{"id":70579,"date":"2023-11-05T23:24:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T04:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=70579"},"modified":"2023-11-05T23:24:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T04:24:58","slug":"as-a-death-doula-and-professor-who-teaches-about-dying-i-see-a-need-for-more-conversations-about-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/as-a-death-doula-and-professor-who-teaches-about-dying-i-see-a-need-for-more-conversations-about-death\/","title":{"rendered":"As a death doula and professor who teaches about dying, I see a need for more conversations about death"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

A growing number of folks may have heard of the\u00a0death-positive movement<\/a>,\u00a0death caf\u00e9s<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0death-friendly communities<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 each of which are animated by the understanding that welcoming our own mortality could improve the quality of our lives.<\/p>\n

There is truth to these claims. Both as a person who has taught courses on death, dying, and spirituality for more than 20 years, and\u00a0as a death doula<\/a>, thinking about dying and working closely with the dying\u00a0has fostered in me a deep appreciation for what it means to live well and meaningfully<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, my university students have often told a different story. Both informally in class discussions,\u00a0and also in a public presentation<\/a>\u00a0about why death education matters, for the online\u00a0Lifting The Lid International Festival of Death and Dying<\/a>, many have expressed how their learning with me signals their first times talking about death.<\/p>\n

When I hear this, I am aware of how our society needs to do a better job at nurturing more conversations about death, and building communities that support people navigating questions surrounding death and dying.<\/p>\n