The Big 4? Exploring the Integration of Critical Inquiry into a Culturally Diverse, Globally Aware, and Social/Behaviorally Dominated Course

Submitted by Christopher Coleman on
Duration
-
Abstract

Cross cultural psychology (Psy 132), is an introductory course which examines human diversity in behavior and culture using examples from a variety of contexts within western and global societies. This is a popular course among non-psychology majors, based primarily on its “Big 3”General Education designation: Cultural Diversity, Global Awareness, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
The course content is structured such that the Big 3 are covered fairly extensively throughout the material. However, another important aspect of an introductory psychology course is the fostering of critical thought. For non-psych majors this maybe their sole exposure to psychology. As such it is important that they leave the class with the ability to think critically about psychology and scientific topics.
Thus I have developed an assignment to capture not only the components of the Big 3 but critical inquiry as well. Students will be given a research assignment concerning cultural-bound psychological syndromes. (i.e., culture-specific syndromes or folk il

Completed Full Cycle
No
Course Number
PSY132
Rating
Average: 5 (2 votes)

Comments

Becky Baranowski Thu, 08/18/2016 - 7:11pm

Hi Chris - do you have the assignment?  Was it created in Spring and implemented?  If it was implemented, what were your results?  Or, will you be implementing this in the fall?  I look foward to learning more about this.  

Peter Turner Thu, 08/25/2016 - 10:53am

Good ideas, and I also would like to see the assessment you will use to measure their competency in "the Big 3."

Jennifer Elliott Sat, 09/24/2016 - 11:16am

Hi Chris, I am very interested in this assignment and how it turned out. this is Jennifer Elliott. I teach cultural anthropology and am very familiar with and interested in culturally bound syndromes, which also come up in my ASB 214 class.