BIS 343 Winter 2012
BIS 343: COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
WINTER 2012
MONDAY/WEDNESDAY 1:15-3:15PM
CONTACT INFORMATION:
INSTRUCTOR: JANELLE M. SILVA, PH.D.
OFFICE: UW1-149
OFFICE PHONE: 352-3202
OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY 11AM-NOON, TUESDAY 11AM-NOON, & BY APPOINTMENT
EMAIL:jsilva@uwb.edu
BLACKBOARD: BB.UWB.EDU
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Community psychology is both a rigorous academic field and an approach to community-based
interventions. It emphasizes research and action. Over the past 40+ years, it has developed
alternative ways of understanding human problems and modes of intervention. As such, it
represents a paradigm shift away from many traditional assumptions and practices of the social
sciences and clinical practice. As a field, community psychology shares interests with clinical
psychology, public health, sociology, anthropology, and social work; however, it often presents a
unique perspective on issues.
The course is designed to give the student an introduction to the field of community psychology
through lectures, discussion, readings, course work, and focused experiences. In this course, you will
learn about the basic theories and concepts that define community psychology while becoming
familiar with examples of effective community action and research. You will have the opportunity to
examine the potential relevance of community psychology for addressing psychological and social
problems.
By the end of the class, students will
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be able to identify the main characteristics of the field of community psychology and explain
its approach to community research and action;
understand more about the complexity of human and social problems and the relevance of
community psychology for addressing these problems
be able to identify practices that promote healthy communities and work to create such a
community in the class itself; and
be better able to conduct an ecological assessment, as a method of gaining understanding
about a community and its members' well being.
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Kloos, B., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Wandersman, A., Dalton, J., & Elias, M. (2012). Community
Psychology: Linking Individuals and Communities, 3rd edition.
***Additional readings are available on Blackboard****
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance and Contribution: Attendance at all class lecture meetings is REQUIRED. If you do
not attend class, you may miss an integral part of the learning experience provided in this course.
Students are also expected to attend class on time and prepared. This means having completed all readings
and assignments on the day they are listed in the syllabus. Arriving late to class or leaving early is disruptive
to other students and to me as the instructor. If you have to leave early, please do so in the least
obtrusive manner possible (be sneaky!). Please note that if you miss class, you are responsible for
inquiring about and obtaining notes, handouts, and assignments. (Get notes from a classmate, or
see me for any handouts and assignments.)
Lecture meetings will provide opportunities to discuss course material, to connect course
material with personal experience, and to ask questions. Your full participation is required. Students are
expected to come to class having read the assigned material and prepared to contribute
constructively to class and group discussions. You are also expected to contribute to in-class
activities and assignments. These activities may include brief written responses to the readings or
lecture, written responses to questions about video material presented in class, guided small group
discussions, or guided small group demonstrations/ activities. Constructive participation includes,
but is not limited to: 1) providing an informed response to discussion questions related to the
readings, 2) answering questions posed by the instructor and by your classmates, 3) raising your own
questions that convey a thoughtful synthesis of the course material.
Contribution Groundrules:
 Students are encouraged to utilize their life experiences to enhance their academic
experience. Though your participation in class is extremely important, you are under no
pressure to share personal experiences on a particular topic if you do not want to.
 Confidentiality: It is important that students feel comfortable sharing their experiences as
well as opinions about the readings. You should not discuss the personal experiences
revealed by other class members to anyone outside of class.
A note on class discussions: I am committed to fostering an atmosphere in which we can engage
in vigorous discussion while remaining professional, courteous, and respectful of all opinions.
Therefore, I expect you to be tactful when exchanging your ideas with the class community. This
means that you should listen carefully and non-defensively, and also take a minute or two to
examine your intentions and think before speaking. If at any point during the quarter you feel that
this atmosphere of civility and respect is being threatened, please let me know immediately.
Exams: Two in-class exams will be given. These will be focused on mastery and applications of key
concepts and issues from lectures and discussion, as well as important points in the readings not
covered in class. Exams will consist of multiple choice, True or False, fill-in-the-blanks, and short
essays. Each exam is non-cumulative.
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
PLEASE NOTE: Make-up exams will only be accepted/ given under extenuating circumstances
(e.g., family emergency, medically-excused absence documented in writing).
Course Assignments: Over the course of the quarter you will complete a “Why I’m Here” and a
Community Based Learning project. All assignments are to be typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch
margins, and APA style.*“Why I’m Here” is an exception.
“Why I’m Here”:
For this assignment, I am asking you to introduce yourself to me. Who are you? What
brought you to UWB? To CP? How would you define CP? This assignment does not have
to be APA style, and there is only a page minimum (2 pages). Take up as much (or little)
space you need to tell me who you are.
Community-Based Learning:
This course will be exposing you to the various tenets and objectives of community
psychology; the values of a community psychology; what community psychologists have
done; the ongoing debates within the field. In order to fully understand what it means to be a
community psychologist, I strongly believe that you have to understand what it means to work with
community stakeholders. Therefore, each student is required to participate in a CommunityBased Learning Project. CBL will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on the key concepts
we are learning in the course and how these relate to the community you are working with. You will
be able to choose among 6 different organizations for this assignment. As a part of this
assignment, you are asked to write a brief (1 page double spaced minimum) reflection each
week which you will TURN IN at various points in the quarter. I will pose questions during each
lecture that you will be asked to reflect on using your experiences from this project. In addition, questions on each
exam will also ask you to use your CBL project as an example, so it is imperative you make
connections between your CBL project and CP concepts. At the end of the quarter, each student
will do a short (6 minute) presentation where they will tell us what their project was, how this
related to CP, and illustrate 2 concepts that relate to CP in their project (more directions to come).
Each student is also required to write a 5 page paper where they introduce your CBL project, how
it relates to CP, and relate it to key concepts/perspectives/lessons we have covered over the quarter
(this is why your reflections are very important! Great reflection journals will make this paper a
breeze). These papers are due on Wednesday, March 7th.
A note on turning in assignments: You must submit a hard copy of your homework –
assignments sent via email will not be accepted. I strive to give you comments that will advance
your learning and to return your work in a timely fashion (7 days or less). Therefore, I do not
accept late assignments.
Meeting with me: Over the course of the quarter, you are required to meet with me at least ONE
time. The purpose of this meeting is for me to get to know you outside of the classroom, for us to
discuss your relationship to CP, and to discuss your CBL project. I strongly recommend that you
meet with me before the 5th week of the quarter. If you are unable to meet with me during my office
hours, I am happy to arrange a time when we can meet (and might also assign additional office
hours during the quarter if needed).
Grading Criteria
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
There are 400 points possible for the course, based on the exams and assignments detailed below.
Actual final grades will assigned based on the following scale:
“A”
“B”
“C”
“D”
“E”
393-400=4.0
356-359=3.4
316-319=2.4
275-279=1.4
<258
386-392=3.9
352-355=3.3
312-315=2.3
271-274=1.3
379-385=3.8
348-351=3.2
308-311=2.2
267-270=1.2
372-378=3.7
345-347=3.1
304-307=2.1
264-266=1.1
365-371=3.6
341-344=3.0
300-303=2.0
260-263=1.0
360-364=3.5
337-340=2.9
296-299=1.9
266-269=0.9
333-336=2.8
292-295=1.8
262-265=0.8
329-332=2.7
287-291=1.7
259-261=0.7
324-328=2.6
283-286=1.6
320-323=2.5
280-282=1.5
For UWB grading policies and procedures, see http://depts.washington.edu/grading/
GRADING POLICY
Your work will be weighted as follows:
Exams (2 @ 100 points each):200 points
“Why I’m Here”: 20 points
Community Based Learning Project & Presentation: 100 points
Meeting with Dr. Silva: 10 points
Classroom Contribution: 70 points
TOTAL POINTS
POSSBILE: 400
*I reserve the right to make adjustments to this policy as I see fit (pop quizzes)…
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS CLASS:
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Complete the assigned readings before coming to lecture. This will allow you to get more
out of lecture and help enliven class discussion.
Think about how the course material relates to your own experiences. Try to draw
connections between theory, research, and your own experiences.
Share your ideas. I hope everyone will participate in class discussions. Also, be respectful
of your classmates whose opinions and experiences may differ from your own.
Bring outside materials (e.g., newspaper or magazine articles, advertisements, music, and
anecdotes) to share during our lecture meetings.
Create study groups with your peers.
Think critically!
Technology in the Classroom: Since technology is profoundly linked to education, there will be
many times when I ask that you employ different tools in the gathering and expression of
knowledge. Since, however, education is also more than technology, please turn off all laptops, cell
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
phones, iPods, etc before the start of class and I will let you know when we’ll make use of them.
(There are exceptions for students with specific note-taking and other needs.)
IAS Portfolio:
Student majoring in any degree offered by IAS begin the process of creating a capstone portfolio in
BIS 300: Interdisciplinary Inquiry and conclude it in BIS 499: Capstone Portfolio. IAS students
should maintain an archive of all of the work they have done in (or in relation to) their
undergraduate education, preferably through their UW Google Site. For more information about
the IAS portfolio, visit the IAS webpage: http://www.uwb.edu/ias/iasdegreeportfolio. For help on
the technical or rhetorical development of your IAS portfolio, visit the Writing Center
(www.uwb.edu/writingcenter or 425-352-5253) or Learning Technologies (learningtech@uwb.edu
or http://www.uwb.edu/learningtech/eportfolios).
Student Support Services: UWB has a number of student services including career services,
counseling services, veteran services, services for international students, and services for disabled
students. The library, writing center, and quantitative skills center are also great resources for
students.
Library: http://library.uwb.edu, 425-352-5340; Writing Center: www.uwb.edu/WritingCenter, 425352-5253; Quantitative Skills Center: http://www.uwb.edu/qsc; 425-352-3170; Student Success and Career
Services: http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/success-services, 425-352-3776; Student Counseling
Services: http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/counseling, 425-352-3183.
Disability Accomodations: Accommodation for disabled students is a campus priority. If you
believe that you have a disability and would like academic accommodations, please contact Disability
Support Services at 425.352.5307, 425.352.5303 TDD, 425.352.5455 FAX, or at dss@uwb.edu.
http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/dss.
Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism: I expect you to practice the highest standards of
academic and professional honesty and integrity. See
http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/academicconduct for crucial information regarding academic
integrity. The library also has an extremely useful website with resources at
http://libguides.uwb.edu/ai. You are responsible for knowing what constitutes a violation of the
University of Washington Student Code, and you will be held responsible for any such violations
whether they were intentional or not.
Inclement Weather: Please check if the campus may be closed due to weather. Information on
suspension of operations will be made public and available through the media. Students can learn of
campus operations status from the website or by calling the Campus Information Hotline
425.352.3333. You may also sign up with an alert system that will contact you via email or text
message if classes are canceled. For more information on the alert process, please see
http://www.uwb.edu/alert. Class activities will be rescheduled as needed.
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
COURSE SCHEDULE
DATE
Week 1
Wed. 1/4
TOPIC/READINGS
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
Introductions, Expectations & Teaching Pedagogy
Video: “Place Matters”
Week 2
Mon. 1/9
Wed.
1/11
History of the Field
*Doing Community-Based Learning*
Why I’m Here
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 2 (pp. 36-52)
Context & Values in Community Psychology
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 2 (pp.52-69)
Week 3
Mon.
1/16
Wed.
1/18
No Class-Martin Luther King Day
Ecology, Prevention & Promotion
Video: “The Homeless Home Movie”
CBL Reflections
Due
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 3
Week 4
Mon.
1/23
Understanding Community
Video: “Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street”
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 6
Wed.
1/25
Week 5
Mon.
1/30
Wed. 2/1
EXAM 1
Human Diversity in Context
Video: “Monkey Dance”
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 7
Empowerment & Citizen Participation
Video: “You Got to Move: Stories of Change in the South”
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 11
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BIS 343 Winter 2012
DATE
Week 6
Mon.
2/6
Wed. 2/8
TOPIC/READINGS
Empowerment & Citizenship Participation
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
CBL Reflections
Due
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 11
Social Interventions: Community Organizing
Readings: Nelson & Prilleltensky, Chapter 8 (on BB)
Week 7
Mon.
2/13
Stress & Coping
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 8
Wed.
2/15
Week 8
Mon.
2/20
Wed.
2/22
Week 9
Mon.
2/27
Wed.
2/29
EXAM 2
No Class-President’s Day
Prevention & Promotion
Readings: Kloos et al, Chapter 9
Social Exclusion
Video: “The Sound & the Fury”
Readings: Nelson & Prilleltensky, Chapter 14 (on BB)
Where do we Go From Here?
Readings: Kloos, et al, Chapter 14
Week 10
Mon.
3/5
FINAL PRESENTATIONS
Wed. 3/7
FINAL PRESENTATIONS
FINAL
Mon.
3/12
Final Paper Due
NO FINAL EXAM-Enjoy your Spring Break!
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