At the 2010 Changing Expectations of Life: What do we really want? event a number of participants raised the point that in order to understand what people want from their ends of their lives we must consider what they want from their deaths.
Although the debate about assisted dying may form part of the discussion, this conference will be broader than this, considering issues such as:
- how we as a society feel about, represent and mark death and how this may have changed over history
- the role played by religion and spirituality in mediating and making sense of death in an increasingly secular society
- what form end of life care should take and how it should be funded,
- whether and how new medical technology has changed our perception of dying
- Have we lost sight of the idea that seemed to exist previously that dying well is as important as living well?
- Was this ever really true, and what can we learn from earlier generations or other cultures?
- What does dying well actually mean?
- How can we prepare/plan to die well?
- We will all experience terminal illness – however, are there lessons to be learned from comparing/contrasting “premature” terminal illness and the terminal illness that is part of advanced old age?
Confirmed Speakers
Professor Douglas Davies, University of Durham
Baroness Ilora FInlay of Llandaff
Professor Tom Kirkwood, Associate Dean for Ageing, Newcastle University
Dr George Leeson, Co-Director, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford
Eve Richardson, Chief Executive, National Council for Palliative Care
Rose Thompson, Director, BME Cancer Communities
Dr Adrian Tookman, Medical Director of the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead
Professor Helen Small, Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford
Professor Tony Walter, Professor of Death Studies, University of Bath
Professor Linda Woodhead, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, University of Lancaster; Director, AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme
Dr Kate Woodthorpe, Lecturer, Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath
The Reverend Canon Dr James Woodward
This conference is at an early planning stage, please keep checking this webpage for updates
All enquiries should be directed to the Programme Team.
