Undergraduate Menu

• Introduction
• Why Study with us?
• Degree Schemes
• Part I
• Part II Modules
• Study Abroad
• Funding
• Our Students Say
• Visit Us
• Careers
• FAQs
• How to Apply
• Current Students

SSM 1: Medicine, Life and Death

In recent years, the moment of death has been redefined as 'brain death' and controversially so. Why? By drawing parallels with developments in early 19th century England, this module provides an introduction to the political, social and cultural dimensions of medical involvement in the determination of the boundaries between life and death: culturally, the boundaries between life and death became more blurred, to both medics and the lay public; socially, the passage from life to death ceased to be a matter for the local community and clerics, and became instead a matter for medics; politically, these changes were inseparable from increasing state involvement in medical care and, in England, from the reform of the Poor Law. Simply put, there were very good reasons for the public hysteria over the 'living dead'. How might such complexity help you to better understand other contemporary medical issues?

Save this page: Del.icio.us Digg It Reddit Facebook Stumble It!