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Fall 2003
This information effective for Fall 2003. Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
Psychology
[PSYC-100D] [PSYC-140P]
100D. Cultural Psychology
Instructor:
Per Gjerde
Course Description:
The main purpose of this seminar to discuss how we should think about "culture and ethnicity" in psychology.
Many psychologists
continue to see the world as a mosaic of non-overlapping "cultures"
and census-defined "ethnic" groups. But to bestow cultural communities
and ethnic groups with internally homogeneous and externally distinguishing
qualities is problematic in a world increasingly characterized by migration,
globalization, and new transnational links. Recent cultural forms are
developing linking previously isolated "traditions." Knowledge
of globalizing influences should be familiar even to those who have not
frequented Tibet's animated karaoke bars or participated in Oslo's white
middle class youth cliques emulating African-American culture.
Accordingly, the usefulness of the term "culture" itself is
being challenged. For example, what is the "culture" of a Mexican
migrant spending six months in the U.S. and six months in Mexico? What
is the cultural identity of Turks living in Germany versus Turks living
in Turkey or Denmark? Or individuals inhabiting the "borderlands?"
These globalizing processes are occurring with accelerating speed, partly
as a consequence of the rapid spread of global capitalism and transnational
media, developments that permit individuals, even in the most "remote"
corners of the world, to explore very different ways of being—if
only through imagination. For some individuals, this exploration leads
to migration; for others, it changes their "hometurf" behavior.
The first
part critically examines relations between culture and space, connections
between culture and ethnicity, how images of "cultural selves"
and "cultural others" are formed and "naturalized,"
and the impact of globalization on children's lives—in particular,
how children are increasingly becoming the focus of political struggles
over "cultural identity."
The second part examines how children and youth develop in various "cultures,"
including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Norwegian, and Islamic "cultures."
Psychological as well as anthropological readings are included.
We will examine these topics by focusing on the following six core questions:
1. What constitutes
culture and ethnicity?
2. What does it mean to belong to a culture?
3. How do people learn to become members of a culture?
4. What is cultural identity? How do people "know" they belong
to a culture?
5. How do psychological development and culture shape each other?
6. Can individuals belong to more than one culture?
The topic
of the paper will be an analysis of your own cultural identity.
Grading Criteria: Class participation: 50%; Final Paper 50%.
Please note that 50% of the evaluation will depend on your active class participation. If you are not comfortable speaking up in class, this is not a class for you.
140P. Psychology of Sexual Aggression
Note: This syllabus from winter 2002
Instructor:
Eileen Zurbriggen
381 Social Sciences 2
Phone: 459-5736
E-mail: zurbrigg@ucsc.edu
Course Web Page: http://psych.ucsc.edu/faculty/zurbrigg/psy140p/
Required
Texts:
The following texts are required and are available at the Slug Books Co-op (Phone: 469-7584; URL: http://www.slugbooks.com)
- Coursepack
- Warshaw,
R. (1988). I never called it rape. New York: HarperPerennial.
- Morgan,
R. (2001). The demon lover: The roots of terrorism. New York:
Washington Square Press.
- Campbell,
R. (2001). Emotionally involved: The impact of researching rape.
New York: Routledge.
- Thornhill, R., & Palmer, C. (2000). A natural history of rape: Biological bases of sexual coercion. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
A natural
history of rape can be purchased at Slug Books; however, it is also
available on-line at http://cognet.mit.edu/library/books/book.tcl?isbn=0262201259.
You can read
the required sections of the book on-line, download them to a disk, or
print them out. Access is free of charge for UC students. Note, however,
that you must either access this site from a UC portal (either via an
on-campus connection or by connecting through the campus modem pool),
or use the "proxy" mechanism to indicate that you are affiliated
with a UC campus. For more information on proxy access, see the SlugLink
site at http://library.ucsc.edu/access/sluglink/
Note also that you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to access this text on-line. It can be downloaded free. See the following CATS website for more information: http://www2.ucsc.edu/cats/sc/software/acroread/
Course Goals
The purpose of this course is to examine current psychological theory and research relating to the causes and consequences of rape and other forms of sexual aggression. It is designed to acquaint you with some of the key issues, questions, and findings in this field as well as to allow you to develop some of the critical skills needed by research psychologists. The course is organized topically. We begin by reading and thinking about the social construction of masculinity and femininity and how these might contribute to sexual aggression. We then explore the role of the media in creating and enforcing these cultural constructions. The bulk of the course is devoted to an examination of psychological processes related to victimization and perpetration. We then discuss violence prevention, legal issues related to rape and sexual assault, and one "special topic" (Terrorism and Sexuality). We conclude the course by discussing alternative visions of sexuality—ones not based in dominance and submission.
Prerequisites
Students should have successfully completed Psychology 1 (Introduction to Psychology), Psychology 2 (Introduction to Psychological Statistics), and Psychology 3 (Research Methods in Psychology), or their equivalent. Please talk to me if you have not met the prerequisites.
Format
This course is a senior seminar (and satisfies that requirement for psychology majors). Most of class time will, therefore, be spent in group discussion of the assigned readings. Discussions will be supplemented with videotape presentations, outside speakers, and occasional lectures. Most of the readings are original empirical or theoretical articles from psychology journals; however, some are written by scholars in other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, sociology).
Academic
Honesty
All work
submitted in this course must be your own and (with one exception for
Women's Studies majors; see next section) produced exclusively for this
course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly
acknowledged and documented. For the consequences of academic dishonesty,
refer to the student guide available on the web at
http://www.ucsc.edu/academics/academic_integrity/student_guide.html.
Violations will be taken seriously. If you are in doubt regarding any aspect of these issues as they pertain to this course, please consult with the instructor before you complete any relevant requirements of the course.
For Women's
Studies Majors
Successful completion of this senior seminar can be used to fulfill the Women's Studies exit requirement. If you elect this option, you will write a longer version of the final paper (about 25 pages). In addition, your paper must directly address gender issues and/or incorporate a feminist analysis. Please see the instructor by the end of the second week of class if you are interested in this option.
Requirements
The most important requirement for the course is a serious commitment to critically engage with the course material. I have provided a structure and a set of assignments that are designed to facilitate this process, but the course will succeed or fail only as a collective effort. Specific assignments and their relative weights in determining a final grade (for those who have requested a letter grade) are as follows:
1) Submission of 15 discussion questions, one for each of 15 class periods, beginning with the class scheduled for Thursday, Jan 10. There are 18 possible days for which it is possible to submit a discussion question. Thus, you are allowed three "freebies"—days when you do not have to submit a discussion question. It is advisable to save at least one of your "freebies" for late in the quarter to allow for unanticipated events (e.g., illness, death in the family). Discussion questions must be submitted electronically (via WebCT) by noon on the day before a class meeting takes place. Late questions will not be accepted. (1 percent per question; 15% total)
2) Co-facilitate discussion. Each student will help facilitate one day's class meeting. Sign-ups will occur during the second week of class. (10%)
3) Three
(1-2 page) reaction papers. These should reflect your response to both
the readings and to our in-class discussion of them. They are therefore
due at the beginning of the next class meeting. Note the implication:
you cannot turn in a reaction page for a particular day if you did not
attend class on that day. You are free to choose any three topics/days,
with the following constraint: one reaction page must be on a topic related
to victimization (i.e., readings from 1/24, 1/29, 1/31, 2/5, 2/7, or 2/14),
one on a topic related to perpetration (i.e., readings from 2/19, 2/21,
2/26 or 2/28), and one on a topic from the rest of the course (i.e., readings
from 1/8, 1/10, 1/15, 1/17, 1/22, 3/5, 3/7, 3/12, 3/14) (15%)
4) Alternative Visions assignment (1-2 pages). Provide a description of two representations of sex or sexuality that are positive rather than negative models (that is, representations that are likely to contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of sexual aggression). We will post these descriptions on the course web site. Due Thursday, March 14. (15%)
5) Paper (10-12 pages). A literature review of research related to some aspect of the psychology of sexual aggression. Due Friday, March 8. (35%)
6) Attendance and in-class and/or WebCT participation. (10%)
Additional
Notes
(1) I can only read e-mail that is sent in plain text format. If you use a web-based e-mail program, please make sure that you turn off all HTML or other kinds of "markup" before sending me e-mail.
(2) Papers cannot be submitted electronically.
(3) Some of the videotapes we will watch include scenes of aggression. I will give you an overview of the content before showing the tape. You may elect not to view videos if you think they might upset you. Please also do not hesitate to slip out of the room during viewing, if you need to do that.
(4) I am committed to fostering an atmosphere in which we can engage in vigorous discussion while remaining courteous, respectful, and professional. I trust that you share that commitment. If at any point during the quarter you feel that this atmosphere of civility is being threatened, please let me know immediately.
(5) Studying rape and other forms of sexual aggression can be difficult emotionally. This is especially true for those who have been victimized. Because the mission of the course is academic rather than therapeutic, only limited kinds of support can be provided. For that reason, I urge you to plan ahead (now) for external emotional support from supportive friends, a therapist or counselor, or a social service agency. Some area resources are listed below. Please note that I do not assume any responsibility for the quality of services offered by these organizations.
Area Resources
Walnut Avenue
Women's Center (426-3062)
303 Walnut Ave.
Commission
for the Prevention of Violence Against Women (420-6298)
915 Cedar St.
Rape Crisis Hotline + 24 Hour Women's Crisis Support (429-1478)
Women's Crisis Support/Defensa de Mujeres (685-3737)
Sexual Abuse Referral and Treatment (800-852-5209)
UCSC Rape Prevention Education Program (459-2721)
UCSC Counseling and Psychological Services (459-2628)
Survivor's
Healing Center (423-7601)
2301 Mission Street, Suite C-1
http://www.survivorshealingcenter.org
Course Schedule
To view the course schedule, go to: