Imagining the Other: Death, Bereavement and Loss

In the era of Covid-19 imagining the experiences of another is more important than ever, as is an ability to pay attention to the positive potential of ‘recovery’, and its meanings. Loss, death, and bereavement are three of the most extreme and difficult experiences many people will face in their lifetimes, and yet for healthcare workers these complex phenomena must be confronted on an almost daily basis. While clinical literature attempts to outline and advocate for the so-called ‘good’ death, how far does this conform with the lived experience of patients, carers, and their families? How can clinicians understand the experiences of those they seek to treat, and how can they manage experiences which don’t fit within a management plan?

This module builds on an innovative partnership with humanities staff and students from Birkbeck, University of London which began in 2019/20 and which was highly rated by the students participating in the first collaborative module, Finding a leg to stand on: clinical, critical and creative approaches to the human body who called it: ‘ thought-provoking’, ‘stimulating’, ‘fascinating’, ‘challenging’, ‘an eye-opener’, ‘amazing’.

• Compare clinical and non-clinical representations of complex phenomena.
• Analyse different forms of representation, including discussing literary form and its impact on content.
• Write an extended essay in response to reading of own choice.

The module uses textual representations of loss, death, and bereavement to explore these key issues, examining how far reading literature can help us understand the experiences of others.

Students will be able to choose from a broad range of literary texts on these themes, complemented by consideration of other art forms, and will compare these to clinical literature and practice. Students will be required to read extensively throughout the module, and to write an essay based on their reflections.

The module will include structured support for the development of extended writing skills, with dedicated sessions in which students construct an essay title of their choosing and work with the tutor on the development of their research plan.

Teaching

The module will start on Monday 4 November 2024 and run for 7 weeks. 

To register to be part of this exciting and much needed course please contact openspaces@sgul.ac.uk.