School of Arts and Humanities PSYC610 Course Title: Multicultural Perspectives in Human Behavior 3 Graduate Credit Hours 8 Weeks Prerequisites: None Table of Contents Instructor Information Course Description Course Scope Course Objectives Course Delivery Method Course Materials Evaluation Procedures Grading Scale Course Outline Policies Academic Services Selected Bibliography Course Description (Catalog) This course is a comprehensive study of diverse cultural groups and an in-depth analysis of contemporary multicultural trends or issues including ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, age and religion. Course Scope This graduate level course will cover the historical, research, and theoretical underpinnings of multicultural psychology. Students will also explore how our society can better serve diverse populations in the applied fields of counseling, educational and organizational psychology.
Students will achieve a better understanding of how to study issues in cultural psychology through the development and designing of their own empirical study. Course Objectives Learners successfully completing this course will have demonstrated an ability to apply knowledge of: key concepts in the field of multicultural psychology key assumptions and theoretical propositions of multicultural psychology research and methodology issues in multicultural psychology historical contexts for the field of multicultural psychology critical thinking regarding existing research in multicultural psychology. creative and original thinking about research in the field of multicultural psychology. scholarly development and writing of an original research proposal. Course Delivery Method This course delivered via distance learning will enable students to complete academic work completely online. Online assignments include Discussion Forum questions accomplished in groups through a threaded discussion forum, examinations and paper assignments. Text and Course Materials Mio, J. S., Barker-Hackett, L., & Tumambing, J., Multicultural Psychology: Understanding our Diverse Communities, 2006, McGraw-Hill ISBN: 0-07- 297997-6 Constantine, M. G., & Sue, D. W. (Eds.), Strategies for Building Multicultural Competence in Mental Health and Educational Settings (2005) Wiley & Sons ISBN: Evaluation Procedures WRITING EXPECTATIONS All written submissions should be submitted in a font and page set-up that is readable and adhering to the guidelines below: Typewritten in double-spaced format with a readable style and font and submitted inside the electronic classroom (unless classroom access is not possible and other arrangements have been approved by the professor). Arial 11 or 12-point font or Times New Roman styles.
Page margins Top, Bottom, Left Side and Right Side = 1 inch, with reasonable accommodation being made for special situations and online submission variances. All assignments completed in a narrative essay or composition format must follow APA guidelines. This course will require students to use the citation and reference style established by the American Psychological Association (APA), in which case students should follow the guidelines set forth in Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5 th ed.). (2001). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. IMPORTANT: Students engaging in graduate studies are held to rigorous standards. Absolutely NO copying of any kind is allowed in this course. When reporting on what one reads in any published source, including the course text, paraphrasing (summarizing what was read and learned in one s own words) and providing the source(s) is required. The website http://owlenglish.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ is an excellent, easy to understand resource for APA style formatting and source citation. Any instance of copying of any kind will result in a score of zero for the first incident and course failure for any additional ones. Attached to the end of this syllabus is an APA Formatting Quick Guide. Additional guidance from your instructor is provided as needed. Discussion Forum Assignments: This course includes weekly discussions called Forums. For instructions for these assignments go to the Forums page under COMMUNICATIONS in your classroom. When you click on it a list of weekly forums will open. Note that each week is assigned a different forum topic; you will respond to the topic that is active for the week but please avoid working ahead on topics scheduled for the next week until that week is current. For each forum you will find detailed instructions by following the blue link titled Read full instructions under the topic title. Read the directions carefully. One Initial Response to the instructor s posted instructions is required. Then you must respond to the postings of at least two classmates. You will have until Wednesday to post your Initial Response. You will then post a minimum of 2 replies to classmates of your choice by Sunday night of that week. Participation in discussion forum assignments is graded and not optional. Your instructor will post a minimum of one weekly response to the class in the forum but these assignments are primarily for peer interaction so you should post keeping that in mind. Any constructive feedback regarding point loss and how to avoid it in the future weeks will be entered in your personal grade folder where only you will see it. Exams: There will be three exams that cover the reading material and are scheduled as noted in the course outline. Each exam will consist of 7 essays. Each answer should convey, in short-answer essay form, substantive and concise statements to convince your instructor that you have read, absorbed and fully comprehended the corresponding material. All are open-book, open note quizzes.
Writing: For three selected weekly assignments, you will identify and summarize research studies from the applied text: Strategies for Building Multicultural Competence in Mental Health and Educational Settings. The summaries will be drawn from designated topic areas that correspond to the main textbook (noted in the course outline) but can be one of your choice among the several provided in that area. Your summary should be 3-4 pages of overview and be composed of three distinct sections of the article: introduction, method, and results. Course Paper: At mid-term you will submit a draft for a proposal to conduct your own research study. You may use an existing study as a prototype but the study you design must be your own original research idea. The paper will consist of an Introduction, a Method section and a Procedure section. The final paper, due at the conclusion of this course, will be the completed proposal and consist of the Introduction, a Review of the Literature, the Method section, and the Abstract. Percent Course Requirement Research Proposal 35% Writing Assignments 10% Exams 30% Discussion Forum 25% TOTAL 100% Grading Scale The Grading Policy is located in the APUS Student Handbook Course Outline
COURSE OUTLINE Week 1 Define multicultural psychology Introduce key concepts in the field of multicultural psychology Define other key terms, including culture, race, ethnicity, and worldview Provide a historical context for the field of multicultural psychology Explain the key assumptions and theoretical propositions of multicultural psychology Encourage students to reflect on the effect of culture on their own behavior, cognitions, and affect Reading: Chapter 1 Writing: Exploring the professional journals Forum 1: Instructions on the Forum Week 2 Understand general research models Connect research models to the White standard Discuss relevance to ethnic minority populations, including internal and external validity Discuss differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches to research Understand issues of equivalence of measures Apply research models to gender and elderly individuals Understand differences among different research designs Understand how measures of intelligence are culturally defined Explore how context influences answers to intelligence tests Examine alternatives to traditional ways of measuring intelligence Relate issues of intelligence testing and research methodology to personality and diagnostic testing Reading: Chapter 2 Writing: Summary of article from Applied Text Forum 2 -- Instructions on the Forum
Week 3 Understand how different worldviews can change one s perspective on behaviors Understand how men and women can have different worldviews Describe how individualism and collectivism differ Be able to apply the horizontal vertical dimension to individualism and collectivism Understand how the Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck Value Orientation Model relates to differences in behaviors Apply the Derald Wing Sue worldview model to behaviors Apply differences in worldviews to many different populations of diversity Reading: Chapter 3 Exam: covering Chapters 1, 2, and 3 Forum 3: Instructions on the Forum Week 4 Understand issues of normal conversational rules Be able to identify different forms of nonverbal aspects of communication Describe the difference between high-context communication and low-context communication Discuss differences in ethnic minority patterns of communication Identify issues in elderly patterns of communication Discuss gender differences in communication Discuss aspects of bilingual communication Reading: Chapter 4 Mid-term draft of research proposal due Forum 4: Instructions on the Forum Week 5 Define immigrants and refugees Compare and contrast the experiences of immigrants and refugees Define acculturation Describe the acculturation process using the various models of acculturation
Reading: Chapter 5 Writing: Summary of article in Applied Text Forum 5: Instructions on the Forum Week 6 Understand the influence of social forces, such as racism and discrimination, on personal identity development Define the different models of cultural identity development, along with their various stages. Understand that personal identity has multiple layers, including race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Reading: Chapter 6 Exam: covering Chapters 4, 5, & 6 Forum 6: Instructions on the Forum Week 7 Understand the influence of social forces, such as racism and discrimination, on personal identity development Define the different models of cultural identity development, along with their various stages. Understand that personal identity has multiple layers, including race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Assignments: Reading: Chapter 7 Final paper research proposal due Forum 7 -- Instructions on the Forum Week 8 Understand the concept of multicultural competence Define the three main areas of multicultural competence Understand the dynamics of multicultural situations using the S s of Similarity and the D s of Difference
Identify specific ways in which to increase one s personal multicultural competence Motivate students to increase their personal level of multicultural competence Assignments: Reading: Chapter 10 Exam: covering Chapters 7 & 10 Forum 8: Instructions on the Forum
LATE ASSIGNMENTS Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and working professionals I understand you must manage competing demands on your time. Should you need additional time to complete an assignment please contact me before the due date so we can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution. Routine submission of late assignments is unacceptable and may result in points deducted from your grades. NETIQUETTE Online universities promote the advance of knowledge through positive and constructive debate--both inside and outside the classroom. Discussions on the Internet, however, can occasionally degenerate into needless insults and flaming. Such activity and the loss of good manners are not acceptable in a university setting--basic academic rules of good behavior and proper Netiquette must persist. Remember that you are in a place for the fun and excitement of learning that does not include descent to personal attacks, or student attempts to stifle the discussion of others. Humor Note: Despite the best of intentions, jokes and--especially--satire can easily get lost or taken seriously. If you feel the need for humor, you may wish to add emoticons to help alert your readers: ;-) : ) Academic Services ONLINE LIBRARY RESEARCH CENTER & LEARNING RESOURCES The Online Library Resource Center is available to enrolled students and faculty from inside the electronic campus. This is your starting point for access to online books, subscription periodicals, and Web resources that are designed to support your classes and generally not available through search engines on the open Web. In addition, the Center provides access to special learning resources, which the University has contracted to assist with your studies. Questions can be directed to orc@apus.edu. Charles Town Library and Inter Library Loan: The University maintains a special library with a limited number of supporting volumes, collection of our professors publication, and services to search and borrow research books and articles from other libraries. Electronic Books: You can use the online library to uncover and download over 50,000 titles, which have been scanned and made available in electronic format. Electronic Journals: The University provides access to over 12,000 journals, which are available in electronic form and only through limited subscription services.