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This course is designed to provide a forum for discussion about the ethical issues that arise in psychological research with "human subjects" and within the academy. The course will examine the underlying philosophy and history of the federal regulations for the protection of human subjects, the different ethical issues that arise with different research methods and populations, and the dialectic between ethics and science. The course will also cover a number of areas of professional ethics, including mentoring and publication. Ethical issues will be discussed through the use of case studies, debates, role-playing and discussion of diverse experiences. Students will also become familiar with the federal guidelines themselves through review of IRB applications as we convene mock IRB meetings.

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74000             Social-Personality Psychology I
(96488)            Profs. Deaux/Ouellette              3 Credits
This is a required course for all first year Social-Personality students.  We will read and discuss materials that well exemplify the (a) link between the intellectual concerns of personality psychologists and social psychologists, (b) the need to approach human behavior through a variety of levels of analysis, moving from the individual through the cultural level, and (c) the critical importance of an historical approach in research.  Students will be introduced to some classic texts in behavioral and social science as well as contemporary examples of broad-based psychological research.

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74600             Social-Personality Psychology II
(68424)            Prof. Deaux                           3 Credits
This is a required course for all first year Social-Personality students. We will read and discuss materials that well exemplify the (a) link between the intellectual concerns of personality psychologists and social psychologists and (b) need to approach human behavior through a variety of levels of analysis, moving from the individual through the cultural level.  Students will be introduced to some classic texts in behavioral and social science as well as contemporary examples of broad-based psychological research.

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80101              Lab in Social Personality Psychology I
(96504)            Prof.Ouelette                            1 Credit
This is a required course for first year Social-Personality students.  The aim of this course is to enable up close views of specific periods in the history of psychology.  Students observe both what was actually happening within the discipline and around the discipline – in other scholarly endeavors and in the broader social context. The basic work of the lab is each student’s preparation of an historical log, After choosing a particular 10 year period, students record (a) the key studies, events, and persons from psychology for that period, (b) the important happenings from some other discipline, and (c) events and trends reflective of some form of the social, political, or cultural dimensions of that period.

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80101             Lab in Social Personality Psychology II
(92160)         Prof. Ouellette                 1 Credit

This is a required course for first year Social/Personality students.  It provides a context for students’ development of their second-year project ideas.  Emphasis is placed on both faculty and students’ provision of useful feedback on both conceptual and methodological elaborations.  The major product of the semester will be each student’s completion of a full length and critical literature review.  This will serve as the foundation for each student’s second year project.

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79100             Environmental Social Science I: Interdisciplinary Perspectives   (96500)
                       Prof. Katz                                                3 Credits
This course is designed to provide a survey of the range of disciplines that comprise the field of Environmental Social Science.  Readings are designed to broaden the students' familiarity with literature concerning peoples engagements with the physical environment from the fields of anthropology, sociology, geography, urban planning, architecture, environmental design and management, and psychology.

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79102             Environmental Social Science II: Ecological Concepts in Psychology
(92145)         Prof. Saegert                           3 Credits
This course examines the strands of ecological thought in psychology ranging from self- proclaimed ecological theorist such as J.J. Gibson, Egon Brunswick, and Roger Barker through other theorists for whom context was crucial, such as  Kurt Lewin and L.S. Vygotsky.  More recent work is drawn from artificial intelligence, environmental and  developmental psychology, and discourse analysis.  The goal of the course is to help students develop a theoretical basis for understanding psychological processes as embedded in the physical, social, and cultural world.   

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79103             Environmental Social Science III: Social and Cultural Theories
(96508)            Prof. Low                                             3 Credits
                        Thurs. 9:30 - 11:30                               Room
This seminar is part of a three course sequence that introduces first and second year graduate students to the multidisciplinary theoretical bases of the environmental social science field.  The readings are divided into four parts: 1) From culture to interpretation includes cognitive, ecological and interpretive theories of culture and environment drawn from anthropology.  2) From structure to practice covers the transformation of structural theories of social behavior to theories that include human agency and link actors to the social and physical environment through practice.  3) From history to political economy traces Marxism in its many forms, and focuses on Marxist geographical theory as it redefines space and spatial practices in such a way as to understand the production of space and the social reproduction of the class structure that supports uneven development.  The final part reviews  4) critical theories: race, class, and gender including recent work in feminism, critical race theory, post colonial theory, and critical literary theory.

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79200             Research Methods and Ethics in Environmental Psychology
(96489)            Prof. Chapin                                         3 Credits
We will work both on the development of individual research project proposals as well as a group project. The class will cover issues, problems and ethics of various field research issues including problem definition, research design, review of literature, and data analysis. Specific techniques covered include observation, interviews, questionnaires, participatory methods, graphics, community studies and social impact assessment. A specific focus of the “Tutorial” section of the seminar will be other environmental psychology faculty members critiquing and discussing a particular study. Lunch will be served.

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79300             Research Methods and Ethics in Environmental Psychology II
(68423)            Prof. Winkel                                          3 Credits
This course is a continuation of Research Methods and Ethics in Environmental Psychology I, covering the major research techniques used in Environmental Psychology, the rationale for their use, their strengths and limitations and ethical concerns. The research problems selected by students in the first semester are pursued, with the design and application of appropriate data collection techniques. The laboratory meeting enables discussion of research questions specific to the ongoing studies. The class terminates with a presentation of the research and a final paper.

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80102             Participatory Action Research
(92505)         Prof. Fine                      2 Credits             
Offered: January 28, Februrary 4, 11, 25, and March 3, 10, 17, 31, 2008
Permission of Instructor
[Note: This is an 8 week course for 2 Credits.]  
Over the course of four sessions, we will read classic and critical works on participatory research projects and analyze, through close examination of four cases, decisions about theory, design, audience, participatory commitments, analysis and dissemination. Cases will be drawn from fields of education, youth organizing and prison reform. Students accepted into the module should be involved with the design, implementation or analysis of the Participatory Action Research project.

80103             Research Methods in Social Personality Psychology
(68420)            Prof. Hardin                                         3 Credits

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80103             Research Methods in Forensic Psychology I
(96499)            Prof. Ruck                                            3 Credits
                        Wed. 9:30-11:30                                  Room
The course is designed to introduce the student to methods for conducting research on psychological problems within a social science framework. General topics included are:  the relationship between theory and method, selecting participants (subjects), obtaining human subjects approval, kinds of design (especially cross-sectional, longitudinal, cross-lagged), issues of validity, data analysis, and interpretation.

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80260             Second Year Research Seminar I - DEV
(96501)            Prof. Stetsenko                         3 Credits
An informal group of students preparing second year research projects which discusses problems of research problem formation and research design.

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80270             Second Year Research Seminar II - Developmental
(68422)            Prof. Bearison                          3 Credits
An informal group of students preparing second year research projects which discusses problems of research problem formation and research design.

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80260             Second Year Research Seminar I - S/P
(96505)            Prof. Daiute                              3 Credits
This course serves as a component of the second-year independent research project requirement. During the first semester students develop and prepare a research proposal.  Course content is organized according to the issues and written genres essential to develop a research proposal: theory and problem formulation, critical literature review, hypothesis development, methods (sample, procedures, design, data analysis plan), and IRB approval. By the end of the first semester, students are expected to have a study ready for pilot testing and are required to submit a research proposal.  Students are expected to carry out the project during the second semester and course content will again follow from the issues faced by researchers implementing a study.  These issues include subject recruitment, data collection, analysis and reporting results.  The final products include a journal-length article reporting the study and an oral presentation.

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80270             Second Year Research Seminar II - Social Personality
(68503)            Prof. Daiute                                          3 Credits
This course serves as the didactic component of the second-year independent research project requirement. During the first semester students develop and prepare a research proposal.  Course content is organized according to the issues essential to development of a research proposal; theory and problem formulation, critical literature review, hypothesis development and methods (sample, procedures, design, data analysis plan).  By the end of the first semester, students are expected to have a study ready for pilot testing and are required to submit a research proposal.  Students are expected to carry out the project during the second semester and course content will again follow from the issues faced by researchers implementing a study.  These issues include subject recruitment, data collection, analysis and reporting results.  The final product is a journal-length article reporting the study.

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80260             Second Year Research Seminar I - ENV                
(96502)            Prof. Saegert                                        3 Credits
This is the Second Year Research Paper Seminar. The goal of this seminar is to develop individual research projects including problem formulation, literature review, research design, definition of methods, implementation and analysis. Ethical concerns are addressed throughout the year.

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80270             Second Year Research Seminar II -Environmental
(68421)            Prof. Winkel                                             3 Credits
This course serves as the didactic component of the second-year independent research project requirement. During the first semester students develop and prepare a research proposal.  Course content is organized according to the issues essential to development of a research proposal; theory and problem formulation, critical literature review, hypothesis development and methods (sample, procedures, design, data analysis plan).  By the end of the first semester, students are expected to have a study ready for pilot testing and are required to submit a research proposal.  Students are expected to carry out the project during the second semester and course content will again follow from the issues faced by researchers implementing a study.  These issues include subject recruitment, data collection, analysis and reporting results.  The final product is a journal-length article reporting the study.

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70000             History of Psychology
(68499)            Prof. Greenwood                                  3 Credits
                        Office: GC 7112.01          Tel: (212) 817 8616        jgreenwood@gc.cuny.edu
This course provides a synoptic overview of the history of psychology from ancient times to the present day. The aim of the course is to document the historical origins of the assumptions about science and psychology that shaped the development of twentieth century scientific psychology, and to identify conceptual continuities and discontinuities in the historical development of theories of human psychology and behavior. Some attempt will be made to illustrate the contingency of the historical development of scientific psychology in North America by contrasting it with the rather different fashion in which scientific psychology developed in Europe and the rest of the world. Although the course will focus on general historical trends, some time will be devoted to the history of some of the sub-disciplines of psychology, such as clinical, social and developmental psychology, and to the historical development of psychology as a profession.

Text: John D Greenwood (2006), A Conceptual History of Psychology. Copies will be distributed on the course webpage.

Provisional course plan:
Week: Topic:
1/30 Psychology, science and history
2/6 Ancient and medieval psychology
2/13 The scientific revolution
2/20 The Newtonian psychologists
2/27 Physiology and psychology
3/6 Theories of evolution
3/13 Psychology in Germany
3/20 Psychology in America: the early years
3/27 Functionalism, behaviorism and mental testing 4/17 Neobehaviorism and the cognitive revolution
4/24 Abnormal and clinical psychology
5/1 Social and developmental psychology
5/8 Psychology around the world
5/15 Psychology as a profession: from APA to APS

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72300             Current Issues in Psychology  - DEV
(96492)            Prof. Bearison                           0 Credits
This seminar covers current research in developmental, environmental and social personality psychology through presentations by guest speakers, discussions around topics in formation, and issues related to students’ research. We have organized a mix of presentations for this semester that reflect the many interests across the three subprograms. Also, we have scheduled the first Wednesday of every month for ‘Community Meetings’ in which each subprogram will meet separately and will have the opportunity for general discussion of issues based in your own subprogram as well as other program-wide concerns.

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72300             Current Issues  in Psychology -Environmental
(96510)            Prof.                                          0 Credits
Each semester, while completing course requirements, students are required to register for the Program Seminar.  This seminar is designed to allow faculty, students and invited guests to describe completed, ongoing and contemplated research.

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72300             Current Issues  in Psychology -Social/Personality
(96503)            Prof. TBA                                            0 Credits
There is a main setting in which we bring together all members of our Social/Personality scholarly community.  This is the time and place for hearing about the research of visiting scholars, talking together about the studies based in our own program, and discussing other program-wide concerns.  With the help of the various research groups on the floor, we have organized a mix of presentations for this semester that reflect the many interests of our program.  Also, we have scheduled a set of what we are calling ‘Community Meetings’ in which we will have the opportunity for general discussion of issues that affect our work.

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72600             Parent-Child and Peer Relations Across Culture
(96533)            Prof. Saltzstein                            3 Credits
In this seminar we examine the ways in which parent-child and peer relationships affect, reflect, and generally interweave with development and culture. Areas of focus will include, but not be limited to, infant-caregiver attachment and adult attachment; parent discipline and moral development; parenting and school achievement; parent and peer relationship during adolescence; parent and peer relations and psychopathology; peer interaction as a process of cognitive and moral development; family relationships and delinquency.  Wherever possible, these issues will be examined across different sociocultural setting (i.e., different cultures and regional, ethnic, and class groupings within a society). The contents of this course are not covered by any course in another program. No prerequisite. 

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74800             Qualitative Research Methods
(96495)            Profs. Daiute/Ouellette              3 Credits
This course focuses on rationale and method in human development and action research.  We review, discuss, and practice qualitative research methods including ethnography, free spaces, interviewing, and discourse analysis.  We take a critical perspective on research design, considering theory, purpose, and issues such as multiple methods, ethical issues in studying others, and issues of diversity.  Students apply the course work to their own research, in particular second year research projects.

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80100             Language and Thought in Development
(68506)            Prof. Brooks                                        3 Credits
The course explores the interdependence of language and cognitive development. Topics will include the emergence of symbolic thought, the status of prelinguistic categories, representational formats for declarative memory, cognitive and linguistic determinants of categorization, and bilingualism. Mechanisms and factors effecting cognitive change will be discussed.

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80100             Advanced Qualitative/Ethnographic Analysis (Fieldnotes, Interviewing, and Analysis
(96506)            Prof. Low                                                         1, 2, and 3 Credits 
This course is made up of three methods modules: participant observation, unstructured and structured interviewing, and qualitative data analysis.  Each module is organized as an ongoing practicum for the intensive training of graduate students interested in working with qualitative methods and data including life histories, unstructured and semi structured interviews (with video and taped recording) and field notes.  Weekly meetings will utilize student fieldwork experience and data collected as the basis for discussion and critique of different qualitative data methods and techniques.  Topics will include: participant observation as a way of knowing. ethnographic research strategies, race/class/gender in fieldwork, ethics and values, studying up (and down), contextual and communicative aspects of the interview situation, coding, content analysis, grounded theory forms of analysis, conversational analysis, other forms of data analysis and writing up of qualitative data for publication.

I will cover all of these methods and their analysis in a sequence, so that those of you who want to take only interviewing can attend for the 4 weeks and claim 1 unit of credit. Those of you who want to take fieldnotes will also be able to take just this segment for 1 unit, and those who want just the data analysis (which means that you have data already collected to work on), will be able to just take the final  weeks. For students who would like to work on their qualitative skills for a full semester, you will be able to enroll for 3 credits and take the entire course. ALL STUDENTS INTERESTED MUST ATTEND THE FIRST CLASS AND REGISTER SO THAT I WILL HAVE ADEQUATE ENROLLMENT TO CARRY THE COURSE. I WILL ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO TAKE TO ORGANIZE THE SYLLABUS.

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80101             Methods Module: the Publication Process
(68417)            Prof. Revenson                         1 Credit                               
The old axiom is as true today as when it was coined: Publish or perish.
Academic journals are the major venue through which psychologists communicate their results, elaborate their opinions and exchange ideas with others. Publication in academic journals is often judged as an indicator of an individual’s performance, fosters career advancement, and is an important forum for scholarly contributions.

This module provides an “insiders guide” to the publication process in American psychology. We will learn what publishers, editors and reviewers are looking for in a manuscript, interrogate the politics of publishing, and examine the peer-review system.  On a practical level, students will learn how to choose where to submit manuscripts based on a journal’s mission statement and impact factor, learn to write journal article reviews, and learn how to respond in writing to editorial decisions.

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80101             Methods Module: Graphic Information Systems (GIS) I
(68510)            Prof. Seley                                           1 Credit
This is a practical course on how to make maps for policy analysis.  The first module is an introduction to mapmaking and learning to make basic maps using MapInfo software primarily.  Students will learn how maps are used (with examples) and some of the pitfalls of GIS usage. They will produce maps using data on crime and health care.  The second module will continue the mapmaking lessons and students will learn how to use some of the more advanced features, like geocoding, buffering, and using data from the Internet.  The modules are designed to be taken together, sequentially.  Students will be expected to produce a GIS project at the end of the second module.

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80101             Methods Module: Graphic Information Systems (GIS) II
(68511)            Prof. Seley                                           1 Credit                         
This is a practical course on how to make maps for policy analysis.  The first module is an introduction to mapmaking and learning to make basic maps using MapInfo software primarily.  Students will learn how maps are used (with examples) and some of the pitfalls of GIS usage. They will produce maps using data on crime and health care.  The second module will continue the mapmaking lessons and students will learn how to use some of the more advanced features, like geocoding, buffering, and using data from the Internet.  The modules are designed to be taken together, sequentially.  Students will be expected to produce a GIS project at the end of the second module.

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80101             Research Seminar in Health Psychology
(68568)            Prof. Revenson                         1 Credit
                        Permission of Instructor Required.
This 1-credit course will create a setting where students, post-docs, and faculty who are conducting research on health psychology, broadly defined, can discuss their work. Health psychology is defined as any research that involves the interplay of biological, social, cultural, and psychological aspects of health and illness, where health may be the “predictor”, the “criterion” or the “context” for the research. Each week a different member’s research will provide the stimulus for in-depth discussion and feedback.  Members may present preliminary data for interpretation, develop a idea for a manuscript, practice a conference talk, present puzzling findings, ask the group to comment on a manuscript draft, or work through the design of a study. All members should have an ongoing health psychology research project they are working on.

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80101             Research Seminar in Personality and Lives
(68508)            Prof. Ouellette                          1 Credit
                        Permission of Instructor Required.
This one credit seminar, intended for students at all levels of study, is a space for the support of research in the Study of Lives and Personality and Social Structure traditions.  Welcomed are students with projects already underway and students just at the beginning of their work.  We will work with several approaches; including phenomenological/existential, narrative, discursive, psychobiographical, culture and personality, and historical.  We will meet as a group in a relatively informal way at least seven times during the semester.  We will discuss research ideas, data, manuscripts generated by some members of the group, and relevant readings.  All areas of research require a community of scholarship to sustain them.  Building a local community for the study of lives and personality and social structures is our work. The full 3-credit course on the Study of Lives is not a prerequisite for this course (although students who have taken the course are encouraged to participate in the group). The course is intended for students who seek to make life studies a central part of their work and students for whom idiographic, biographical, and personality and structure work is only a supplement to other approaches.  The course is open to students from all disciplines concerned with life study.  Given that life study work is best done across disciplinary lines, the course will seek to take advantage of what each participant brings from her or his disciplinary "home" and engage life study work at the intersections of literature, social science, and the arts.

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80103             Affect and Cognition: Biological, Developmental and Cultural Perspectives
(92162)

        Prof. Saltzstein                        3 Credits
The seminar will examine conceptualization, theory and empirical research on the relationship between affect and cognition, primarily from developmental, social and cultural perspectives. However, biological and experimental approaches and frameworks will also be included. Theories and empirical findings by Darwin, Damasio, N. Eisenberg, Ekard, Harris, Izard, James, M. Lewis, Mandler, Piaget, Sroufe, Zajonc, et al. will be critically examined. Among the questions to be explored are: what can development tell us about the relationship between affect and cognition? Are there universal expressions of affect or is affect completely determined by culture? How does culture 'shape' affect? Is a distinction between primary and secondary emotions meaningful? Does cognitive assessment always precede affective arousal, or are some affects not mediated by cognition [i.e., by perceptions, beliefs, etc.]? Are there regular gender differences in affect, and if so, how may they be explained? What is the distinction between shame and guilt,and the implications of the shame-guilt distinction? Is morality primarily a matter of affect or of judgment and reasoning? What can be learned from religion, Eastern and Western, about affect? Other issues may be suggested by students.

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80103             Architecture Theory, Process and Practice
(92167)         Prof. Chapin                            3 Credits
The field of Environmental Psychology has at its base a desire to affect the built environment. This course is designed largely for non-architects and architects-in-training to increase understanding of the practices of architects with an eye towards understanding how those practices might be influenced. The course takes as a given that social science generally has failed to influence environmental design and that we need to look more carefully at causes of that failure. In addition to participants from Environmental Psychology, we will also expect students from the CCNY Architecture program.

Architectural Programming/Post Occupancy Evaluation.  These are the two openings for a path between social science and design; they are also two routes for getting a job in the area. We will spend about a third of the semester on Programming and about a third of the semester on Evaluation. In addition, each person will be asked to make a choice of a project which will focus more deeply on one or the other technique in order to get to more depth.

Thinking Like an Architect.  In contrast to professions which require more analytical thinking, being an architect (or being any sort of designer) requires synthetic thinking: One is always faced with what could be rather than what is. Also, being an architect puts one in a position of carrying much theory (often unrecognized) and a legacy of history--a quite rich and wonderful history. Within this culture there is also the need to get the next job, be a star, and pay the bills. We will spend about a third of the semester exploring this topic.

Semester Requirements.

Participate in Class: Be here. Be a mindful participant. Please do plan to read all the assigned readings before the class session.

Lead a Reading: Pick at least one session and plan to take the lead discussing the readings for that session. I (David) will plan to do this collaboratively. Please feel free to propose additional readings!

Do Exercises & Projects: Each person will be expected to do three “small exercises,” and also a semester project. The project will focus on either Architectural Programming or on Post-Occupancy Evaluation. To accomplish the project, we will have two draft presentations and a complete presentation.. We will have an event for this last presentation.

Out & About. We will take advantage of living in architecturally rich New York by getting out to some places & events, including a visit to an architect’s office

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Course Descriptions

73700             Cognitive Development
(92381)         Prof. McDonough                         3 Credits

This course is designed to give an overview of the current issues and controversies in Cognitive Development. Lectures and discussions will be based on assigned readings as well as individual presentations. The course is structured according to areas such as (but not limited to) imitation, representation of self and others, categorization, as well as concepts of space and number. Integration of the ideas presented will be offered in the last couple weeks of class.

Chapters listed in the syllabus are required reading by all students prior to the date assigned. The chapters are from the Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development edited by Usha Goswami (2002): Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 15, 19. A copy of the book will be on reserve in the library at the Graduate Center. The book can also be ordered on Amazon for $49.95 new (paperback) or $40.00 used. Supplementary readings will be assigned to individual students for in class presentations. These readings will be provided on a CD so that you may print them as needed. Students will also need to research a topic of their choice (pertaining to cognitive development) by using research from at least 5 articles that not on the reading lists below. Students are encouraged to investigate topics relevant to their own research

The goal of this course is to help students become comfortable discussing the topics and to help them learn to voice their criticisms of the proposed materials. Class participation is mandatory. In situations in which one person disagrees with another’s opinion, respect for ideas is to be maintained. No one expects that beliefs held on one day will be the same as those held on another- it is anticipated that ideas about development by each student will change throughout the course. That is, our knowledge about cognitive development will develop.

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80103             Gender and Environment/Sexuality and Space
(92163)         Prof. Katz                              3 Credits
This course will address questions of space, place, and nature in relation to gender and sexuality from a variety of theoretical frameworks.  A broad range of topics will be considered such as the sedimentations of gender and sexuality in built form, work environments, play environments, “discrimination by design,” the making of queer space-times, public-private space, performance and spatiality, domestic architectures, embodied geographies, global/intimate geographies, ecofeminisms and feminist approaches to nature, and the hidden and invisible geographies all around us.  We will engage readings from the humanities, social sciences, and environmental design disciplines concerning the social construction of space, the production of nature, and the making of place in everyday life.  No prerequisite.

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80103              Intro to Africana Studies: Black Identity from an Interdisciplinary Perspective
(92165)         Prof. Cross                             3 Credits
How have poets, novelists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists, journalists and psychologists conceived and socially constructed black identity and black personality, from the past to the present. What historical, political, contextual, and ecological factors have informed diverse conceptualizations? This seminar is designed to engage graduate students from a broad range of disciplines, as it traces the evolution and persistence of various concepts of black identity and personality, inclusive of those originating in the mind of the “other,” as well as definitions reflective of the interior space or subjectivities of blacks, themselves. To the extent the inquiry uncovers a thousand black personas; we will seek to understand how such variability in blackness has generally been overshadowed by stereotypic and simplistic notions of black identity & personality. Although the discourse will have a psychological texture, the readings, lectures, guest speakers, and weekly exchanges will strive for an interdisciplinary orientation. Consequently, the “matrix” of terms and conceptualizations through which the course will be voiced include: Subjectivity; social construction; inter-connectivity; essentialism; social category; representation; “passing”; gender; social class; identity & the state [laws; affirmative action; color blind policies; etc.]; and spirituality.

Instructor:  The course will be facilitated by Bill Cross (Social Personality Psychology at GC) and guest speakers will be engaged from the disciplines of literature, the arts & film making, anthropology, sociology, and clinical psychology and [Black] Women’s Studies.

Texts [tentative]

G. Early, Lure and Loathing

W. Cross, Shades of Black

T. Webber, Deep Like the Rivers

R. Wright, Native Son

Z. N. Hurston, Their Eyes are Watching God

H. L. Gates, Thirteen Ways of looking at Black Men

Bell hooks Rock my soul: Black people & self-esteem

[This list will be adjusted, as I flush out the weekly topics]

Weekly Topics:

1. Interrogating the psychological legacy of slavery;

2. Social categories, representations, & positionality: On the range of black identities and personalities;

3. Forms of internalized racism: Self-hated, mis-education, oppositionalism, and colorism;

4. Seeing things differently: African Americans & Black Immigrants from the Islands and Africa;

5. Black identity change & social movements: The “New” Negro & the Black Sixties;

6. Black identity, gender & social class;

7. Vygotsky’s perspective on blackness: Identity as everyday enactments in film, the arts, literature & social sciences;

8. Afrocentricity and Black Nationalist Schemas of identity, personality, and the “collective”;

9. To be black & gay: Issues of intersectionality

10. “Passing”, Integration, and Assimilation;

11. Black feminism, personality & identity;

12. Postmodernism: Implications for the study of race & identity;

13. Personal identity & collective “obligations”;

14. Is there a “black” psychology?

15. The history of the study of identity;

16. Literary treatments of identity.

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Course Descriptions

80103             Introduction to Urban Planning/Geographical Knowledge in Action
(92161)         Prof. Seley                     3 Credits
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the scope of urban planning practice and issues.

Planning is, on the surface, a simple notion – formulate goals and agree on the manner in which these are to be met.  In reality, the complexities of choosing between alternatives, the consideration of constraints, and the likelihood of unforeseen barriers and futures lead planners through an economic, political, and social maze which is often hard to resolve in a satisfactory manner.  Complicating all this is the fact that the world of planning is constantly changing due to new rules, new players, and new demands.

The course will cover planning tools like land use regulation, zoning, and growth management as well as substantive planning problems like transportation, economic development, and the environment. At the same time, the course will also explore “big question” issues like the development of cities and conflicts over the uses of space.

The course will utilize exercises to give students hands-on experience with planning concerns and recent case studies (like the Atlantic Yards Project and the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan) to explore the complexities of land use conflict.

The course will consist of a combination of lectures and seminar discussion. In addition to the exercises, students will be required to conduct research on a specific planning issue, including suggestions with regard to both the process of planning and possible planning solutions.

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Course Descriptions

80103             Narrative Inquiry
(68430)            Prof. Daiute                                          3 Credits
This course focuses on research that defines and applies social-relational theories of narrative discourse.   Uses of narrative as a research discourse and interpretive tool have become increasingly popular in social science research, although guiding theories and rationales have been diverse, sometimes conflicting, and often only implicit. This course includes a review of the major approaches to narrative research and analysis, and then focuses on those emphasizing the social-relational nature of narrative for inquiry into the development of individuals and society. We analyze various theory-based approaches to narrative design and analysis, such as narrating as a cultural-historical activity, positioning theory, “small story vs. big story research,” script-story analysis, dilemma analysis, socio-biographical analysis, literary aesthetics and life span, and issues of psycho-cultural diversity.  In addition to discussing such approaches, course readings are used to define and illustrate theory-based concepts of narrative inquiry, in areas of research including identity, citizenship, social development, socio-political conflict (inter-group tensions, armed conflict, etc.), immigration, illness, and education. By considering these diverse approaches, we maintain a critical stance on narrative research practices and outcomes.  Toward the goal of applying the course to the students’ areas of research,  we also focus on narrative inquiry as way of formulating research questions, gathering data to address those questions, study design, and analysis of different types of data.

Coursework involves reading, class discussion, inquiry work in class, and ongoing application to students’ research projects.  No pre-requisite or permission required.

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Course Descriptions

80103             Narrative Psychology
(92159)         Prof. Bearison                  3 Credits
This seminar will consider narratives as both phenomenon and method. We will consider the study of narratives as a way to understand the attribution of meaning in human interaction across socio-historical contexts. We will consider the place of linguistic discourse in meaning making. We also will consider what makes a “good” narrative and what kinds of inquires are most suited to a narrative approach. Aside from journal articles and book chapters, we will rely on a variety of case studies from such domains as medical discourse, trauma, legal deliberations, and social conflicts to advance our thinking about these issues. Though not required, contributions from students’ work-in-progress will be especially welcomed.

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80103             New Approaches to Longitudinal Data Analysis
(68426)            Prof. Winkel                             3 Credits
For many decades, the statistical treatment of longitudinal data has been based on two approaches - Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) or Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RANOVA).  These techniques are based on a set of assumptions which are often unrealistic in the context of longitudinal data which have been generated in naturalistic settings (i.e. field studies).

Within the last fifteen years, there have been some remarkable advances in the statistical analysis of longitudinal data.  These techniques have been variously referred to as individual growth modeling, multilevel modeling, hierarchic linear modeling, random coefficients regression, and mixed modeling.  Although the names may differ, the approaches are unified by the underlying statistical model that is employed. 

This course is designed to cover the theory and application of these models to studies focusing on the analysis of change over time.  The statistical nature and characteristics of the Mixed Linear Model will be used to illustrate different approaches to the treatment of time as a predictor of change, missing data, time-varying explanatory variables, individual differences in change over time (Growth Curve Models), and alternative error structures for repeated measures problems.

Prerequisites: A graduate level course or courses in Multiple Regression and Analysis of Variance.

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80103             A Unified Approach to the Quantitative Analysis of Field Research Data
(92158)         Prof. Winkel                    3 Credits
Among the challenges confronting those planning quantitative research in field settings involves the translation of the conceptual framework guiding the research into a unified set of quantitative techniques that can provide information about the adequacy of the conceptual model under consideration.

This course is designed to demonstrate how conceptual models of social and behavioral phenomena can be translated into an integrated approach to quantitative analysis.  Rather than discuss research design and quantitative analysis in the abstract, published papers and grant applications will be used to motivate the discussion of alternative quantitative approaches for a wide variety of issues that arise in the study of developmental, environmental, social/personality, and health processes.  The emphasis will be on conceptual approaches to and interpretations of quantitative research rather than data analysis and research design per se.

Each week students will be expected to have read the conceptual background, the methods proposed for a particular research problem, the quantitative approach(es) to be employed, and, in the case of published papers, the results section.  There will then be a discussion of the reasons for and/or alternatives to the type of quantitative techniques used.  If applicable, the results will then be assessed.

Because the data from field research studies may not lend themselves readily to the analytic categories which are covered in a standard first year graduate statistics class, we will consider both standard and non-standard approaches to analysis.  Topics expected to be covered are missing data problems, clustered data, longitudinal designs, binary outcome variables, structural equation models, confirmatory factor analysis models, ecological momentary assessment (also called experience sampling), survival analysis, standard regression and analysis of variance.

The only assignment will involve answering a set of questions about the quantitative approaches that might be taken to a range of different research designs. 

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Course Descriptions

80103             Ethnography of Space and Place: Landscapes of Fear
(68504)            Prof. Low                                             3 Credits
Introduction
            The study of the city has undergone a transformation during the past ten years integrating ever wider theoretical perspectives from anthropology, cultural geography, political economy, urban sociology, and regional and city planning, and expanding its attention to the city as physical, architectural and virtual form.  An emphasis on spatial relations and consumption as well as urban planning and design decision-making provides new insights into material, ideological and metaphorical aspects of the urban environment.  Reliance on ethnography of space and place allows researchers to present an experience-near account of everyday life in urban housing or local markets, while at the same time addressing macro-processes such as globalization and the new urban social order.
            This course sketches some of the methodological implications of the ethnographic study of the contemporary city using anthropological tools of participant observation, interviewing, behavioral mapping, and discourse analysis, and theories of space and place to illuminate spaces in modern/post-modern cities and their transformations.  In doing so, I wish to underscore links between the shape, vision and experience of cities and the meanings that their citizens read off screens and streets into their own lives. It begins with a discussion of spatializing culture, that is the way that culture is produced and expressed spatially, and the way that space reflects and changes culture. The concepts of culture and space are then materially and theoretically linked through an exploration of  six areas of focus: Embodied Spaces (proxemics, phenomenology of space, language and space, and spatial orientation), Gendered Spaces (female and male spaces, and evolution of the house and home), Contested Spaces (spaces of resistance and conflict, and hierarchies expressed in space and place), Transnational and Translocal Spaces (markets, nations, and ethnoscapes), Inscribed Spaces (places of memory and longing), and Spatial Tactics (heterotopias, gated communities, and historically preserved spaces).
            The course also explores a number of special topics including how urban fear is transforming the built environment and the nature of public space both in the ways that we are conceiving the re/building our cities, and in the ways that residential suburbs are being transformed into gated and walled enclaves of private privilege and public exclusion.  The privatization of public space first signaled the profound changes that American cities are undergoing in terms of their physical, social and cultural design.  Currently, however, increased fear of violence and others particularly in urban areas is producing new community and public space forms; locked neighborhoods, blank faced malls in urban areas, armed guard dogs on public plazas, and limited access housing developments are just some examples of how the cultural mood is being “written” on the landscape.
            The readings drawn from The Anthropology of Space and Place (Low 2003 edition, Blackwell Publishing) and from a series of ethnographies selected based on students’ interests.  Students will participate in a fieldwork project related to the course using data collected and analyzed as part of the course content. The analysis will be presented at the conclusion as part of the final requirement to write a final paper. Students will also be required to present and write-up an analytic report on an ethnography of their choosing, as well as direct class discussion at least once during the semester. Students will be asked to use theoretical materials from the course to recast or rethink their research projects for their final papers. Weekly meetings will utilize student fieldwork experience and data collected as the basis for discussion of the readings.

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80103             The Visual Field in Field Research
(68477)            Chapin                                     3 Credits.
Observing, Understanding & Explaining: Seeing & Showing, If You See What I Mean.

We can think of photos, video, logbooks, websites, sketches, fashion, décor, diagrams, flow charts, cartoons, tables, maps, graphs—on and on. Researchers, research participants, and technicians can create the visual; it can be archival material that was created at some other time by someone else; it can exist “of” the scene; it can be freshly generated for a purpose.

Although this course originates in Psychology in Context, participants are invited from areas such as Sociology, Urban Education, and Interactive Technology and Pedagogy.

Most of what interests us in field research is “visually accessible,” yet we honor the precision of numbers and words while being suspicious of the visual. Through the semester we will explore visual thinking to both excite awareness as well as to increase levels of skill. I want to cover the use of visual means in thinking about and designing research. I want also to cover the meshing of writing and illustrating--the doing of effective visual communication.

Mindful Seeing. Creating Data. Analyzing Information. Presenting.

For each of these themes I will be doing illustrated talks and showing video, some longer, some shorter. We will be having guests, regularly, speaking to the topic: “How I See Things.”

We will maintain a keen sense of the misuse of the visual—the ubiquitous “pitch” that surrounds and engulfs us. A critical eye is needed to understand how that “pitch” is designed more to obscure than to being light. We will reach back historically to the Bauhaus and also trace the development of theory.

The following conversation between Susan Sontag and John Berger [an imaginary conversation created by Berger (1980) using quotations from Sontag (1977) is a good set up for my interest in this topic:

“Cameras define reality in the two ways essential to the workings of an advanced industrial society: as a spectacle (for masses) and as an object of surveillance (for rulers). The production of images also furnishes a ruling ideology. Social change is replaced by a change in images.” --Susan Sontag
“Her theory of the current use of photographs leads one to ask whether photography might serve a different function. Is there an alternative photographic practice? The question should not be answered naively.” --John Berger

Semester Requirements

Participate in Class: Be here. Be part of a mindful audience. Please do plan to read all the assigned readings before the class session.

Lead a Reading: Pick at least one session and plan to take the lead discussing the readings for that session. I (David) will plan to do this collaboratively. Please feel free to propose additional readings!

Do Exercises & Projects: Each person will be expected to do three “small exercises,” and also a semester project. To accomplish the project, we will have two draft presentations and a complete presentation.. We will have an event for this last presentation.

Out & About: We will take advantage of living in visually rich New York by getting out to some events.

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Course Descriptions

80103             Seminar on Selected Topics in Gender and Health
(68505)            Prof. Lennon                                        3 Credits
This interdisciplinary seminar series will provide an in-depth exploration of several key topics in women's health. The focus will be on how gender shapes the definitions and experiences of health and health care. In Spring 2007, topics may include mental health, reproductive health, domestic violence, caregiving, and coronary heart disease. Four topics will be the focus on readings and discussion for a 3-4 week portion of the seminar. Students will be expected to participate in the discussions and prepare a response paper on each topic.

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80103             Children, Psychology and the Law
(68514)            Prof. Crossman                                    3 Credits                   
This course will examine research, theory, and case law regarding children's contact with the legal system. The history of this contact will be examined to inform an understanding of how society allocates responsibilities and power between children, parents, and the State. The degree to which basic research can (and should) be used to address social and legal problems will be addressed, including exploration of such topics as memory development, suggestibility, theory of mind, and childhood amnesia. Issues for discussion will include children's rights, child maltreatment, and children's competency as witnesses and defendants.

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80103             Home, Homeland and Homelessness
(68429)            Prof. Rivlin                                           3 Credits
The focus of this seminar is on people’s connections to places, particularly to their homes, their homelands and the implications of their loss. We will begin with an analysis of theories of home, its meanings and functions, its changes over time and its roles in people’s lives. We then will consider the implications of the loss of home and explanations for the increases in contemporary homelessness. Finally, we will address homelands, raising questions regarding contestations over territories, and the significance of homelands in light of increasing global concerns. Through readings on history, theory and research, exploration of the interests of class members, as well as the work of outside guests who have studied theses issues, we will try to clarify the implications of place meanings and place attachments.

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80103             Conceptualizing and Researching Black Identity: Historical and Social Psychological Issues
(68500)           Prof. Cross                                           3 Credits
How have poets, novelists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists, journalists, and psychologists conceived black identity, both in the past and present? What historical, contextual and ecological factors inform their conceptualizations? This seminar, which is designed to engage graduate students from a broad range of disciplines, will trace the origin and persistence of various concepts of black identity, inclusive of thoseoriginating in the minds and fantasies of the other", as well as those that are a reflection of the interior psychological world of blacks, themselves. To the extent that our inquiry reveals a thousand black personas, we will also seek to understand the social forces that lead to stereotypic and simplistic thinking about black identity. The last segment of the seminar will focus on empirical strategies for researching black identity.

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80103             Social (In) Justice
(96485)            Prof. Fine                                             3 Credits
Students will be expected to read broadly and deeply the psychological, anthropological and sociological literatures on experiences and perceptions of social injustice.  Students engage in writing two major pieces for the course: an intellectual autobiography around an idea that compels them through the readings, and a short fictional story written from a situated perspective in the midst of conditions of injustice (perspective of privilege, intersectionality....)  Readings bridge across critical theory, feminist theory, queer theory and critical race theory.  Conversation with the instructor preferred prior to enrollment. 

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80103             Urban and Environmental Policy
(96511)            Prof. Seley                                           3 Credits
No social need (whether for a clean environment, a good transportation system, or ways of dealing with the poor) can be addressed without the need to understand what public policies can do and can't do.  It is simply not enough to say that a need exists.  It is also important to suggest policies that are likely to be efficient and effective.

In order to understand policies designed to address social "ills" like environmental pollution, the lack of affordable housing, the lack of jobs, and inadequate transportation systems, it is necessary to study the historical and social context of such policies as well as the particular issues which drive policy decisions and behavior.  This leads to an understanding not only of why certain policy prescriptions are popular, but why many of them seem to fail.  Why is the environment so corrupted?  Why do we still have enormous income disparities? Why can't public transportation be better?  Why can't inner cities be developed?

This seminar will address the issue of how social and environmental policy is evaluated by examining specific policy areas (like welfare, transportation, economic development, and hazardous waste).  Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, students will analyze policies. In addition to class discussion, students will choose a subject for in-depth analysis as a term project.

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80103             Black Achievement Motivation, Black Identity and Black Education: Historical and Contemporary Issues
(96486)            Prof. Cross                                           3 Credits
This course will contest a number of myths surrounding the discourse on black achievement. The analysis will trace the evolution of collective & individual black achievement attitudes from slavery [the legacy of slavery on achievement motivation] to modern times [debates on black oppositional identity & acting white].

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80130             Public Space: Issues of Privatization and Gentrification
(96494)            Prof. Rivlin                                                       0, 3 Credits
A number of recent events have presented challenges to public life.  Moves towards privatization of public spaces, increasing amounts of gentrification of neighborhoods, and recent acts of terrorism have threatened the freedom to have a comfortable life in public.  This seminar offers an opportunity to reflect on these environmental issues and to closely examine their impacts on the use and management of public spaces.

Through readings, (including theories of publicness and privacy, and the historical and cultural foundations of public spaces), visits to public spaces, discussions with public space advocates and managers, and a close examination of specific sites, it will be possible to identify the recent challenges and ideas for addressing them.  We will have an opportunity to develop some fresh perspectives on the roles of public life in contemporary times and the spaces that are needed to support this life.  

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80103             Social Construction of Identity
(96497)            Profs. Deaux/Epstein                            3 Credits
Various theories (e.g, sociological, social psychological, and psychodynamic) offer interpretations of the ways in which people’s identities are formed.  In this course, we will focus on the social determinants of identity formation.  We will explore the social construction of identity, as a dynamic process of individual negotiation and as a culturally and politically shaped phenomenon. 

In the course we will acknowledge the multiplicity of identities that people construct and experience in post-industrial society—aspects of self that include gender, race and ethnicity, nationality, class, and sexual orientation.  In considering these various sources of identity definition and the ways in which they may be interdependent, we will also deal with topics such as biculturalism, intersectionality, and transnational identities.

Using research across a number of disciplines, as well as literary sources, we will consider how the public world of social institutions, such as family, religion, work organizations, and political spheres, connect with individuals’ notions of “who they are” and what they may become.  We will also ask how, as social scientists, we can assess these processes and bring some new perspectives to the understanding of identity.

Included in the course will be discussions of the historical foundations of the study of self and identity, the development and change of social identities, organizational practices and policies as they impact on individual identity, the impact of social movements, an analysis of immigration as it presents a context for identity modification, and the more general influences of popular culture. 

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80103             The Study of Lives
(92157)         Prof. Ouellette                 3 Credits
Close and careful looking at lives reveals individuals in all their complexity and enables discoveries about the communities, societies, and cultures of which those individuals are part.  Deep understanding of one single person enables and requires the understanding of many persons in their distinctive times and places.  The class will review the history of the study of lives, covering issues like (a) psychology’s ironic ambivalence about studying lives (and preference for studying variables and concepts),  (b) the reliance on life studies by contemporary sociology, anthropology, and education research, (c) the place of biography in literary studies, and (d) the current explosion of autobiographical forms such as memoirs and blogs.  We will read several studies of lives.  People write and tell their own lives and those of others against and within the background of all sorts of life circumstances.  In this class, we will focus on lives written by or about people who contend with social injustices such as those of racism and heterosexism and/or serious illness and debilitation.  We will read autobiographies and memoirs, biographies, life histories, and other forms of life studies.  Through discussion of these texts, we will develop conceptual and methodological skills to be applied in our own attempts at life writing.  Several theoretical positions will be considered, including recent contributions by feminist, postmodern, existential/phenomenological, and narrative approaches.  We will seek to craft methods that match the theoretical promise and practical needs that we uncover.

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80103             Practicum in Field Research with Children
(96494)            Prof. Hart                                             3 Credits

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80103             Architectural Workshop on Children’s Museums and Spaces
(96513)            Prof. Chapin                                         3 Credits
What are the architectural qualities and peoples experiences of places for learning? We will combine architecture students working with environmental psychology students to explore ways of shaping the physical environment towards making a setting supportive of growth and development. The seminar will meet often at the City College Architecture School and also at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Many field trips will take us to places where people engage both in formal and informal learning. We will focus particularly on cultural aspects of places and how deeply our ability to learn is bound up with our own cultural practices Each person will participate in a group project and an individual project both aimed towards developing a tool “kit” for analysis, design and evaluation of places for learning.

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80103             Seminar on Structural Equation Modeling
(96490)            Prof. Winkel                                         3 Credits
                        Prequisite: Psychology 706 or the equivalent.
This course teaches the theory and application of structural equation models. These models include factor analysis, path models with errors in equations and errors of measurement in variables, and longitudinal designs. Students will become familiar with the use of computer programs designed for structural equation models.

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80103             Cultural Psychology
(68601)            Prof. Glick                                            3 Credits
Most social sciences acknowledge the central importance of the concept of "culture." Yet the term has many meanings, and is used in very different ways both within and between disciplines. As important as the concept of culture is in the social sciences in general it is often ignored within mainstream traditions in psychology. This course will examine the development of a new area within psychology — the area that is now termed "Cultural Psychology." This emerging discipline integrates literature from sociology, anthropology, post-colonial and feminist studies, hermeneutics and psychology. It attempts to define and make clear what it means to "live in a cultural world," and "what it means to think and act in a culture." The course will extend the analysis of culture to include the treatment of the culture in economic, political, material and technological terms. Throughout the course we will explore the differences between cross-cultural approaches (culture as a variable) and cultural approaches (culture as a way of being human).

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80103             Morality, Society and Culture
(68509)            Prof. Saltzstein                          3 Credits
The seminar focuses on the development and functioning of morality in society and culture. We start with some modern moral crises, e.g., the holocaust and the My Lai massacre), and how they have been explained. Then, we examine different psychological and sociological theories of morality (Freud, Durkheim, Piaget, Kohlberg, moral intuitionism, Turiel’s domain theory, Shweder’s and other cultural theories) in the light of research evidence and everyday observations. Wherever possible, we examine theory and research in the context of culture and history. A central question threading through our discussions is whether cultural and historical variations in morality can be reconciled with a concept of universal moral rights and duties.

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80103             Psychology, Gender and Law
(68473)            Prof. Deaux/O’Connor             3 Credits
In this course we will analyze the intersection of psychology, gender and the law from a number of vantage points.  We will consider how psychological theory and research influence (or fail to influence) the formulation of law, including its inclusion in expert testimony and amicus briefs.  We will examine the impact of the law on gendered practices, such as those affecting education, family structure, and relevant topics in civil and criminal law, such as gender discrimination, sexual harassment, affirmative action, pregnancy and parental leave, pension and social security policies, family and child custody, divorce law, domestic violence, and single-sex institutions.

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80103             Theories of Space and Time
(68507)            Prof. Katz                                            3 Credits
This seminar will examine an eclectic range of theories concerning the social construction and lived experience of space and time from a range of disciplines.  We will explore theories of the production of space, scale, place and the everyday, and the making (and unmaking) of biographical time, historical time, work time, memory, past and future.  Our texts will be attentive to alternative temporalities and spatialities, and their representations in registers other than the social sciences including film and the visual arts.  The work of M.M. Bakhtin, Walter Benjamin, Henri Bergson, Susan Buck-Morss, Johannes Fabian, John Gillis, Judith Halberstam, David Harvey, Stephen Kern, Henri Lefebvre, Tshibumba Kanda Matulu, Charlotte Salomon, Wolfgang Schivelbusch, E.P. Thompson, Anna Tsing, and Paul Willis among others will be addressed.

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80900              Experimental Psychology and Law
(68455)            Prof. Kovera                                        3 Credits

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88600             Epistemological Foundations of Psychology
(96554)            Prof. Glick                                            3 Credits
Epistemology refers to “how do we know?: There are classic formulations that treat the problem of knowing as one of “how does this ‘inside’ (the mind the brain, cognition, the soul) “get to know about that which is outside.” (The world, Others in the world). This essentially dualistic formulation is rooted in a particular Cartesian version of the knowing relationship, New models of knowing have sprung up in Psychology and in other fields in the social sciences and humanities. This critique has even been extended to the workings of scientific laboratories and to models of mind. This course will explore these, and other, issues including Standpoint Epistemologies and Postmodernism/Poststructuralism.

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80200             Independent Psychological Research
                        Sponsor                                               3 Credits

80400             Independent Readings
                        Sponsor                                               1 Credit

80400             Independent Readings
                        Sponsor                                               2 Credits

80400              Independent Readings
                        Sponsor                                               3 Credits

89800             Research Supervision
                        Advisor                                                0 Credit

90000              Dissertation Supervision
                        Advisor                                                1 Credit                 
                        (ALL Level III students register for this)

See Also: PHYS 85900    Scientific Career Management: Strategies for Enhancing Job Prospects and Career Opportunities
                              Prof. Schwartz                                0 Credits

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CONCENTRATION IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY 

80103              Health Psychology
(92154)         Prof. Revenson                  3 Credits
This seminar presents an overview of current theory and research in the field of health psychology.  The course emphasizes the biopsychosocial model of understanding health and illness.  The aims of this course are threefold.  First, students will become acquainted with current knowledge in substantive areas, such as risk factors in the development of illness, cognitive models of illness, stress and coping processes, micro-level and macro-level social factors, and behavioral and community-based health interventions.  Second, students will develop an understanding of the models, theories, and methods used to explore person and environment factors in health and disease. Third, issues will be discussed with an awareness of diversity and the importance of understanding the sociocultural context; specifically, each topic area will be examined as it relates to issues of gender, ethnicity, SES, sexual orientation, and age.

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80103             Stress, Coping, Trauma and Resilience
(96509)            Prof. Revenson                         3 Credits
This advanced seminar focuses on the intersections among the constructs of stress, coping, trauma, and resilience (or positive adaptational outcomes), in particular, theories that provide clues about which factors enhance adaptation. We will explore how stress affects psychological functioning and physical health, and the interpersonal and environmental resources that individuals and communities draw upon to cope with stress and trauma. Historically, in psychology, we have focused almost on negative health and mental health consequences of stress and trauma. But what factors allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish in the face of stress/trauma? To answer these questions, we will read the literature while focusing on several areas -- the terrorist events of 9-11, the experience of cancer, and loss and bereavement.

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80103              Health Concentration Research Seminar
(96552)            Prof. Parsons                                        3 Credits
This seminar will provide an opportunity for students in the Health Concentration actively engaged in health-related research to present and obtain feedback on their research proposals and/or findings. Students will have the opportunity for feedback on manuscripts and/or conference presentationss. Specific content will be developed and tailored to the needs of the students, recognizing that students may be at various stages of development. Outside experts in the field of health psychology will be brought in as needed to assist students with their research projects.

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CONCENTRATION IN PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LAW

80600             Introduction to Forensic Psychology
(92194)         Prof. Falkenbach                3 Credits
This course will provide an overview of the field of clinical forensic psychology and the various ways in which psychology interacts with the legal system. This course will acquaint students with the substantive laws that are addressed in forensic evaluations (e.g., legal definitions of competency and criminal responsibility) and the ways in which forensic psychological practice may differ from general clinical practice (e.g., the importance of obtaining and evaluating third-party information when conducting forensic assessments). The nature and importance of relevant ethical principles governing the practice of psychology in relation to the legal system will also be discussed. Specific topics include psychological testimony, civil commitment, assessments of dangerousness, the rights of mentally disabled individuals, competency to stand trial, child custody disputes, and assessment of psychological damages in civil litigation. The appropriate scope and limitations of psychological practice and techniques in relation to the legal system will be discussed throughout the course.

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80103             The Psychology of Expert Evidence
(96551)            Prof. Groscup                                       3 Credits
This course will focus on the use of psychological expert evidence in litigation, covering a broad range of topics, including the legal rules governing the admissibility and form of expert testimony, both the substantive findings of psychological research and the effects on juries of expert testimony concerning topics such as syndrome evidence, eyewitness reliability, sexual harassment/discrimination, false confessions, damages, and pretrial publicity; gender of the expert; courtroom procedures; ethical considerations; and, issues related to providing expert consultation to lawyers outside of the courtroom.

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80103              Social Influence and Persuasion in Legal Settings              

(92172)         Prof. Leippet                   3 Credits

                Wed. 12:00-2:00                 John Jay College

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80103             Industrial Organizational Psychology and the Law

(92193)         Prof. Landy                     3 Credits             

                Fri. 10:00am-12:00              Baruch College

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CONCENTRATION IN URBAN HEALTH

PH710             Urban Health Promotion                   
                        Prof.  Freudenberg                   3 Credits
Examines impact of social, historical and political forces on the health of urban populations in United States in last 50 years and describes roles for public health professionals in promoting health of urban communities. Open to doctoral students with permission of instructor  Email nfreuden @hunter.cuny.edu for more information.

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**PH740              Public Health Policy     
Prof. Freudenberg                       3 Credits
Analyzes impact of local, state and federal policies in food, environment, reproductive health, education , health care and other sectors on health of NYC and other urban populations. Considers various strategies for policy change and assesses roles of public health professionals in policy advocacy and analysis. Prerequisites for MPH students: At least 30 cr including PH 700,701,702,703, and 710. With instructor's permission, open to matriculated students in other professional and doctoral programs with relevant course or professional experience. Email nfreuden@hunter.cuny.edu for more information.

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PH770.06             Introduction to Public Health Economics
                        Prof.  Fahs                                           3 Credits
Economics is a discipline fundamentally about choice.  Economic analysis is not only a critical tool for program and policy assessment, but can also be valuable for public health leadership, management and advocacy.  The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the power of economics to advance informed decision making in both the public and private sectors. The course focuses on the application of economic methods to assess outcomes and costs of program and policy interventions. At the beginning of the course, students will be introduced to basic economic principles of choice-making, including marginal analysis and opportunity costs.  Students will then review three politically powerful applied economic techniques: cost effectiveness analysis, cost benefit analysis, and cost of illness analysis, addressing strengths and weaknesses, and will learn how to critique current health economic policy reports and studies from the scientific literature.  In the last part of the course, students will apply these techniques to advance public health objectives, by designing an original economic analysis of a significant urban health problem of their choice, focusing either on a policy or programmatic intervention.  

The course is designed for masters-level urban public health students, and doctoral students interested in economic techniques for program/policy evaluation in urban health.  No prior economics is required.

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PH                   Urban Health and the Built Environment: An Interdisciplinary Graduate Course
                        Profs. Albrechts/Angotti/Caravanos      3 Credits
Research and policy analysis on urban health issues is increasingly crossing disciplinary boundaries. The epidemics of asthma, diabetes, and obesity, for example, have focused new attention on the role played by suburban sprawl, transportation, building design, and energy policies, and the extent to which they may contribute to pollution, environmental risks, and adverse health impacts. New research on sustainability, environmental justice, and holistic approaches to urban health links social and spatial elements of the environment, public health and urban planning, and theory and practice. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow researchers and practitioners to better understand the relationships between the built environment and public health, and disparities among communities and cities.

This interdisciplinary seminar will bring together graduate students from the Hunter programs in urban health, urban planning and geography. Students will learn from and discuss literature in other disciplines, and jointly undertake a workshop project within New York City utilizing GIS.

Prerequisite: At least 12 credits within the student’s discipline. No prior knowledge of GIS is required.   Maximum enrollment: 36 (12 from each discipline) 

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Soc. 81900       Interdisciplinary Methods for Urban Health Research

(91630)          Prof. Clare Lennon                     3 Credits

                 Wed. 6:30-8:30pm                       Room

This course introduces students to research on urban health problems from various disciplinary perspectives.  The focus will be on how scholars from a range of disciplines investigate health disparities and develop interventions to promote well-being in urban communities.  Disciplines include political science, anthropology, sociology, psychology, demography, history, and epidemiology.  The course will consider disparities related to gender, race, and socioeconomic status, with particular attention on specific populations, such as poor children and families, and homeless individuals.  Throughout the course, attention is given to the distinctive set of challenges faced by urban populations.  Students are expected to prepare three research papers and a final project.  The research papers are expected to compare and contrast studies using two different disciplinary and methodological approaches.  The final project is to further develop one of the research paper topics into a proposal to investigate health disparities drawing on the conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches of at least two disciplines.

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**PH 770.04     Visual Media, Technology and Health

 (5351) 

                10am-6 pm (offered January 17,18,22,23,24 2008) Hunter 68th Street Campus

                (for more information contact jdaniels@hunter.cuny.edu)

TV, documentary films, and now YouTube - affect how we think about health, public health, illness and the body.  In 2007, for example, HBO launched a documentary series called “Addiction,” funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Drug Addiction (NIDA), presented a strong message that drug addiction is “a brain disease” (HBO, 2007).   Among the most compelling pieces in the HBO series was a video diary a man made based on his own addiction to crack cocaine while he was a prominent news anchor.  What do these visual images mean and how can we use Internet technology to counter these with other images?

In this course, students will watch and critically evaluate health-focused documentary films; and, students will gain hands-on experience in creating their own visual media.   At the end of this short but intensive course each student will have a completed a health-related video uploaded to YouTube.

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**PH 700.01/.02 Biostatistics

(3344)/(3345)           Professors Horiuchi/DeVito      3 Credits

                        Mon.  5:00-7:50pm               Hunter Brookdale Campus Room 106E

 UPH matrics. 2 Sections meet together Application of statistical methods to health data: demographic concepts, life tables, rates and their use in administration and epidemiology, measurements and distributions, testing of significance, and concepts of sampling. Prereq: Elementary statistics or calculus.

**Students Register with a Permit Out Form

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