The Columbia University Seminar on Death* invites scholars and practitioners to The Austin H. Kutscher Memorial Conference

THE PULSE OF DEATH NOW

Columbia University
Saturday, March 29, 2008

The experience and representation of death and dying in the 21st Century include daily news reports of suicide bombers in Baghdad and genocide victims in Darfur, a popular television show centered on the life of a funeral director, a best-selling book promoting hospice, and internet access to individualized memorials. Philippe Ariès’ rubric “The Invisible Death,” coined for the previous century, seems no longer applicable.
How do we understand death and dying in the new millennium? In what direction tends the discourse on death and dying and what does it mean? Is death and dying more politicized now? More personalized? More commercially exploited? Does increased visibility indicate acceptance or is Ariès’ other designation for the last century – “Death Denied” – still relevant?

The conference invites scholars and clinicians from all fields, including but not limited to: anthropology, journalism, media studies, medicine, nursing, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, sociology,
thanatology, and visual and cultural studies.

We welcome proposals for papers and panels concerning the understanding and meaning of death in the 21st Century related, but not limited, to the politicization, exploitation and personalization of death as currently manifested in:

• Terrorism, genocide and human rights
• Popular media, public and individual memorial ceremonies and burials
• Social, economic, cultural and legislative debate
• Health care and health care institutions

Please send abstracts (300 words) for 20-minute presentations, with author’s name and presentation title in heading and a one-page C.V. by September 21, 2007 to CU Seminar on Death co-chairs:

Michael K. Bartalos, MD bartalosmk@verizon.ne t and
Christina Staudt, PhD christinastaudt@aol.com

Notification of acceptance will be sent by December 15, 2007.
For information on attending the conference please e-mail Joanna Cheetham
jlc221@columbia.edu

*The Columbia University Seminar movement has promoted inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional
explorations for over sixty years. Austin H. Kutscher founded the Seminar on Death in 1970. For more
information please go to www.columbia.edu/cu/seminars/

Alice Newton Phone:
(212) 854-2389
University Seminars Fax: (212)
854-8248
Columbia University
305 Faculty House MC 2302
400 West 117 Street
New York NY 10027