St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 5
History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number:
1.
Prepared by: Chris Jazwinski, Zoa Rockenstein, Mary Bodvarsson, Brenda
Buswell
Phone: 8-3271
Email: chjazwinski
2.
Requesting Unit: Psychology
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: Psy 225 Psychology of women
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
No
Yes
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
Psychological research, theories and issues relevant to women.
Critical analysis of similarities and differences between women and men.
Cr. F, S, SUM.
3
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
Psy 225 counts as an elective course in the Psychology major, minor
and BES minor. Psy 225 is an elective as well in the Women's Studies major,
minor, and BES major and minor.
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
None
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
NA
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11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 5: History and the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Develop understanding of human societies and behaviors, and of the concepts, theories, and methods of
history and the social sciences.
Students will use the methodological tools of psychology to analyze
the behavior of women and to study gender similarities and differences. The
diversity of women's situations and experiences based on race/ethnicity,
status, sexual orientation, as well as changes across the lifespan will be
explored (Area 5 SLO #2).
Students will learn how beliefs and attitudes about gender roles as well as
social influence processes shape the circumstances of women as well as their
behavior. By understanding the social forces that impact women, students
will acquire tools to analyze and sometimes modify the influences that
impact them and/or the girls and women around them (Area 5 SLO #3).
Students will apply psychological concepts, theories, and research findings
as they relate to both the experiences of girls/women as a group and to
their own personal experiences (Area 5 SLO #4).
Students will use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and,
when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior
and mental processes as they apply within the field of psychology of women
(Area 5 SLO #5).
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 5, it must address at least 4 of the 5 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Describe or use the methods and data by which historians, social scientists, or behavioral scientists investigate
human conditions.
2. Analyze human behavior, cultures, and social institutions and processes from the perspectives of history or the
social and behavioral sciences.
3. Develop explanations for and explore solutions to historical or contemporary social problems.
4. Reflect upon themselves in relation to family, communities, society, culture, and/or their histories.
5. Apply and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories about human societies and behaviors.
14.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
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appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
SLO #2: Analyze human behavior, cultures, and social institutions and
processes from the perspectives of history or the social and behavioral
sciences.
a.
Understand how various tools available in the methodological arsenal
of social scientists, especially psychologists, are used to analyze the
behavior of women and to study gender differences (observational studies,
surveys, correlational studies, experiments, meta-analysis)
b.
Identify the psychological domains in which there are gender
similarities and differences and use a variety of theories to explain any
gender differences that do exist.
c.
Identify the ways in which individuals and society as a whole treats
women and men differently and the psychological impact of these differences.
d.
Identify the ways in which women differ from one another including:
race/ethnicity, SES, sexual orientation, age, etc.
e.
Examine gender across the lifespan including the unique issues and
challenges present at each stage (e.g., infancy, childhood)
SLO # 3: Develop explanations for and propose solutions to historical and
contemporary social problems.
a.
Understand how gender roles have shaped behavior (gender role theory
and the concept of androgyny)
b.
Engage in problem solving around ideas and attitudes about gender
(e.g. gender role expectations and gender role stereotypes), appreciating
that we do not need to be constrained by traditional gender roles
c.
Understand how gender roles and culture impact women in various
spheres of life, such as education (e.g., achievement and achievement
motivation), work (e.g., career aspirations, entitlement, occupational
segregation, sexual harassment, gender wage gap), family (e.g., combining
motherhood with employment, the "double shift")
d.
Understand how specific aspects of culture and society (e.g. language,
power and social dominance relations, etc.) shape women's behavior
e.
Analyze the scholarship on women using feminist methodology
f.
Increase understanding of women who experience inequities and
victimization based on gender
SLO # 4: Reflect upon themselves in relation to families, communities,
society, culture, and/or their histories.
a.
Reflect on the personal impact of gender discrimination and prejudice
across social groups (e.g. women, race, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, country of origin, violence against women) by relating
course readings to personal history/experience.
b.
Analyze the impact of different career choices on quality of life for
women through course assignments.
c.
Examine the impact of healthy/unhealthy relationships for women.
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d.
Examine the impact of different family choices on the lives of women.
e.
Work to empower women through course assignments.
f.
Attend community events related to psychology of women.
SLO # 5: Apply and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories
about human societies and behaviors
a.
Evaluate the quality of information about women, including
differentiating empirical evidence from speculation and the probable from
the improbable
b.
Identify and evaluate the source, context, and credibility of
information
c.
Recognize and defend against common fallacies in thinking about women
d.
Practice using rational and empirical evidence to support arguments
e.
Evaluate popular media reports of psychological research on women
f.
Make linkages or connections between diverse facts, theories, and
observations related to the psychology of women
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
Students will be reading, critically evaluating, discussing, and
reflecting on the following topics and issues:
I.) Critical review of research methods in the context of early and modern
theoretical frameworks, including issues of sex bias and diversity
(ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, etc.) (SLO #’s 2 & 5)
•
Psychoanalytic theory 2%
•
Sociobiology and evolutionary psychology 4%
•
Social learning theory 4%
•
Cognitive-developmental theory 4%
•
Gender role and gender schema theory 6%
•
Feminist theories 4%
II) Review and critical analyses of the literature on gender roles, gender
role stereotypes, and actual differences in abilities, personality, emotion
and behavior (SLO #’s 2, 3 & 4)
•
Personality, emotion and behavior (e.g., .g., passivity. nurturance,
dominance, self-esteem, aggression, helping behavior) 18%
•
Abilities and Achievement (e.g., math ability, achievement motivation)
8%
III) Topics in research on women (SLO #’s 3, 4 & 5)
•
Women and development across the lifespan 12%
•
Biology and sexuality 6%
•
Women and relationships 6%
•
Reproductive decisions and motherhood 6%
•
Women and health issues (physical and mental health) 7%
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•
•
Women, career preparation and work 7%
The victimization of women 6%
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St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Psychology
Course or Course(s): PSY 225 Psychology of Women
Leslie Valdes
Department or Unit Chair Signature
2-2-2010
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date