An Exploratory Study on the Meaning of Death in the Perspective of Lifelong Learning Viewed through the Reflective Lived Experiences of Funeral Directors

주검과 죽음 사이에서 삶을 배우다

‘평생’이라는 삶의 여정은 한 사람이 보내야 하는 배움의 궤적으로, 전 생애에 걸쳐 이루어지는 다양한 경험과 성찰의 연속으로 이루어져 있다. 그 삶의 궤적 안에 우리는 존재론적으로 태어남과 동시에 ‘죽음’을 향해 나아가는 것이다. 본 연구는 장례지도사의 경험과 성찰이 평생학습적으로 어떤 의미를 가지는지를 탐구하였다. 장례지도사인 연구참여자들은 주검의 처리를 통하여 삶과 죽음의 ‘경계넘기’ 모습을 발견하였다. ‘삶’과 ‘죽음’은 하나라는 관점에서 ‘시간의 경계넘기’와 사회의 횡적(Lifewide)으로의 학습연계로서의 경계를 넘는 ‘공간의 경계넘기’, 고인과 관계맺기를 했던 지인들을 바라보면서 ‘관계의 경계넘기’를 하는 모습을 발견하였다. 그리고 ‘삶’과 ‘죽음’에 대한 사유로부터 실존적인 의미를 탐구하였다. 죽음을 맞이하는 그 순간까지 삶의 완성을 위한 평생교육적 의미를 발견하게 된다. 삶을 통해 살아나가는 법을 알아나가고(Learning to know), ‘차이’나는 삶의 실천들의 반복(Learning to do)을 통해 삶의 궤적을 그려낸다. ‘삶’은 더불어 함께 살아가기 위한 과정(Learning to live together)에 놓여있으며, 삶과 죽음에 대한 사유로부터 나 자신의 실존(existence)적 의미를 탐구(Learning to be)하게 된다. 자기존재 탐구의 완성을 위해서는 ‘존재하기 위한 학습’의 단계 전에 죽음(죽어감)을 위한 학습(Learning to die/dying)이 먼저 선행이 되어야 할 것이다. 삶을 잘 마무리하고, 죽음을 잘 준비하는 것은 평생교육이 지향하는 삶의 중요한 과제이므로 ‘주검’과 ‘죽음’ 사이에서 ‘삶’을 바라보면서 성찰해 나가고, 그 성찰을 통해 새로운 ‘삶’으로의 학습과 실천이 필요함을 제시한다.

The era of the lifelong learning begun as the average life expectancy increased. We dig deeper into the question, “how are the rest of our lives going to be?” There is a tight yet hypothetical connection between how to live a good life and how to die well. Previous research of lifelong learning has shown that its focus is on life itself. However a shift of perspective is much needed, where the research topic is on the individual’s reflection of their own past life and death. The journey of life, called lifelong, is a path of learning that a person should spend, consisting of a series of various experiences and reflections that span his or her entire life. In the path of life, we are born ontologically and at the same time we are headed toward death. In this study, the experiences and reflections of funeral directors were explored as to what lifelong learning means. Participants in the study, funeral directors, found crossing the boundary of life and death through the treatment of the dead body. In life and death, from the perspective of one, over the boundary of space that crosses the boundary between over the boundary of time and the lateral learning of the life-wide society, and over the boundary of the relationship as acquaintances who had not been able to relate to the deceased were seen. And the existential implications were explored by speculation about life and death. Until the moment of death, the lifelong educational meaning for the completion of life is discovered. We learn how to live through life (learning to know), and the path of life is drawn through the repetition of the practices of life (learning to do) that makes a difference. Life is in the process of living together (learning to live together), and my own existential (existence) meaning is explored (learning to be) from the speculation about life and death. In order to complete the exploration of one s existence, learning for death (dying) (learning to die/dying) must be preceded before the stage of learning to be. Since life is completed well and death is well prepared is an important task of life that lifelong education is aiming for, it is reflected as life is viewed between dead body and death, and that reflection suggests the need for learning and practice into a new life.