Cross-cultural Psychology: Psych 165
Fall 2012, St. Mary’s College
Instructor: Elena Andrea Escalera, PhD
Office: Brousseau 124 Office Hours: TTh 1:45-2:45pm and 5-6pm
e-mail: eescaler@stmarys-ca.edu Phone: X4435, emergency only (510) 541-5967
Facilitator: Jenny Tolcher
e-mail: jlt6@stmarys-ca.edu
Texts: Human Behavior in Global Perspective, by Segall, Dasen, Berry and Poortinga
Selected readings in Cross-cultural Psychology (on Moodle)
Course Description
Welcome to Cross-cultural Psychology. In this course we will explore the meaning of culture and
how it affects our thoughts and behavior. Culture is a powerful influence, and often an invisible one. If we
can learn to see this invisible force in our own lives, we can come to better understand the role culture
plays in our interactions with those who have different cultural expectations.
This will not be your average lecture course. It is an experiment, designed around learning
experiences and opportunities instead of a textbook. The only way to learn is to participate and observe
both the behavior of others and your own behavior and thoughts. There is a lot of reading required for this
course. In addition, for at least ten weeks out of the semester you will be doing a service learning
assignment in the field. If you cannot give the 9 outside hours per week required, it is not advisable for
you to attempt this course.
I ask two things from students in this course. The first is to treat each other with respect. We will
be covering many hot and emotionally charged topics over the course of the semester. If we work
together, we can create a space where any viewpoint can be heard. You’ll have to give your fellow
classmates the benefit of the doubt that they are not trying to hurt you. Your experiences may be outside
the experience of others, especially if you are from a culture other than the dominant culture. It is
generous to share your experience, but you are not obligated to teach others about it.
The second thing I ask is that you be willing to sit with uncertainty and be aware of what you do
not know. We are all affected by stereotypes and this will become evident very quickly. The more we can
see what we take for granted, the more we can understand about how culture works psychologically.
Right and wrong is culturally determined. Be ready to accept that for some questions there simply are no
real answers. Admitting that we don’t know will come closer to the truth than just accepting a position to
avoid saying, “I don’t know.”
As the instructor for this course, I do not have all the answers. Because cross-cultural psychology
challenges many of our existing research paradigms, and even moral belief systems, it is a struggle to be
open and curious. This takes practice, and no one is perfect, and that definitely includes me. I simply ask
that you try to be compassionate with yourselves and each other.
Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes
Cross-cultural Psychology fulfills three different requirements of the Core Curriculum at Saint
Mary’s College: Social, Historical and Cultural Understanding, American Diversity and Community
Engagement. Listed below are the learning outcomes for each of these areas as they are fulfilled by this
course.
Social, Historical and Cultural Understanding
Students will:
1. Examine human activity in particular periods or places, from a social, cultural, or historical
perspective
Cross-cultural Psychology explores the role of culture in human thought and behavior. Students
will learn about particular aspects of culture, such as independent and interdependent
constructions of the self, and how that impacts perception, cognition, motivation and other
psychological variables. This will be the content of the course, taught through textbook and
original source readings, lectures and videos.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of theories of human behavior, relations, culture or institutions; or
interpretations of historical causation and change
Cross-cultural psychology will directly explore all these aspects of social context. We will explore
how culture may impact the developing child, or group behavior. Culture also impacts human
relationships, such as parenting style and cooperation. Students will also learn how our cultural
perspectives impact institutions, such as the Westsern Therapeutic Tradition, which is based in
independent ideas of causation, and how other cultures may have different perspectives of
mental health and illness. Finally, we will also explore ideas such as Cultural Frame of Reference,
which influences how a person acculturates to a new culture based on the social, historical, and
political relationship between their culture of origin and the dominant culture. This learning goal
will be met through course content as well.
3. Employ social science or historical methodology to collect and interpret evidence about the social
world
Students will be participant observers in an off-campus setting that will involve an unfamiliar
culture. Observations and self-reflection will be recorded in a journal. At the end of the semester,
students will do an analysis of their own cognitive development toward cultural relativity using this
journal.
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 how that is reflected within subcultural groups within the United States. For
example, the paradigm we use to study attachment is only applicable to cultures with nuclear
families. When it was discovered that this did not work in Senegal, a new paradigm had to be
created. This is applicable for measuring attachment in both Senegal, where extended families
are the norm, and in African American Communities, where that cultural tradition remains intact in
the United States.
2. Explain how social categories and structures of power may affect the human person
Students will directly study the processes of structures of power and the social outcomes of those
processes through experiential learning. For example, before entering their service placement,
students will be instructed in the concepts of stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and the
common outcomes of these phenomena. Students will be then learn effective ways to use their
stereotypes, acknowledging that they are part of our human cognition. Students will then
experience a live-time cultural contact experience 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.
Community Engagement
Students will:
1. Apply academic methods and/or theories in a way that promotes collaboration and mutual benefit
in a community setting
Cross-cultural Psychology includes a ten week service-learning placement of 2-4 hours per visit.
Through CILSA, we will be working with Community Partners who serve the homeless or
extremely low income populations. Students will be engaged in placements where they are not in
a position of authority, so the clients and supervisors of the organizations they serve will also be
their teachers. The Community Partners get needed help to serve their population through
volunteer hours. The students get to experience the humanity of people who are at first perceived
to be different from them through repeated contact, and learn about acculturative stress and other
cultural factors as they learn the rules of their new setting.
2. Demonstrate critical reflection throughout their experience
Students will keep an observational and reflective journal throughout the semester. Six journal
entries of 1-2 pages, double-spaced, will be due every two weeks. In these journals, students are
asked to reflect on their service-learning and integrate their experience with the course content
from the readings. At the end of the semester, students will analyze the journal to evaluate their
progress in developing a culturally relevant cognitive perspective.
3. Express their understanding of the interconnections between their experience and their
responsibilities as members of their social or professional communities
Cross-cultural psychology includes a shared inquiry component, using seminar style reading and
discussion. During these discussions, students are encouraged to integrate their experiences with
concepts from the readings. In addition, the students will also have periodic reflection sessions,
led by the engaged learning facilitator and community partners. In these sessions, students will
reflect not only on what they have learned, but also on the acculturative process in which they are
participating. Are they learning the rules from clients and supervisors? Are they learning the
values behind those rules? And most importantly, are they becoming an active member of their
new context. This is often signified by clients giving the students nicknames, or the students
establishing relationships with the clients that facilitate a common understanding.
Educational Goals for this Course
It is my goal for the student to acquire certain skills and perspectives during the semester. These
goals are assessed through the course requirements; each requirement is a way to express your skill in
these fields. The goals of this course are as follows:
1) To develop a perspective of cultural relativity through experience and introspection, and to be willing to
evaluate one’s own cultural assumptions from that perspective.
2) To gain a working knowledge of the major theoretical and methodological concepts and controversies in
the field of cross-cultural psychology.
3) To be able to integrate these ideas and apply them creatively to real world situations and experiences.
4) To be able to sit with uncertainly and take intellectual risks in discussion with one’s peers and in service
to others.
The Intellectual Community
This course is about learning in community. This is a cultural challenge for most American
students. We spend most of our academic lives in competition with each other, working alone. Many of the
activities we will be doing will be group-oriented. Your group is the key to your success in this course. This
course will be a chance for you to learn to operate in an interdependent setting. All quizzes will be
collective, and you will be active in the grading process of your peers.
Discussion and communication are crucial to using community as a resource. To this end, I will be
setting up a Moodle website for this class. Through Moodle you will be able to have online discussions with
other class members in a more immediate way. I will also be posting study guides and the syllabus online
so you will always have access to them. You can also get your readings online.
For some of you, discussion in class is very difficult. This may, or may not, be a cultural difference.
The discussion board is one way to ease into participating in class. If you are shy about trying out your
ideas in class discussion, you can talk about them on Moodle ahead of time. This can give you some good
feedback and more confidence in discussions. Although the online discussion is not mandatory, you can
earn discussion credit for participating in Moodle discussions.
You will also be learning through service to the wider community. Each of you will have a service
placement throughout the course of the semester. You will be placed in a subculture in which you do not
know the rules and will have to learn to interpret behavior and communicate with people who may at first
seem very unlike yourself. They are your teachers as much as I am. In class we will be discussing ideas
such as stereotypes, social identity and acculturation. But in the placement, you will be living it. You will be
keeping a reflective journal about your experiences where you will tie your experience in the field to the
lessons being learned in class.
Question yourself at every step. How does culture impact my behavior? Why do I believe as I do?
What is the value and meaning of this particular behavior? You will learn more about culture by observing
yourself than you will by observing others.
Course Requirements
1) Quizzes: 15%
Quizzes will occur the last day of a topic section, to encourage you to read the material before
discussion. Quizzes will be done cooperatively in small groups. Each group will discuss the questions
posed and decide on a single answer for the group. You will all receive the same score, unless you are
absent, in which case you will receive a zero for that day. You will get immediate feedback on how your
group did on the quiz and we will discuss any ideas that people had difficulty understanding. Periodically
throughout the semester, your group will give you a participation review. If you are social loafing and not
pulling your share of the reading, your group will not give you a very good grade. Your group members will
also give you some suggestions on how to improve your performance. Your final quiz grade will be a
percentage of the total points based on your peer reviews. Quizzes fulfill goals #2 and #4.
2) Discussion: 15%
On the last day of each topic we will have a discussion on the original source reading, tying it to
your service-learning experience. Although there are no attendance penalties, absence can make a
significant impact on your discussion grade.
Students are graded on both the quality and quantity of their contributions. Contributions will fall
into several categories as follows:
Q- Questions: questions based on experience only, not text-based
C- Comments: experience only, no evidence from text presented
T- Text Based: questions based on ideas from the text
R- Response: supports or refutes a previous question with evidence from text
M - Management: responsibility, leadership, facilitation of another’s question
I- Insight: comment is insightful and explores the integration of text-based idea
and service placement experience.
Discussion fulfills course goals #3 and #4. Discussion participation is graded on a 0-3 scale. In
order to get the highest number of points, you will need to include participation in the T, R or I categories.
Each person will have a name placard they will use in discussion. You will get feedback on your previous
discussion performance inside this name placard.
You may also participate in discussion on the Moodle site. These contributions are graded
similarly to in-class discussion, although you will not receive more than a 2 if you do not also participate in
class. You may not make up past discussions. Only contributions that happen before the in-class
discussion will be counted. Also, if you are going to miss class that day, you may want to participate online.
3) Service Learning and Journals: 35%
During the semester you will be going to a setting where you will be a cultural minority. You will not
know the rules or the basic cultural values and assumptions in this setting. Although this experience may
seem daunting at first, it will most likely be the most important learning opportunity in this course. You will
have to face your stereotypes and prejudices, and those of others toward you. You will become more
aware of your own values and the process of learning the rules of a new context (a process we call
acculturation). Service placements will be for ten visits of two to four hours per week. Two times during the
semester we will meet with the engaged learning facilitator to have a reflection session. Participation is
required. These sessions are to reflect on the acculturative process you are experiencing.
No, you may not write a paper instead. No, you may not set up your own placement. This is a
basic requirement for the course and no exceptions will be made.
You will also be keeping a journal during the semester. Journals will be due every two topics and
must be typed. Journal due dates are listed in the syllabus. Journals will be graded based on the level of
self-reflection, reference to source texts and integration with the service learning experience.
The final entry will be your analysis. This assignment involves reading through your entire journal
and discussing what you have learned and what kinds of questions you are still asking. A detailed outline
of the journal analysis will be posted on Moodle. Service learning and journals fulfill goals #1 and #3.
Grades are based on journal entries. Incomplete service placements will carry a penalty of 10% per
session missed.
4) Examinations: 35%
There will be a midterm and final exam for this course, both in essay format. These exams are
take-home exams, and you will have a two weeks to complete them. Please use an outline when writing
essay exams. If you use the shotgun approach (spewing everything and hoping you get something right) I
will deduct points for relevance. Extremely disorganized exams will not be graded. There are no make-up
exams in this course. The final exam for this course is cumulative; however it will focus primarily on the
topics covered in the last half of the semester. The final exam and discussion day is required, so please
plan to be here during finals week. Exams fulfill course goals #2 and #3.
Disability Statement
Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, that take into account the context of the course and its
essential elements, for individuals with qualifying disabilities, are extended through the office of Student
Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services
Coordinator at (925) 631-4164 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines
and available services. Additional information regarding the services available may be found at the
following address on the Saint Mary’s website:
http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/academic-advising-and-achievement/student-disabilityservices.html
Academic Integrity
As legal adults and students of the Saint Mary’s College community, you have signed an agreement to
keep the academic honor code. This means that you are required to maintain academic integrity and to
present only your own work in your own words. As I support student autonomy and the right to selfgovernance, I will observe the honor code. Any work suspected of violating the code will be presented to
the Academic Honor Council. If you observe any fellow students engaging in academic dishonesty, in
order to uphold your integrity, you have promised to take an action. That could be approaching that
student yourself, offering to help them study, getting the group involved, or reporting the incident to the
Academic Honor Council. If you want to file a case with the council, please let me know. Do not come to
me and tell me and expect me to do something about it. Students at Saint Mary’s College are responsible
for governing themselves. We are all responsible for helping each other grow intellectually and in
character.
Course Schedule
Date
Topic
Readings
8/28-9/4
Intro to Culture
Ch. 1
8/30
Service Learning Orientation
(required attendance)
9/6-11
Doing Cross-cultural Psych
Ch. 2, Betancourt and Lopez
9/13-20
Intercultural Contact
Ch. 10, Adler
9/25-27
Acculturation
Ch. 11, Ogbu
10/2-4
Mental Health
Prilleltensky, Draguns
10/9-11
Transpersonal Psych
Harner, Gray
10/16
Reflection Session (required attendance)
10/18
Midterm Holiday (no class)
10/23-25
10/30-11/1
11/6-8
11/13-15
11/20-29
12/4-6
Human Development
Motivation and Values
Intelligence
Cognition
Perception and Reality
Sex and Gender
12/11
FINAL EXAM DUE, Tuesday 2-4pm
Reflection Session (required attendance)
Ch. 3, Ogbu
Ch. 7, Markus & Kitayama
Ch. 5, Steele
Ch. 6, Tharp
Ch. 4, Varela, Thompson & Rosch
Ch. 8, Roscoe
Due Dates
Begin Journals
Journal 1- 9/25
Journal 2- 10/9
Midterm- 10/23
Journal -10/30
Journal- 11/13
Analysis- 12/4
Final 12/11