An Anthology of Death, Dying, and the Living offers students a multifaceted, cross-disciplinary, and intellectual exploration of death, what it means to be human, and what it means to truly live. Through a historic and anthropological lens, students read articles that address diverse domestic and international events and convene a variety of perspectives in terms of culture and identity as they relate to death, dying, and living. The anthology is divided into five distinct sections: Should We Fear Death? To Die is to Have Lived!; Existential Death-Suicide?; Death and the Family; Death and the Self (Grief, Mourning, and Elegies); and Biomedical Death-What Does it Mean to Die with Dignity?. Each section features articles from a variety of sources that draw from the disciplines of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, biology, politics, government and law, and religious studies. Students experience a holistic and complete examination of various understandings, interpretations, and viewpoints about life, death, and the interplay between the two. The revised first edition includes two new readings. The first is an article by the editor, Atiba Rougier, that considers the national-and personal-impacts of 9/11 and COVID-19, and the second is a piece by a gastroenterologist and chronicles how their role at a hospital changed during the pandemic. An accessible, emotional, and thought-provoking collection, An Anthology of Death, Dying, and the Living is well suited for courses that explore death and dying from a sociological, psychological, philosophical, or anthropological perspective.
Atiba Rougier is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He was a hospice volunteer, and his research centers on what it means to die with dignity and the role vigil plays in the bereavement process.
"This anthology offers students an invaluable look at death and dying. The articles offer a rich tapestry of insights into some of the big questions of life: Why do we fear death? What does it mean to die with dignity? What does it mean to live a good life? All who are curious about these questions will savor this treat of a book." George Gmelch, Professor of Anthropology, Union College and the University of San Francisco "This is truly an incredible piece of writing! Richly poetic, a personal reflection yet also a reflection on the social and political world we humans share, full of interesting comparisons and analogies, and above all, intensely passionate, questioning, seeking, and self-conscious. It really touched me, and will many other readers as well, I'm sure." David Kaczynski, Former Executive Director of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra "Why we live and why we die give us deeper understanding about ourselves. Some of the countries, religions, or centuries produce ways that groups develop ritual practices for the death of someone. For some of us, the ritual practice is a conventional funeral; for ancient cultures, many group burials of others accompany a king's burial...The important information in this book is stunning for those of us who want to hear and learn about other countries having a different way of dying...The book is very modern. It's telling us a lot about what is happening now...The phrasing of words such as 'dignity,' 'loved one,' 'reverence,' and 'beauty' give us gentle time for reading the chapters... Linda Patrik, Professor of Philosophy, Union College
