TransfermaticHIST at Grossmont College

    HIST 172 - U.S History of Death, Dying, & Afterlife

    Recent Professors
    Not yet assigned
    Recent Semesters
    No scheduled sections on record
    Class Size
    Not published
    Credits
    3
    Transfers To
    CSU
    Description
    This course explores the diverse cultural, religious, and social understandings of death, dying, and the afterlife within the United States. Students will examine how race, ethnicity, gender, and LGBTQ+ identities shape death rituals, mortuary practices, and beliefs about the afterlife. Special attention will be given to marginalized communities, including BIPOC, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ+ populations. The course explores syncretic belief systems such as Voodoo and Santería and highlights cultural resilience in these practices. The significance of?Día de los Muertos?and the role of mortuaries, burial customs, autopsies, and socio-political aspects of death are key topics. (CSU/UC)