Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: educator who removes death's stigma through culture
- Professor drags students to funeral homes and graveyards to 'de-stigmatize' death.
- Curriculum includes field trips to green burials and lectures on Hakka animal dances.
- Awards committee praises the unconventional approach as 'Spirit of Hong Kong' material.
- Academic insists that chatting about your own demise makes life easier for the survivors.
Brief Summary
Joseph Lau, a student affairs head at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University, is ditching the lecture hall for the morgue. By taking students on field trips to funeral parlors and cemeteries, Lau aims to strip away the taboo surrounding end-of-life logistics. He claims that once students witness the reality of burials, they are more willing to have those awkward, necessary conversations with their families before it is too late.
Why This Matters
While this sounds like a morbid extracurricular, the takeaway is a reality check on the administrative nightmare of death. By normalizing these discussions, you can save your family from the financial and emotional tailspin of managing end-of-life arrangements without a plan. Lau’s work serves as a reminder that avoiding the topic doesn't stop the clock; it just leaves your loved ones to deal with the fallout in the dark.