PSYC 3340

This course is recommended for students majoring in psychology and for students in professional programs who intend to work in multicultural contexts. Cultural psychology is largely a new discipline which challenges our understanding of human nature. Systematic research continues to show just how deeply cultural influences penetrate our psychology and shape the ways that people think. This course reviews the growing body of cultural research across a wide range of topics including self and personality, motivation, morality, emotions, reasoning, communication, mental health, interpersonal attraction and groups. The research is examined in the context of an analysis of the nature of culture and cultural socialization. Particular attention is paid to the research methods used in this field and to the strength of evidence in support of each claim. Towards the end of the course, students are invited to consider how the research in Cultural Psychology can inform our approach to a variety of practical issues that have emerged in multicultural worlds. Students will be given guidance and detailed feedback on constructing clear essays that evaluate alternative perspectives using carefully reasoned arguments and evidence from high quality research.