PSYC 3570 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Purgatory, Fatalism
17 Sep 2016
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History of death: death was primarily a community event. Community could be seriously weakened by the death of a member: about 1000 years into the christian era, the death of the self became the greatest concern. People became more aware of themselves as individuals, felt more vulnerable. Quality of life was improving, so people dreaded death more. Body and face were covered in burial: twisted death. Death became entwined with violence and sexuality: death of the other. Death became more personal, private, and only for the family. Could be viewed as a beautiful adventure, due to the dismissal of purgatory. Death meant reunion with loved ones: the invisible death. Death became dirty and medicalized, people died in hospitals rather than at home. When people die, it"s a failure of the machine/system. Avoidance, misrepresentation, denial: not thinking about death. The movement of not thinking about death was a failure, but listening and communicating is increasing.
