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Why death and dying?
Although it's something we'll all experience, the idea of a course dedicated to death and dying might seem unusual. Dr Carol Komaromy explains why studying death is not so morbid
Read nowWhy death and dying?Article
Level: 1 Introductory
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Playing dead
Richard Wilson reflects on the actor’s experience of death on stage and screen
Watch nowPlaying deadVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Making The Art Of Dying: An interview with Dan Cruickshank
Dr Carol Komaromy interviews Dan Cruickshank about his experiences making the BBC/OU programme The Art of Dying
Listen nowMaking The Art Of Dying: An interview with Dan CruickshankAudio
Level: 1 Introductory
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The final journey
Richard Wilson takes a behind the scenes look at the business of crematoriums and walks us through the ultimate final journey
Watch nowThe final journeyVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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MikeTraboe via Flickr under Creative-Commons license
Richard Wilson goes to embalming school
Richard Wilson enrols for the day at embalming school and learns about a fast growing trend
Watch nowRichard Wilson goes to embalming schoolVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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End of life care
Richard Wilson interviews palliative care nurse Deborah Murphy about the privilege and challenge of caring for people at the end of life
Watch nowEnd of life careVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Death and society
Richard Wilson interviews Glennys Howarth about her research into how attitudes towards death changed in British Society during the course of the twentieth century
Watch nowDeath and societyVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Studying death
Kate Woodthorpe introduces The Open University Death and Dying course
Watch nowStudying deathVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Memorialisation
Crematorium and cemetery registrar Angela Abbot talks to us about memorialisation and the emergence of "fairy villages" as well as the sustainability of burials
Watch nowMemorialisationVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Sustainable by Design
Principal Architect Adrian Morrow explains the logic and sentiment behind designing a sustainable crematorium in Milton Keynes
Watch nowSustainable by DesignVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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Meet a funeral director
Funeral Director Roy Mason explains why he and his staff get "a massive sense of satisfaction" from their job
Watch nowMeet a funeral directorVideo
Level: 1 Introductory
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MikeTraboe via Flickr under Creative-Commons license
The Cemetery of the Year Awards
Kate Woodthorpe talks about the hard work and dedication of some special people: The Cemetery of the Year Awards
Read nowThe Cemetery of the Year AwardsArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Death in cyberspace
Dr Sarah Earle looks at the increasing use of the internet to create online memorials to people who have died
Read nowDeath in cyberspaceArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Exorcism in everyday life
Jenny Hockey meets Tom Willis, a Church of England exorcist, and explores his role
Read nowExorcism in everyday lifeArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Death in Kerala
Does the West have anything to learn from the sensitive and diginified approach to death in Kerala?
Read nowDeath in KeralaArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Defying Death
This extract explores issues about improvements in health care, and our expectation of a longer life. It is taken from a panel discussion that took place as part of 'The Next Big Thing' TV series.
Read nowDefying DeathArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Death in the age of the Internet
We all lead digital lives now - but does that online archive of our doings mean we'll also have a digital afterlife?
Read nowDeath in the age of the InternetArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Darwin's Dangerous Idea - Life and death
How do Darwin’s ideas help us understand extinction and the interconnectedness of life and death?
Read nowOU on the BBC: Darwin's Dangerous Idea - Life and deathArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Death and dying - Help & support at time of bereavement
If you are experiencing bereavement or loss, there are a number of groups who offer advice and support. This is just a selection.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Death and dying - Help & support at time of bereavementArticle
Level: 1 Introductory
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Death and medicine
This unit asks the reader to consider the experience of grief and bereavement and in particular the extent to which grieving people need professional help. The unit considers the evidence for the effects of grief and the extent to which current ways of responding are helpful.
Read moreDeath and medicine -
The medicalised context of bereavement
This unit helps you to explore the extent to which death and dying in western societies are medical events and what aspects of death and dying might be neglected as a consequence. The unit covers the way that such things as medicine provide the context of the experiences associated with the end of life.
Read moreThe medicalised context of bereavement
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OU on the BBC: Death and dying
Richard Wilson and Dan Cruikshank explore life's inescapable certainty.
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Originally published: Friday, 29th May 2009
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Last updated on: Tuesday, 22nd September 2009
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Publication details
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Originally published: Friday, 29th May 2009
-
Last updated on: Tuesday, 22nd September 2009
Copyright information
- Body text - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Statue in graveyard' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'statue of grieving woman' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'Dan Cruickshank' - Copyright: Production team
- Image 'Richard Wilson' - Copyright: BBC
- Image 'doctor comforts grieving relative' - Copyright:
Jupiter Images
- Image 'Painting of Eve grieving over death of Abel' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'man lying in roaad as if dead' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'evening sunlight in a graveyard' - MikeTraboe via Flickr under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Richard Wilson presenting Two feet in the grave' - Copyright: Production team
- Image 'architects loooking at building plans' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'gravestones ion a cemetery' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'evening sunlight in a graveyard' - MikeTraboe via Flickr under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Sarah Earle' - Copyright: Sarah Earle
- Image 'priest holding crucifix' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'A home in Kerala' - Copyright: Carol Komaromy
- Image 'War graves' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Is your data double a true reflection?' - Copyright:
Photos.com
- Image 'Andrew Marr meets some gorillas' - Copyright: Production team
- Image 'lady listening to man in wheelchair' - Copyright: Jupiter Images
- Image 'LearningSpace Image' - Copyright:
The Open University
- Image 'A journal of working class life' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
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