC451_CritReflect2_PromptRubric.pdfDownload SOC451_CritReflect2_PromptRubric.pdf
Objective:
This assignment is designed to assess your critical thinking abilities and your engagement with the text, All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work. Through completing this assignment, you will:
Demonstrate your understanding of core course concepts, statistics, and terminology
Critically consider how course materials intersect with concepts introduced in the text
Develop/refine your ability to integrate different sources/construct coherent arguments
Reflect on the claims made in the text regarding potential impacts to human populations
Instructions:
Please refer to the following NSS (No Sh*t, Sherlock) guidelines to format your Critical Reflection:
Use Times New Roman (or similar) font, 12-pt. size
Use 1” margins on all sides
Include your name, the date, and the text “SOC 451: Critical Reflection 2” on the first 3 lines of the first page to serve as a header. Do not repeat this on subsequent pages.
Double-space your text (other than the 3 lines of the header)
Number your pages in the lower right-hand corners
*Notes about Citations:
You are expected to reference course material and appropriately cite it in-text, including the book that is the focus of this assignment, All the Living and the Dead, as well as lecture material from class.
You should paraphrase/summarize material in your own words as much as possible and include the following at the end of each sentence in which you include summarized material: (AuthorLastName PublicationYear). For material covered in class discussions, you may use the following in-text citation: (Fontaine 2024).
If you decide to use a quote that is particularly illustrative of a point you are making, please reference the source in-text using the following format: (AuthorLastName PublicationYear: Page#).
Once you’ve formatted your document, please completely yet concisely respond to the following in between 750 and 1,000 words (~3-4 DS pages):
Summary (~250 words):
Summarize the main points of the book, using in-text citations where appropriate.
Prompt (~500-750 words):
Throughout Campbell’s interviews with various workers in the death industry, a recurring theme emerges that is summarized in her interactions with Lara, the anatomical pathology technologist: there are “inherent contradictions [in a] job that requires both empathy and ruthlessness” (Campbell 2022:165). Bearing this quote in mind, answer the following:
Where and how do you see “contradictions” arise in the death industry or the general public, specifically around how we both objectify and deify death and/or the dead? What “cultural anxieties” do you think might explain these contradictions?
In your response, be sure to address the following, using appropriate citations where needed:
How workers in the death industry and/or the general public objectify deceased human bodies or elements of death.
Identify and describe, in detail, 2 specific, distinct examples from the book that demonstrate how deceased bodies and/or elements of death are dehumanized and instead treated like items or commodities.
Tip: Think about how people both within and outside the death industry profit from death-related items, or how human bodies are treated posthumously
Link info from our course discussions/readings on cultural ideas about death to your examples to help explain why people or death experiences might be objectified in these ways.
How workers in the death industry and/or the general public deify deceased human bodies or elements of death.
Identify and describe, in detail, 2 specific, distinct examples from the book that demonstrate how deceased bodies and/or elements of death are worshipped, held in high regard, or treated with dignity/reverence.
Tip: Think about how empathy or extreme care is shown to deceased individuals, or how they are memorialized.
Tip: Consider whether there are examples you could include that contradict your examples of objectification, or perhaps consider how an example of objectification could also be seen as deifying.
Link info from our course discussions/readings on cultural ideas about death to your examples to help explain why people or death experiences might be deified in these ways
Rubric:
Refer to the following for a breakdown of the characteristics a paper of each letter grade will demonstrate.
LOCATEED BELOW
