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Spring, 2014

Course Syllabus

Department of Psychology

Brandeis University

PSYC 131A: Child Development across Cultures

Instructor: Malcolm W. Watson, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Fridays, 12:30-1:50

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed either PSYC 33 or PSYC 36.

Instructor Contact Information: Office: Kutz 219; Office phone: 63249;

e-mail: ; Office hours: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00

Teaching Assistant: Franklyn Graham; e-mail:

Office: Brown 15 Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:30-3:00pm

Course Objectives: We often talk about the importance of culture in child development and discuss some cultural differences that have been found in the research literature, but rarely do students delve into a comparison of two cultures to the extent that they can look critically at how different cultures actually come to shape development. For this reason, in this course, two main cultures within the United States will be studied in detail: mainstream, European American culture and Navajo culture. Studies from other cultures will also be used to further understanding. To sharpen these comparisons and keep the discussions within some logistically feasible delineation, we will focus mainly on family influences on child development.

The main objectives of this course are to help students:

Foundations

1.Learn about and describe core theories and research on child development across cultures and how culture influences development;

2.Differentiate independent and interdependent cultures and evaluate how helpful this differentiation is to our research and understanding;

Methods and Processes

3.Hypothesize and theorize about a general process of how culture influences development;

4.Describe Navajo culture and its effects on parenting and child development and compare Navajo and European American cultures, particularly regarding child rearing views and practices;

5.Discuss the processes and issues involved when children must negotiate two cultures and how this biculturalism influences development;

6.Design questions and procedures to assess empirically these hypothesized processes;

Outcomes and Applications

7.Write clear, research proposals and reports in developmental psychology;

8.Develop an appreciation of multiculturalism, how to value it, and how to communicate across cultures.

Instructor’s Philosophy for the Course: Because advanced seminars, when they are at their best, are truly a community of scholars attempting to teach each other and learn together, this seminar format is fitting for this course. I invite you to join me in learning more about cultural influences on development. I hope that you as students in this seminar and I will teach each other and learn together. This will not be a course in which I stand in front of you as the expert and impart the truth to you. Rather, we will be discussing and debating together how culture works on development.

This is a Research Intensive Course: This course counts as meeting one of the research requirements for the Psychology major (see Objective Number 6). The research intensive aspect requires that the student meet with the instructor to discuss research design and procedures and then write a full research proposal.

This is a Writing Intensive Course: One objective (see Number 7) of the course is for each student to become a better writer, and so we will devote some time to discussions of writing clear, compelling review papers, research proposals, and research reports in developmental psychology. These sessions, like the rest of the course, will involve discussions and active exercises. The two major written assignments for the course (see below) will be written as a first draft and then a final paper, much like you will write papers in your professional careers. I take this aspect of the course seriously because I believe all of us can continually improve our writing skills: bad writers can become good writers, and good writers can become better writers.

Requirements and Grading: Because this course is an advanced seminar with a limited enrollment, students will be expected to complete the readings before the class session for which they are assigned and actively contribute to the discussions and learning environment. The final course grade will be based on the mean grades of the following three assignments.

  1. Participation. (a) Each student must attend and participate in each class. (b) For each class, each student must come prepared to discuss the assigned readings for that day. (c) Each student must submit comments and questions to our online forum. (d) Sometime during the semester, each student will lead a class discussion related to one of the papers assigned for that day
  2. Family Observation and Report. Each student will complete an observation and interview of a family from a culture other than the student’s own and from a culture other than the mainstream, European American culture (i.e., a case study). Each student will write a report of this case study (approximately 8 double-spaced pages). Students will write this paper as a first draft and then as a final draft. The first draft, as well as the final paper, will be part of the grade. (See the due dates in the Class Outline.)
  3. Research Proposal. Each student will write a research proposal designed to answer a question relevant to some discussions and readings in the course (approximately 8 double-spaced pages). Students will write this paper as a first draft and then as a final draft. The first draft, as well as the final paper, will be part of the grade. (See the due dates in the Class Outline.)

Important Reminders:

1. Plagiarism includes not only copying material word for word without giving it as a quote and citing the reference but also includes writing about ideas taken from other works (or even from fellow students) without citing the source. Don’t plagiarize. It is unscholarly and unethical, and, besides, it will lead to disciplinary action at Brandeis University.

2. If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see the professor immediately.

Required Readings (listed in the order to be read): There is one book on this list that you must procure yourself. All other readings will be available on our Latte Website.

  1. For Jan. 14: No readings
  1. For Jan. 17:

Lillard, A.S. (1997). Other folks’ theories of mind and behavior. Psychological Science, 8, 268-274.

Hanson, M.J. (1992). Families with Anglo-European roots. In E.W. Lynch & M.J. Hanson (Eds.), Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for working with young children and their families (pp. 65-85). Baltimore: Brookes.

  1. For Jan. 21:

Phinney, J.S. (1996). When we talk about American ethnic groups, what do we mean? American Psychologist, 51, 918-927.

  1. For Jan. 24:

Kagitcibasi, C. (2013). Adolescent autonomy—relatedness and the family in cultural context: What is optimal? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23, 223-235 (doi: 10.1111/jora.12041).

Rothbaum, F., Pott, M., Azuma, H., Miyake, K., & Weisz, J. (2000). The development of close relationships in Japan and the United States: Paths of symbiotic harmony and generative tension. Child Development, 71, 1121-1142.

5. For Jan. 28:

Locke, R.F. (2001). The book of the Navajo (pp. 3-32). Los Angeles: Mankind.

  1. For Jan 31:

Chisholm, J.S. (1996). Learning “respect for everything”: Navajo images of development. In C.P. Hwang, M.E. Lamb, & I.E. Siegel (Eds.), Images of childhood (pp. 167-183). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Peshlakai, J., & Peshlakai, M. (2007). Seasons Greetings. Unpublished letter.

  1. For Feb. 4:

Spicer, P., LaFramboise, T., Markstrom, C., Niles, M., West, A., Fehringer, K., Grayson, L., & Sarche, M. (2012). Toward an applied developmental science for native children, families, and communities. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 49-54(doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00212.x).

Allen, J. Mohatt, G.V., Markstrom, C.A., Byers, L., & Novins, D.K. (2012). “Oh no, we are just getting to know you”: The relationship in research with children and youth in indigenous communities. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 55-60(doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00199.x).

  1. For Feb. 7:

Thompson, N.L., Whitesell, N.R., Galliher, R.V., & Gfellner, B.M. (2012). Unique challenges of child development research in sovereign nations in the United States and Canada. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 61-65(doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00186.x).

  1. For Feb. 11:

Francisco, N. (1996). Navajo traditional knowledge (Ch. 12). In P. Beck, A. Walters, & N. Francisco (Eds.), The sacred: Ways of knowledge, sources of life (pp. 266-289). Tsaile, AZ: Navajo Community College Press.

Goldberg, D. (2007). A Jew in Navajo country: A journey of faith. Jewish Action, 68, 22-27.

  1. For Feb. 14: No Readings
  1. For Feb. 25:

Park, D.C., & Huang, C. (2010). Culture wires the brain: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 391-400(doi: 10.1177/1745691610374591).

12. For Feb. 28:

Miller, J.G., & Kinsbourne, M. (2012). Culture and neuroscience in developmental psychology: Contributions and challenges. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 35-41(doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00188.x).

Gauvain, M., & Munroe, R.L. (2009). Contributions of social modernity to cognitive development: Comparison of four cultures. Child Development, 80, 1628-1642.

  1. For Mar. 4:

Nielsen, M., & Tomaselli, K. (2010). Overimitation in Kalahari Bushman children and the origins of human cultural cognition. Psychological Science, 21, 729-736 (doi: 10.1177/0956797610368808).

  1. For Mar. 7:

Chen, X., Chen, H., Li, D., & Wang, L. (2009). Early childhood behavioral inhibition and social and school adjustment in Chinese children: A 5-year longitudinal study. Child Development, 80, 1692-1704.

  1. For Mar. 11:

Rogoff, B., Morelli, G.A., & Chavajay, P. (2010). Children’s integration in communities and segregation from people of differing ages. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 431-440(doi: 10.1177/1745691610375558).

Witherspoon, G. (1975). Navajo kinship and marriage (pp. 15-22; 29-36). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

  1. For Mar. 14: No readings
  1. For Mar. 18:

Chisholm, J.S. (1983). The cradleboard (Ch. 3). In Navajo infancy: An ethological study of child development (pp. 71-91). New York: Aldine.

Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of human development, (pp. 67-77, 181-195). New York: Oxford University Press.

  1. For Mar. 21:

Whitesell, N.R., Mitchell, C.M., Kaufman, C.E. Spicer, P., & Voices of Indian Teens Project Team (2006). Developmental trajectories of personal and collective self-concept among American Indian adolescents. Child Development, 77, 1487-1503.

Jones, M.D., & Galliher, R.V. (2007). Ethnic identity and psychosocial functioning in Navajo adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 17, 683-696.

  1. For Mar. 25:

Watson, M.W. (2012). Outline for writing a research proposal. Unpublished manuscript, Brandeis University.

  1. For Mar. 28:

Qin, L., Pomerantz, E.M., & Wang, Q. (2009). Are gains in decision-making autonomy during early adolescence beneficial for emotional functioning? The case of the United States and China. Child Development, 80, 1705-1721.

  1. For Apr. 1: No readings

22. For Apr. 4:

Sam, D.L., & Berry, J.W. (2010). Acculturation: When individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds meet. Perspectives of Psychological Science, 5, 472-481(doi: 10.1177/174569160373075).

Cheung, B.Y., Chudek, M., & Heine, S.J. (2011). Evidence for a sensitive period for acculturation: Younger immigrants report acculturating at a faster rate. Psychological Science, 22, 147-152 (doi: 10.1177/0956797610394661).

  1. For Apr. 8:

Alvord, L., & Van Pelt, E.C. (1999). The scalpel and the silver bear. New York: Bantum. (THIS BOOK CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE BRANDEIS BOOKSTORE.)

  1. For Apr. 11:

McCloskey, J. (1998). Three generations of Navajo women: Negotiating life course strategies in the Eastern Navajo Agency. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 22, 103-129.

Belone, C., Gonzalez-Santin, E., Gustavsson, N., MacEachron, A.E., & Perry, T. (2002). Social services: The Navajo way. Child Welfare, 81, 773-790.

  1. For Apr. 25:

Jensen, L.A. (2012). Bridging universal and cultural perspectives: A vision for developmental psychology in a global world. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 98-104. (doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00213.x).

26. For Apr. 29: No readings

Class Outline:

Week DateTopicReading Assignment

11. T. Jan 14Introduction:Culture as context

I. Autonomy and Relatedness

2. F. Jan 17Culture: Taking another perspectiveLillard (1997),

Hanson (1992)

23. T. Jan 21What is ethnicity?Phinney (1996)

4. F. Jan 24Autonomy and relatednessKagitcibasi (2013)

Rothbaum et al. (2000)

II. Navajo Culture

35. T. Jan 28A cultural example: Being NavajoLocke (2000)

6. F. Jan 31Navajos’ view of child developmentChisholm (1996)

Peschlakai (2007)

47. T. Feb 4Research methods (e.g., with Native Americans)

Spicer et al.(2012);Allen et al.(2012)

8. F. Feb 7Research methods and writingThompson et al. (2012)

59. T. Feb 11Navajo thinking and valuesFrancisco (1996);

Goldberg (2007)

10.F. Feb 14Dimensions of culturesFirst Draft due of Family

Observation Paper

(Break)

III. Brain and Cognition

611.T. Feb 25Culture wires the brainPark & Huang (2010)

12.F. Feb 28Brain, cognition, and social environment

Miller & Kinsbourne (2012);

Gauvain & Munroe (2009)

713.T. Mar 4Culture and cognition Nielsen & Tomaselli (2010)

14.F. Mar 7Culture and temperamentChen et al. (2009)

IV. Parenting, Gender Roles, and Identity

815.T. Mar 11Families, kin, and peersRogoff et al. (2010);

Witherspoon (1975)

16.F. Mar 14Reports on family observations

Final Draft due of Family Observation Paper

917.T. Mar 18Gender roles and cultureChisholm (1983);

Rogoff (2003)

18.F. Mar 21IdentityWhitesell et al. (2006); Jones & Galliher (2007)

1019.T. Mar 25WritingWatson (2012)

20.F. Mar 28Autonomy in adolescenceQin et al. (2009)

V. Bicultural Issues and Intervention

1121.T. Apr 1Acculturation First Draft due of Research Proposal

22.F. Apr 4When different cultures meet

Same & Berry (2010); Cheung et al. (2011)

1223.T. Apr 8An example of acculturation

Alvord & van Pelt (1999)

24.F. Apr 11Changes over time and accounting for culture in interventions

McCloskey (1998); Belone et al. (2002)

(Break)

13 25.F. Apr 25Conclusions: Cultural perspectives Jensen (2012)

1426.T. Apr 29Conclusions: What did we learn?

Final Draft due of Research Proposal