Cultural Psychology

Cultural psychology investigates the influence of sociocultural factors on human thought and behavior. The course will investigate how several major psychology concepts and findings might be influenced by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and class. It will thus examine issues that link psychology to other fields such as anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology. Students will familiarize themselves with the characteristics and perspectives of several cultural groups, and they will learn to analyze and integrate knowledge from various sources including films, readings, scientific literature and the popular media. A primary goal of the course is to appreciate how psychology and our world has been viewed through cultural "lenses," and to explore, articulate, and critically evaluate those lenses in a respectful environment.