Engaging the World: American Diversity
Students will:
1. Analyze aspects of social diversity and how they affect society in the
United States of America
Much of the course content of Cross-cultural Psychology deals with
cultural diversity, both globally, and within many of those same subcultural
groups within the United States. We explore core psychological research
through the lens of cultural diversity. Although culture is explored as a
psychological and social construct, the processes of culture are applied to
the United States as an example of a pluralistic society that must deal with
intercultural contact in every aspect of life. Issues are U.S. diversity are
handled under the topics covered in the following ways:
MethodsStudents are introduced to culture as not being tied to ideas of ethnicity,
nationality, socioeconomic status or race, but instead as the beliefs,
values and patterns of behavior that are passed from one generation to
another. Students are introduced to their organization serving the
homeless with the idea that each organization has its own culture and the
homeless have a culture as well.
Intercultural ContactStudents undergo a cultural contact simulation to practice new skills. This
includes learning about stereotypes and how to use them efficiently to
avoid prejudice, as well as being made aware of ethnocentrism and how
our own cultural lens often leads to cultural miscommunication.
AcculturationStudents learn about acculturation and power in the process of acquiring
the cultural rules of a new place. Cultural Frame of Reference, the political
and historical relationship between the culture of origin and the dominant
culture, are explored specifically as it pertains to voluntary and involuntary
minorities in the United States.
Mental Health and IllnessStudents are exposed to the cultural framework of the DSM-IV TR and the
possible misdiagnoses that are common in the United States where most
diagnosticians are from the dominant culture and clients from other
cultures, such as African-Americans and the Amish, are frequently over
diagnosed, where other cultures such as Asian subcultures are frequently
underdiagnosed.
Transpersonal PsychologyStudents explore cultural differences in accepted states of consciousness
and American legal and religious biases in the use of drugs and trace
states.
Human DevelopmentStudents reconsider the Western Universal Model of parenting style as the
only acceptable model, and learn about Effective Environment, the idea
that parents raise children to survive in the roles available for adults in
their community. This questions ideas around race, class and privilege in
the U.S.
Motivation and ValuesThe cultural values of collectivism and individualism are explored as they
pertain to personality and motivation. Students explore their own
personality as a way to understand the different cultural influences present
as a person in the United States.
IntelligenceStudents explore theoretical approaches to intelligence set within the
United States during the 80s and 90s, including Ebonics, English Only
legislation, and the publication of The Bell Curve, which suggested that
U.S. intelligence would be lowered due to a cognitive underclass that was
genetically based.
CognitionLearning styles and schooling are explored as influences in cognitive
styles. Specifically, how do we address multiculturalism in the classroom,
especially in the context of indigenous peoples of the United States.
PerceptionStudents explore ecological and philosophical influences in the perception
of optical illusions and time, and apply them to differences observed in
cultures within the U.S.
GenderStudents learn about ideas of sex, gender, identity and legal status of
groups, especially as it applies to border areas with Mexico and
indigenous peoples of the United States, as well as considering gender
and sexual orientation as identities within the U.S.
Assessment will be in the form of integrative essay exams which require
the students to integrate at least two different theories and demonstrate
the synthesis with examples from class, videos and their experiences at
their service-learning placements. Content will also be assessed through
cooperative group quizzes and shared inquiry discussion.
2. Explain how social categories and structures of power may affect the
human person
Issues of acculturation, power, intercultural contact and stereotypes are
core to the course. Students will directly study the processes of structures
of power and the social outcomes of those processes through servicelearning, lectures, videos, source readings and discussion. For example,
before entering their service-learning placements where they will be
working with the homeless and extremely low income people, students will
be instructed in the concepts of acculturative stress, stereotyping,
prejudice, discrimination and the common outcomes of these phenomena.
Students will then experience a live-time cultural contact simulation game
(Bafa Bafa) followed by discussion. Finally, students will be asked to apply
these new skills to their service placement setting, where they will have to
enter a new and unfamiliar culture context. Service placements are
specifically chosen so that the students are not entering the context as
experts, but at the level of service, where they can learn from clients and
community partners.
Assessment will be in the form of integrative essay exams which require
the students to integrate at least two different theories and demonstrate
the synthesis with examples from class, videos and their experiences at
their service-learning placements. Content will also be assessed through
cooperative group quizzes and shared inquiry discussion. In addition,
students’ awareness of social categories and structures of power will be
assessed through reflective journals, where they must integrate their
experiences serving a homeless/extremely low income population with the
ideas of stereotyping, acculturation, and power issues in drug use , mental
health, and parenting styles.