Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Author

Researcher in Sociology, Institute for Social and Cultural Studies.

Abstract

What does “death” mean? How death is even understood? How do we face with the death of the self and dying of the other in the moment of sealed and inevitable fate? These are existential questions which are as old as humanity life. In this sense and in other words, in order to have a meaningful life, we need a meaningful and of course right confrontation with death of the self and dying of the other. In this respect, this is culture that provides the epistemic and existential structures for developing a meaningful life in the world, so I, You and S/He will be able to face with such a social and cultural existential event. It is obvious that the power supply of this development is indeed the cultural narratives of death and dying, and science, religion and mysticism are their representatives. Science is the representative of the secular culture, and religion is the representative of the religious culture and mysticism is also the representative of the spiritual culture. Using specific questions, the article seeks to explore this narrative through three texts (scientific, religious, and literary one): A) What cultural signs and social works have been used in the secular text of social theory of death to describe “death of the self and dying of the other”?  B) What religious signs and the epistemic and existential works have been used in the religious text of Nahj al-Balagha to describe “death of the self and dying of the other”?  C) What epistemic signs and the conscience - existential works have been used in the literary text of Masnavi-I Ma'navi to describe “death of the self and dying of the other”?  

Keywords

Bryant, C. D. (2006). the Sociology of Death and Dying. in www.virginiapolytechnicinstitute.cdbryant/articles-2013.
Bunce, C. (2009). Thanatology: the Sociology of Death and dying, online course, in www.cbunce-ms.la.edu/2013.
Cullen, J. P. (1998). a Reflexive Sociology of Death. M.A dissertation in sociology, university of Regina, Canada, in www.uregina.ca/studentsdissertations-2013.
Dorāni Anārestāni, M. (1390 [2011 A.D]). Ensān Šenāsi-e Dini-e Marg va Mordan. www. anthropology.ir
E΄temādi, M. (1388 [2009 A.D]). Dar Bāb-e Tajrobeh hā-ye Nazdik beh Marg. www.religions.ir
Elias, N. (1389 [2010 A.D]). Tanhāyi-e Dam-e Marg. (Persian translation of Uber die einsamkeit der sterbendenin unseren tagen), translated by: Mehregān, O., & Najafi, S. Tehrān: Gām-e Nu.
Field, D. and Walter, T. (2003). Mortality, Virtual Themed Issues-Death and the Media, Taylor and Francis Health Sciences, Routledge, in  www.routledgementalhealth.com-2013.
Gorman, S.M.O (1998). Death and Dying in Contemporary Society- an evaluation of current attitudes and rituals associated with death and dying and their relevance to recent understanding of death and healing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 27:1127-1135.
Holloway, M (2009). Religion, Secularism and Social Class in Contemporary Funerals. in, M.O, Conner and J.Breen (2009). one size fits all? The intersection between social class and grief research, www.mo,conner.com/2013.
Jay Blain, M. (2001). The Politics of Death: a Sociological Analysis of Revolutionary Communication. in www.dissertation.com/library-1121318a/htm-2013.
Karimi, M. (1389 [2010 A.D]). Din, Bimāri va Marg. www.isa.org.ir
Kelleher, a (2008). dying as social relationship: a sociological review of debates on the determination of death. Social Sciences and Medicine, 66:1533-1544.
Kelleher, A. Heaven, P., Jia, G. (1990). Community Attitudes toward NDE (near death experiences): a Chinese study. Journal of NDE, 8 (3), 163-173.   
Kubler-Ross, E. (1980). on the Death and Dying. in www.elizabetkubler-ross.com/erkfundation.org/five-stages-of-grief-agust2013.
LIEN foundation (2010). the Quality of Death: Ranking End-of-Life-Care Across the World, economist intelligence unit commissioned, in www.eiu.com/lienfoundation-qualityofdeath.
Masnavi-e ma΄navi (1375 [1996 A.D]). editor: Soruš, ΄A., Tehrān: Šerkat-e Entešārāt-e Elmi va Farhangi.
Mui Hing Mak, J. and Clinton, M. (1999). Promoting a Good Death: an agenda for outcomes research- a review of the literature. Nursing Ethics, 6, 2, 97-107.
Nahj ol-balāgheh (1360 [1981 A.D]). editor: Sobhi, Sālehi. Qom: Men Manšurāt-e Dār ol-hejrah.
Nahj ol-balāgheh (1373 [1994 A.D]). translator: Šahidi, S. J., Tehrān: Šerkat-e Entešārāt-e Elmi va Farhangi.
΄Olyānasab, S. H. (1392 [2013 A.D]). Barresi-e Rābeteh-ye Dindari va Ezterāb-e Marg dar Beyn-e Dānešjuyān va Tolāb-e Šahr-e Qom. www.rasekhon.ir
Ortars, M., & Teodoresco, A. (eds.) (2011). Dying and Death in 18th-21st Century Europe. Cambridge scholars publishing.
Robinson, J. D. (2006). Death and the Cultural Landscapes- on the Cemetery as Monuments to Nature. in www.jdrobinson.essexuniversity.uk.
Social Sciences and Medicine, 66:1533-1544.
Tiefenwerth, J. I. (2012). the Sociology of Death and Dying –syllabus {soc.305.500 / stefen.f. Austin state university}. in www.sfasu.edu.
University of Sheffield (16 Nov 2009). Social Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement {ddb} Study Group, Icoss, Programme Abstracts, in<www.shef.ac.uk-britishsociologicalassociation/2013.
Willmute, H (2000). Death: So What? Sociology and Questation of Death. Sociological Review, 48 (4), 649-665.
Xātami, A. (1390 [2011 A.D]). Āsemān hā-ye Degar (Rāhnamā-ye Pažuheš dar Masnavi-e Ma΄navi-e Mulavi). Tehrān: Našr-e Dānešgāhi.
Yegāneh Sefidān, R. (1392 [2013 A.D]). Din va Tars az Marg. www.ido.ir
CAPTCHA Image