PSYC 3570: Multicultural Issues in Psychology
Fall 2014
Mon/Wed 3:00pm-4:15pm
Classroom South 621
CRN: 83249
Instructor: Dominique Thomas
Office: Kell Hall 225-D
Office Hours: Wednesdays 11:00-1:00 or by appointment
Phone: 404-413-6305 (leave a message)
Email: dthomas60@student.gsu.edu (E-mail is the BEST way to reach me)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The goal of this course is to provide exposure to a broad range of psychological
topics associated with multicultural issues. The course will give students an
opportunity to explore human diversity from a wide range of theoretical and
methodological perspectives that are reflective of cultural influences. The course
objectives will be addressed via self-exploration, interactions with classmates and
instructor, experiential exercises, assigned readings, and didactic presentations.
PREREQUISITES
Students must have successfully completed (C or better) PSYC 1101 (Introduction
to General Psychology) NOTE: The GoSOLAR registration system will not allow
students to register without having completed the prerequisites. Waivers for
prerequisites will not be considered for regular students. Only post-baccalaureate
and transient (visiting) students may request a prerequisite waiver through
Tenagne Mulugeta in the main office of the Department of Psychology. No other
requests for waiver of prerequisites will be considered.
COURSE GOALS
1. Recognize the significance of and examine multicultural issues as it relates to
psychological theory, research, and application of psychology principles.
2. Stimulate an ongoing process of self-exploration and increase self-awareness
around multicultural issues in psychology, with particular attention to personal
biases based on one’s individual and multiple group identities that influence
one’s behavior and attitudes in intercultural contexts.
3. Facilitate a greater respect for and appreciation of both intergroup and
intragroup differences.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Students will learn to critically evaluate and critique behavioral science research
literature in order to determine whether ideas, methods, and research findings
appropriately address relevant multicultural issues.
2. Students will increase ability to attend to own personal biases based on
individual and multiple group identities through class discussion, group,
experiential exercises, and reflective writing.
3. Students will increase awareness and knowledge of the role of stereotyping,
prejudice, and other “isms” and how they interact within the field of psychology.
4. Students will engage in intercultural interactions in a safe classroom
environment that facilitates non-defensive, collaborative, and productive
communication about multicultural issues.
1
READING MATERIALS
Required Textbook:
Mio, J., Barker, L., & Tumambing, J. (2012). Multicultural Psychology:
Understanding our diverse communities (3rd edition). Boston: McGraw Hill. ISBN:
978-0-19-976691
Desire2Learn :
Other assigned readings will be available on the class Desire2Learn page or will be
handed out in class.
PERSONAL CONDUCT
Creating a Safe Learning Environment:
Each student is responsible for reading and agreeing to terms in the contract
regarding appropriate classroom conduct that helps to both create and maintain a
safe classroom environment. The class contract will be created collaboratively, on
the first day of class. Class participation in a respectful manner will be counted
towards your final grade. Respect in this class implies your freedom to disagree
with what other people say, without disrespecting each other. Respect also means
that we strive to embrace diversity and multicultural concepts both in and outside
of the classroom environment.
Students who exhibit behaviors that I consider obstructive or disruptive to the class
or its learning activities will be treated according to the Board of Regents Policy on
Disruptive Behavior. Disruptive students will first receive a verbal warning.
Continued violations will result in the student being removed from the classroom, a
meeting with the Chair of the Department of Psychology, and finally formal
disciplinary action at the University level. In addition any student who engages in
disruptive behavior may be assessed point deductions from his/her final grade or
administratively withdrawn from the course.
Academic Honesty: The Department of Psychology follows the University system
policy on academic honesty, published by the Office of the Dean of Students. All
members of the University community, including students, faculty, and staff are
expected to know the University’s standards of academic honesty and to abide by
them. Lack of knowledge of these standards is not an acceptable defense
for academic misconduct. For a full explanation of academic dishonesty, see the
GSU student code of conduct at:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct.html
The most common types of academic dishonesty are plagiarism, cheating on
assessments, and unauthorized collaboration.
GSU Department of Psychology Definition of Plagiarism: If a student uses or relies
on others’ work in preparing any academic materials (e.g. written assignments,
posters, presentations) the student must cite the source correctly according to the
directions provided by the instructor. Failure to do so is plagiarism. Copying and
pasting even part of a sentence or phrase is plagiarism, even when the source is
cited correctly. Paraphrasing a source in a way that copies the phrase or sentence
structure of a source is also plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, students are expected
to properly paraphrase others’ ideas.
Quotes in scientific writing should only be used when the wording of the original
2
source is critical to the student’s argument. Whether quoting is appropriate in a
given instance is at the discretion of the instructor, not the student.
Cheating and Unauthorized Collaboration
Cheating includes the use or sharing of any unauthorized materials and/or
assistance before, during, or after an assessment (e.g. exams, tests, quizzes).
Unless otherwise specified by your instructor, you may not discuss an assessment
or share materials or information with any other student at any time. Unauthorized
collaboration occurs under the same circumstances as cheating, but involves
assignments outside of the classroom (e.g. papers, projects, presentations) rather
than assessments.
Disruptive Behavior
Disruptive behavior includes coming unprepared (e.g., has not read the text),
interrupting others, acting sour or defensive with others, or for consistently
distracting self or others (e.g., texting on cell phone; frequently arriving late,
leaving early, or traffic in and out of classroom).
Cell phones: According to the University’s official policy on disruption, students are
prohibited from making or receiving phone calls, pages, or text messages, while in
class. Every time your cell phone audibly rings or vibrates so loudly that the
instructor can hear it during 2 points will be deducted from your final grade. If
circumstances beyond your control require that you be available to receive a phone
call/page/text message during class (e.g. your child is ill), please notify me BEFORE
class. When the call, text message, or page comes in, please leave the room
discretely to answer it. University policies on disruptive behavior can be found at:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwsen/minutes/2002-2003/disrupt2.html
PLEASE NOTE: Should you choose to text or use your phone during class,
without prior permission from me, points will be deducted from your final
grade. This is considered disruptive behavior in the classroom
environment.
EMAIL POLICY
All students are required to activate and monitor their FREE university email
accounts (student.gsu.edu). You are responsible for any and all school-related
information sent to this account. It is your responsibility to check your email
account regularly to make sure that your account is working properly and your
inbox is not full. You are responsible for any course-related content that is sent to
your correct university email account.
Email is the primary way that I make contact with individual students outside of my
office hours. In order to manage the large amount of email that I receive, I ask that
you follow some basic procedures when sending me electronic messages.
1. All email messages related to this course should be sent from your GSU
student account and have PSYC 3570 or MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY in
the subject line.
2. Each email message you send should include your name as you are
registered for the course.
3. You should wait at least one full business day after sending me an email
message to send me another message (or call me) with reference to a given
issue.
4. Send copies of all messages that you send to me to yourself and save them
3
until the end of the course, or until you receive your final grade for the
course. Do not delete any information from the messages.
5. DO NOT EMAIL ME on Desire2Learn!Please use the email address provided on
this syllabus.
Email messages that do not follow the policies and procedures described above are
very likely to be deleted without being read, regardless of their content.
GENERAL CLASS ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION
Due to the participatory nature of the course, all students are expected to be in
class during the scheduled meeting time, for the whole time and attendance is part
of your grade for this course. You will be penalized for having more than three
unexcused absences (see policy on excusing an absence below).
LATENESS POLICY
If you arrive to class more than 10 minutes late, you will be marked absent, unless
you have already spoken to me about your lateness. You are allowed a total of 3
opportunities to be late during the semester. A fourth late arrival and each one
thereafter counts as an absence. Many of the activities we do in class require
everyone’s participation and late students can be disruptive to those activities.
IF YOU ARE ABSENT OR MISS A DEADLINE
If you are unable to attend class or be present for the full class period it is your
responsibility to get notes from another student for any material you missed. In the
event that materials distributed in class on the day you were absent are not
available for download through Desire2Learn, you should get a copy from a
classmate or see me during my regular office hours. After you have reviewed the
materials from the class you missed, you are welcome to see me during office hours
to discuss questions that you were unable to resolve on your own.
If possible, you should notify me in advance when you will be absent. In the event
that you will be absent on the day that an assignment is due and you are aware of
this absence at least one week in advance, I expect you to turn in the work BEFORE
you go, rather than after you return. Work turned in to me in advance need not be
accompanied by a “make up petition”. Work turned in late will ONLY be accepted if
the absence is excused, per the makeup policy below.
Excusing an Absence: In order to have an absence excused, you must provide
me with a typewritten explanation of your absence and copies of any supporting
official materials (I must see the original and you must provide a copy for my
records). Official documents must have the date, and name of the issuing party
(e.g. your physician), and a contact phone number. They must also clearly indicate
that you were unable to be in school on the day in question, according to some
relevant authority. A bill from a physician’s office showing that you were there
around the time of an assignment deadline is not enough. You must have a signed
note from the physician stating that you were hospitalized or ordered to stay home
from school and work on the day in question because of your physical or mental
condition. Please do not include specific information regarding your diagnosis, a
general note from your physician meeting the previously stated guidelines is
adequate. This note must be provided to me by the next class.
All documentation relevant to your petition must be given to me in person or to the
receptionist at the Psychology main desk of the 11th floor of the Urban Life Building
within 48 hours of the assignment that was missed. (If you turn it in to the
4
receptionist, be sure to have it time and date stamped, so I know when it was
turned in). If your documentation is late or incomplete, I will not accept it and your
petition will not be considered. After reviewing your materials, I will notify you by
email as to whether your case warrants permitting late work. If it does not, you will
receive a grade of zero for the missed assignment/exam. If you miss the midterm
exam and have all appropriate documentation accounting for an excused absence,
you and I will decide upon a time to take the make-up exam, which will occur no
more than one week past the date of the original exam.
Veterans’ Attendance: The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that
institutions of higher learning immediately report to them when a student
discontinues attendance. Veterans who are receiving benefits to fund their
education will be reported to the DVA if they do not attend class for a period of two
weeks or more.
DROPS & WITHDRAWALS
Should you choose to drop or withdraw from this class after you have enrolled, you
must do so via GOSOLAR. In general, you may voluntarily withdraw from the course
and receive a W if you withdraw after registration and before the midpoint of the
semester (October 14th, 2014). For additional information concerning all types of
academic withdrawals and grade assignments related to withdrawals, go to:
http://www.gsu.edu/es/withdrawals.html
DISABILITIES & ACCOMODATIONS
Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by
registering with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be
accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed
Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to
instructors of all classes in which an accommodation is sought. Please provide the
instructor your accommodation plan during the first week of class.
GRADING
The final grade will be based on the total number of possible
points earned out of 500 points.
Attendance & Participation
40
In-Class Reactions
50
Self Reflection Papers
110
Mid Term Exam
100
Group Project
100
Final Self Assessment Paper
100
Total =
500
485-500 = A+
You must earn the minimum
5
465-484
450-464
435-449
415-434
400-414
385-399
365-384
350-364
300-349
299-0
=A
= A= B+
=B
= B= C+
=C
= C=D
=F
number of points for a letter
grade in order to receive that
grade for the course. I always
round final point values to the
nearest integer.
Self Reflection Papers (110 points):
1) Students will be required to submit eleven out of 12 self-reflection papers
which are intended to facilitate self-exploration and serve as a launching
point for class discussion.
2) You should always respond to one of the questions provided by the
instructor.
3) In total, your paper should be 1-2 pages, typed in Microsoft Word with 12 pt
font and 1 inch margins, so that they can be submitted electronically over
Desire2Learn.
4) You will submit these papers on Desire2Learn and print them and hand them
in to me at the beginning of class.
5) In addition to the 1-2 page response to provided questions, students can feel
free to respond to activities in class or things they would like to convey to the
instructor in a more private format, but they must respond to the questions
in order to receive credit for doing the assignment. Students in the past have
found this a helpful outlet to journal about how activities in the class,
readings, or discussions, have impacted them.
6) Late assignments will not be accepted. Please note that Desire2Learn
time stamps your assignments.
Evaluation: Self-reflection Papers are graded on your effort and depth of
processing, not for the “Correctness of your thoughts,” because there are no right
answers to these questions and no “correct” reactions you should be having to
course material. Each paper will be given one of two responses. A check (√) will
indicate that the question has been answered with thought and effort. This means
that the response shows a depth of exploration, self-examination, critical thinking,
and is relevant to course material. An “SC” will communicate that you should
“stretch and challenge” yourself more in your exploration of these issues.
Responses that receive a “SC” may be superficial, sketchy, or lack depth.
Every question that receives a check (√) will be worth 10 points. Because there
are 12 papers, if the student completes all 12 self-reflection papers, one “SC” can
be dropped.
Making up an ‘SC’- You can make up 2 SC’s over the course of the semester if you
would like. Students have one week from when they received the SC to hand in a
new attempt at the same question. No make-ups will be accepted after 1 week has
passed.
Exam (100 points): There will be an in-class midterm exam consisting of several
short answer, multiple choice, and essay questions.
6
Group Facilitation Project (100 points):
Groups will facilitate a 30 minute class discussion that describes a discrimination
faced by a specific group (e.g., women, transgender, ethnic minorities), and
organizations that combat that type of discrimination.
Groups will identify a type of discrimination that the target group faces. (1)They will
specify the level and type of discrimination (or ism). (2)Next, groups will identify an
agency or program that represents how members of the target group are working
against the discrimination they face. What resources/events do they offer to the
target community? For example, a group describing racial discrimination may
discuss how the NAACP is comprised mostly of African Americans and 1-2 specific
things they do to combat racism. (3) Groups will also discuss how allies from the
majority group can best combat discrimination toward the target group. Describe 12 organizations/agencies of allies working against the discrimination described in
(1). What resources/events/volunteer opportunities do they offer to allies? (4) The
final 10 minutes of the presentation should be devoted toward a class discussion
that motivates us to get actively involved in opposing the discrimination. How do
you envision getting involved?
Group Outline: Turn in one outline per group (see the Desire2Learn learning
module on group project for more information). Peer Evaluation: Members of the
class will evaluate each group’s presentation based on a rubric given by the
instructor Self Reflection: Each individual will turn in a 2-3 page reflection on their
experience working in the group. Your project grade is based on your: Project
Outline (30 points), Facilitation project (35 points), peer-informed evaluation (15
points), and self reflection (20points).
Examples of agencies that support empowered target communities and those that
support the work of allies will be posted on Desire2Learn
Final Self-Assessment Paper (100 points): You will be required to submit a
final self-assessment paper, which incorporates your experiences from the class
(e.g. in-class discussions, activities, readings, and self-reflection papers). More
specific requirements will be provided toward the end of the semester. Final papers
are to be submitted via Desire2Learn, by 5pm on Friday, May 3rd. Late
papers will NOT BE ACCEPTED
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an
indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon
completing the course, please take time to fill out the online
course evaluation. Thank you!!!
7
PSYC 3570 – Multicultural Issues in Psychology – Fall 2014
COURSE SCHEDULE
*The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. You
are responsible for knowing of any schedule changes and completing necessary assignments,
which will be announced in class and on Desire2Learn.
Day/Date
Topic
Readings
Assignment Due
M – 8/25
Introductions/
Week 1
Course Overview
W – 8/27
What is Multicultural
Psychology?
Week 2
M – 9/1
W – 9/3
Mio et al. Ch. 1
Labor Day- No Class
Multicultural Issues in
Research Methods
Harro, B. “The cycle of
socialization”
Self-Reflection #1
Mio, Ch 2
Cultural Worldview
And Socialization
W – 9/10
Discrimination
Week 3
M- 9/8
Mio, Ch 3-4
Self-Reflection #2
Pincus, F. “Discrimination
comes
in many forms:
institutional, and
structural”
Pre-assessment
Questions
http://www.understanding
prejudice.org/
Week 4
Do the “Baseline
assessment” enter code:
psyc3570
M – 9/15
Stereotypes &
Prejudice
W – 9/17
Stereotypes &
Prejudice
Mio, Ch 6
Mio, Ch 6
8
Self Reflection #3
Week 5
Week 6
M – 9/22
Categorization &
Privilege
W – 9/24
Power & Privilege
M – 9/29
Identity
W – 10/1
Race & Ethnicity
McIntosh, P. “White
Privilege:
Unpacking the invisible
knapsack”
Self Reflection #4
Wildman, S. & Davis, A.
“Language & silence:
Making systems of
privilege visible”
Sign Up for Group
Project
Tatum, B. “The
Complexity of Identity:
Who Am I?”
Self Reflection #5
Mio, ch 5
(Immigrants &
Refugees)
Week 7
M – 10/6
Race & Ethnicity
Mio, ch 7
Self Reflection #6
Cultural Identity
Development
W – 10/8
Race & Ethnicity
Martinez “Seeing More
than Black and White”
M – 10/13
Midterm Exam
W – 10/15
Gender
M – 10/20
SES/Class
Glick, P. & Fiske, S. “An
Ambivalent Alliance:
Hostile & Benevolent
Sexism as
Complementary
Justifications for Gender
Inequality”
Langston, D. “Tired of
Playing Monopoly?”
”Working-Class Students
Speak Out”
Week 9
Week 8
Root, M.P.P. “ A bill of
Rights for Racially Mixed
People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijn
sM
W – 10/22
SES/Class
Brookings Institute “From
Poverty, Opportunity”
Executive Summary
9
Self Reflection #7
Self Reflection #8
Week 10
Week 11
M – 10/27
Age
W – 10/29
Religion & Spirituality
M – 11/3
Religion & Spirituality
W – 11/5
Disability
Nelson, T. “Ageism:
Prejudice Against Our
Feared Future Self”
Self Reflection #9
Schlosser, L. “Christian
Privilege: Breaking a
Sacred Taboo”
Wyman, D. “The Setting:
Europe & America”
Self Reflection #10
Go to this website:
http://www.sikhcoalition.or
g/SikhismGlance.asp and
read the brief description
of Sikhism
-Shapiro, J.P. “ No pity:
People with Disabilities
Forging a New Civil
Rights Movement”
Week 12
-Snyder, M.L. et al. “
Avoidance of the
Handicapped: An
Attributional Ambiguity
Analysis”
M – 11/10
Sexual Orientation
W – 11/17
Sexual Orientation
Blumenfeld, W. “How
Homophobia Hurts
Everyone”
Self Reflection #11
Reading posted on
Desire2Learn
Week 14
Week 13
Thanksgiving Break (Nov. 24 – Nov. 28) – No classes
M – 12/1
Group Presentations
W – 12/3
Group Presentations
M – 12/8
Group Presentations
Self Reflection #12
Individual part of
project due.
10
W – 12/10
Lessons Learned &
Bridging
Multicultural
Competence
Cycle of Liberation
Blaine, B. Ch 12
“Responding to social
inequality”
Mio, Ch 10
Harro, B. “Cycle of
Liberation”
Final Self Reflection Paper Due: FRIDAY DECEMBER 12th by 5:00pm.
Submit on Desire2Learn
11