APSB21758U Elective course - Culture and Psychology

Volume 2023/2024
Education

Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH 

  • Bachelor and Master Programmes in Psychology
Content

Psychology prides itself for being a scientific discipline that describes, interprets, predicts, and changes the human mind and behaviors - but is it for everyone? During this course, we will examine (and sometimes challenge) the common premises and approach of today’s psychological researchers, practitioners, and educators. By reading, thinking, discussing, observing, and writing, we will also reflect on our own values and assumptions, which would hopefully make us better members of this increasingly globalized world.

 

The content of the course encompasses:

  • Core concepts and frameworks of cross-cultural psychology and culturally sensitive research
  • Cross-cultural research methods (e.g., types of cross-cultural comparisons, research, and Bias and equivalence)
  • Culture, cognition, and emotion
  • Culture and self
  • Culture and human development
  • Cultural understanding and sensitivity in mental health and psychotherapy
  • Multicultural competence (acculturation, challenges and strategies for intercultural interactions)
Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Have research-based knowledge of concepts, theories, and methods in cross-cultural psychology
  • Identify explicit and implicit definitions of "culture" in psychological studies
  • Describe key mechanisms which culture can influence human behavior and mental processes

 

Skills:

  • Recognize different levels of comparison and major approaches of including culture in psychological research
  • Critically compare human behaviors and mental processes across cultures
  • Develop scientific and critical thinking skills, through reviewing, evaluating, and discussing existing literature on cross-cultural psychological research, as well as debating contrasting research findings and frameworks

 

Competences:

  • Present and discuss cross-cultural psychological knowledge and problems
  • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of culturally-relevant psychological studies in an area of interest
  • Explain own cultural assumptions about human behaviour, emotion, and cognition
  • Relate psychological concepts to one's experiences and interests to aid in the learning process
  • Demonstrate sensitivity while interacting with individuals with diverse backgrounds and/or perspectives
  • Plan, design, and tentatively implement research projects in the area of cross-cultural psychology

Elective course (BA) (7.5 ECTS):
Approx. 600 (compulsory or compulsory/​self-chosen) 

 

Elective immersion course (KA) (7.5 ECTS):
Approx. 800 (compulsory or compulsory/​self-chosen)  sp

 

Standard pages. Standard pages are 2400 characters including spaces.

Class.

Attendance of at least 75% of the classes and active participation in the activities, assignments, presentations etc. set by the course coordinator.

Active participation consists of:
1) Class discussion: demonstrates accurate reading and understanding of assigned texts;
2) Group work and small-scale workshops: active students’ contributions to the construal of classes and the transposition of theoretical material to real-life cases;
3) Oral presentation: students will take part in a group debate, where two groups (2-3 students approx.) will present and defend opposite positions/frameworks related to research within cross-cultural psychology. Some materials will be provided for guidance, but both groups are expected to conduct a thorough literature review of both their own and the opposite position.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 30
  • Total
  • 30
Written
Oral
Individual
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Type of assessment details
Specify exam type: Literature review (essay)

Literature Review
Students will write a literature review that focuses centrally on issues of culture (in psychological research). Students are encouraged to refer to class materials, notes, or other academic sources available online (with references).
The review must:
1) develop and examine one clearly defined research question that fall in one of the areas covered in class (e.g., emotion, cognition, human development, mental health, therapy, multicultural competences…), with
2) culture as a centerpiece, and
3) make critical use of concepts explored in the course texts and in class discussions, and self-chosen literature.

The review should include a title page, an abstract, and references. It should follow APA style and have a length (including abstract and in-text references) between 10-15 pages.
Students will receive guidance throughout the course and some feedback on their ideas and plans for implementation halfway through the course. Additional specifications are given when the course starts.

PREREQUISITES FOR SITTING THE EXAM: For all elective courses, the attendance requirement is 75%. However, the course is based on full participation.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for exam assessment:

 

Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings

Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings

Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner