On the End of Life Studies MSc Programme, there is a course entitled Cultural Representations of Death and Dying which examines how dying, death and grief have been represented in popular culture (film, TV, mainstream fiction), visual arts (fine art, photography) and literary genres (creative non- fiction) over the last half century. Students are introduced to… Continue reading
There has been a seismic shift in the way that funeral ceremonies are conducted in the wake of Covid-19. The effects of this on the bereaved are yet to be meaningfully understood. This conversation between a funeral celebrant and a mourner (at separate events) acknowledges the disruption caused. The impact of these changes, particularly the… Continue reading
I’m ridiculously pleased to announce that I have been appointed Program Convenor of the new End of Life Studies Degree Program starting in January 2021 (MSc/PgDip/PgCert). As many of you will be aware, for the last three years I have had the distinct privilege of being a research fellow with the End of Life Studies… Continue reading
The world stopped making sense when my sister died. She wasn’t supposed to die young, with a small child, most of her life still to be lived – it was an unprecedented event. In order to try and find meaning to my inchoate grief, I began to explore others’ stories and experiences with dying and… Continue reading
Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional thinking around death and dying, Death Cafés around the world were encouraging people to reflect on their mortality. Death Cafés are informal social spaces where strangers meet to ‘have a conversation’ about death and dying. They can be organised by anyone, anywhere in the world. With death rates now… Continue reading
Autumn 2019 saw a team of us in the Glasgow End of Life Studies Group set out into unknown educational waters. Over a three-week period, we delivered a free online course called End of Life Care – Challenges and Innovation. We possibly didn’t anticipate how long our preparations and course building would take. We probably… Continue reading
It is with huge pleasure this month that we embark upon a truly global initiative within our team – a new programme of online learning in end of life studies. In our research group at the University of Glasgow we feel we belong to a worldwide community of people with a shared interest in questions… Continue reading
Online memorials have been a relatively popular form of memorialisation for the best part of this century. They bear markings of birth and death, just as traditional gravestones, however, they allow for an exceptional amount of interaction within them – the bereaved can send messages to the deceased, upload pictures, music, art, poems, and even… Continue reading
