#67: Death, Dying, and Politics: An Examination of the Politicization of Death Using COVID-19 Vaccinations — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

#67: Death, Dying, and Politics: An Examination of the Politicization of Death Using COVID-19 Vaccinations

Name: Kaila Brugger
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Montgomery, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Senior thesis

Abstract

Death, Dying, and Politics: An Examination of the Politicization of Death Using COVID-19 Vaccinations

Topics surrounding death and dying are often seen as taboo; they go unspoken and ignored until further notice. Despite this, death and dying topics have been politicized, bringing them to the forefront of many of society’s crucial discussions. Though studies proving the politicization of death are not hard to find, the explanations for why this happens are few and far between. I seek to give answers to this question using the U.S. response to the COVID-19 vaccine as a temporary case study. First, I find and explain that the COVID-19 vaccine is politicized using previous statistical data analysis done by the Pew Research Center. The data clarifies vaccination rates, correlation with politics, and further variables. I then take this data and answer why topics surrounding death and dying are politicized using research and sociological theories including but not limited to institutional mistrust, individualism, and Michael Foucault’s theory of biopolitics. By using the data, I will provide evidence that these theories are logical reasonings for the politicization of death and dying. These proposed theories could propel further studies and projects to help us better understand our society’s goals and motivations, as well as the way we view death and dying itself.

Poster file