COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES. This course examines theory and research in human personality and social development throughout the life span. Topics include attachment, altruism, aggression, issues of family diversity, gender and racial identity development, and family and social influence. The course also includes examination of the processes by which children, adults, and families acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviors considered desirable (or undesirable) by the society to which they belong, as well as how individuals acquire the distinctive individual qualities, temperaments and tendencies which we call personality. The objectives of the course are to gain a better awareness of, and understanding of, the cognitive and social processes that account for human social development, and to explore research and concepts about what can be done to maximize favorable social interactions, relationships and psychosocial development in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Students are also expected to make practical connections between course curriculum, service learning observations and experiences at the Connecticut College Children’s Program, and personal life experiences.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Shaffer, D.(2000). Social & Personality Development (Fourth Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Davis, N., Cole, E., & Rothblum, E. (1993). Faces of Women and Aging. NY: Harrington Park Press/Haworth.
Blauner, B. (Ed.) (1998). Our Mothers’ Spirits: Great Writers on the Death of Mothers and the Grief of Men. NY: ReganBooks/HarperCollins.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
A flat 3-pronged folder for journal entries. Preferably UPC Code 73333-62630 or Ampad #36-121. Labeled with student’s name on the front, and properly labeled as instructed in “Journal Reflection Questions.”
RESERVED READING ASSIGNMENTS.
Cavanaugh, J. (1997). Adult Development and Aging, Third Edition. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Diehl, N., & Baker, L. (1997). Sometimes It Is Sad to Be at Home: What is a Kid to do about Domestic Violence? Detroit, MI: Wayne County Coordinating Council To Prevent Domestic Violence.
Dunlap, M. (1997). The Role of the personal fable in adolescent service learning and critical reflection. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 4, 56-63.
Dunlap, M. (1998). Voices of students in multicultural service learning settings. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 5, 58-67.
Edwards, A. & C. Polite (1992). Children of the Dream: The Psychology of Black Success, NY: Doubleday.
Genogram Sample: “Mrs. J’s Family.”
Patterson, C. (1994). Children of the lesbian baby boom: Behavioral adjustment, self-concepts, and sex role identity. In B. Greene & G. Hered (Eds.) Lesbian and Gay Psychology, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Jensen, R. (1998). Patriarchal sex. In S. Schacht & D. Ewing (Eds.), Feminism and Men: Reconstructing Gender Relations. NY: New York University Press.
Kanter, R. & Stein, B. (1980). A Tale of O: On Being Different. NY: Harper & Row.*
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Masten, A. & Coatsworth, J. (1998). The development of competence in favorable and unfavorable environments: Lessons from research on successful children. American Psychologist, 53 (2), 205-220.
Shaver, P. (Oct. 1994). Loving styles may be determined in infancy. APA Monitor, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Swann, J. (1992). Girls, Boys & Language: Language in Education. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Tatum, B. (1992). Talking about race: The application of racial identity development theory in the classroom. Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 62 (1), 1-24.
*Available in HMD 111B reserved materials.
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READINGS.
Hewitt, D. (1995). So This Is Normal Too?: Teachers and Parents Working Out Developmental Issues in Young Children. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
(1) ATTENDANCE AND INFORMED PARTICIPATION. Regular attendance and participation in class discussions are required. Attendance will be taken each class meeting. Failure to participate in class discussions and course work in a manner that suggests that you have been informed, in part, by your readings and other course resources can negatively affect your grade.
(2) SERVICE LEARNING is required on a regular basis. It is my philosophy that service learning experiences help to enhance academic learning, and vice versa, that academic learning can enhance service learning. Therefore, I require students to engage in supervised service learning involving children, adults, and/or families who are within any portion of the life span. This semester, all students will be placed at the Connecticut College Children’s Program at Holmes Hall (X2920). Stephanie DiFrancesco will visit to offer an orientation and to coordinate placement assignments during the first week of classes. A letter is attached for you to give to your service learning placement supervisor when you begin your service learning. Service learning should begin no later than, Monday, September 13, 1999.
(3) REFLECTION JOURNAL. The purpose of the reflection journal is for the regular documenting of all of your activities related to the course. Items that are to be included in the reflection journal are: your answers to the Journal Reflection Questions; feelings and insights regarding each of your service learning experiences; reactions to text readings, reserved readings, films guest speakers and other course-related materials and experiences; insights gained related to the course; and a concluding summary to bring your journal to a close at the end of the semester. Entry submissions should be ongoing from the beginning of the course, are to be typed, double spaced, completed and submitted for grading as scheduled below. Your journals must reflect that you are completing, and seriously reflecting upon, your reading assignments, service learning, and other course-related experiences. Please do not use a three ring binder for your journal, but rather use a flat folder with three prongs for securely holding papers.
(4) TAKE-HOME MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAM. The take-home midterm and final exams will be in essay format. They will involve analyzing the characters and circumstances in a social and personality related film or other multi-media. Answers must be neatly typed, doubled spaced, and well supported with citations and references (8-10 pages for the mid-term, and 10-12 pages for the final). The final should be considered cumulative. In addition, the instructor may issue a “pop quiz” at any time without advance notice.
(5) EVALUATION FORM. Must be completed by each student·s service learning supervisor before the end of the semester. It is your responsibility to verify with your supervisor that the evaluation has been mailed by the appropriate due date. Students are not to hand-deliver the evaluations to instructor or to her box. The evaluations should be mailed or delivered by the supervisors.
(6) GROUP FINAL PRESENTATION. Students of this course will work in teams of 3-4 to select a topic, research and creatively present to the class information regarding contemporary topics in social and personality development.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE. The reading assignments given below are required and are to be completed by the date they appear in the outline unless otherwise specified. Additional recommended or required readings may be assigned and/or reserved as we progress through the semester. If any additional assignments are announced in class, you are responsible for them. Most classes will take the form of structured discussions, lectures and/or multi-media presentations.
W Sept. 8 Introduction to the Course and to Each Other;
Documentaries: “The Connecticut College Children’s Program” and “Floor Time”;
Stephanie DiFrancesco for scheduling and orientation to the Children’s Program
Text: Shaffer, Chapter 14
Recommended: Hewitt, Introduction
Note: TB TESTS DUE FOR HMD CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
W Sept. 15 Personality Development Explorations: Helmets and Tools;
Review of Major Developmental Theories; The Eclectic Approach to Theory Use
Texts: Shaffer, Chapter 1-3; Blauner, Preface (pp. ix-xii), Introduction (pp.xv-
xx), & About the Contributors (pp. 309-315); Davis et al., Preface (pp. xi-xii), & About the Editors (p. ix)
Narratives: G. Lee, “Mah-Mee” (in Blauner, pp. 34-48); N. Davis, “Sincerely” (pp. 67-72)
Recommended: Hewitt Chapters 2, 5, 7
Note: Volunteer Placements Should Be Well Established and Begun
By This Monday Sept. 13.
W Sept. 22 Who Am I?: Attachment, First Relationships, and Family in the Development of the Self throughout the Life Span; Genograms and Birth Order Theories
Texts: Shaffer, Chapters 4, 5, 6, 11; Blauner, pp. 31-32
Reserved: Shaver article
Narratives: F. Moramarco, “The Mother I Carry with Me” (in Blauner, pp. 212- 221); G. Harris (Age 13), “What Am I?” (pp. 294-298)
Recommended: Hewitt, Chapters 1 & 7
W Sept. 29 Social and Personality Development Film & Discussion: Family Dysfunction, Coping and Developmental Resiliency
Texts: Shaffer, Chapter 9; Blauner, p. 191 (“Alienation”)
Reserved: Diehl & Baker Booklet
Narrative: H. Miller, “Unhappy Memories” (in Blauner, pp. 200-202)
Recommended: Hewitt, Chapters 15 & 16
W Oct. 6 Peer and Community Influences Upon Social and Personality Development
Text: Shaffer, Chapter 13
Narratives: S. Freedman, “A Mother’s Presence” (pp. 172-175); D. Wellman,
“Loyalties and Betrayals” (pp. 227-243).
Recommended: Hewitt, Chapter 11, 12, 14
W Oct. 13 Media and Schooling Influences Upon Social and Personality Development
Visit to the Connecticut College Children’s Program (2:30pm)
Text: Shaffer, Chapter 12; Davis et al., (Chrisler & Ghiz chapter, pp. 67-75; Markson & Taylor, pp. 157-172); Swann, Chapter 5
Narratives: S. Healey, “Confronting Ageism” (in Davis et al., pp. 41-66); N. Algren, “The Child” (in Blauner, pp. 203-206)
JOURNALS DUE: In a flat 3-prong folder (keep a back-up for your exam)
TAKE-HOME MID-TERM EXAM DISTRIBUTED
W Oct. 20 Gender Issues in Social and Personality Development;
Achievement Orientation and Development
Text: Shaffer, Chapters 7 & 8
Reserved: Jensen, “Patriarchal Sex” (in Schacht & Ewing, pp. 99-118); Swann, Chapters 2 & 3
Narratives: S. Pearlman, “Late Mid-Life Astonishment” (in Davis et al., pp. 1- 12); T. Beneke, “Making My Mother Real” (in Blauner, pp. 53-59); D. Oberti, “The Accident” (pp. 155-158);
Recommended: Hewitt, Chapters 4 & 10
F Oct. 22 TAKE-HOME MID-TERM DUE (Hand deliver to Prof. Dunlap or
Human Development Dept. secretary, Ms. Lisa Atkinson)
W Oct. 27 Social and Personality Development Film & Discussion: Interventions for
Improving Communication, Trust & Self-Esteem
Text: Shaffer, Chapter 10
Narrative: H. Madhubuti, “Unspoken Lessons” (in Blauner, pp. 60-66); A. Buchwald, “A Form of Matricide” (pp. 176-185)
Recommended: Hewitt, Chapters 8, 9, 13
W Nov. 3 Cultural and Racial Identity Development
Text: Davis et al., (Tijerina-Jim, pp. 33-39)
Reserved: Tatum article; Ladson-Billings, Chapters 3 & 6; Kanter & Stein’s Tale
of O; see reserved narratives below
Narratives: S. Taylor, & K. Mfume, (in Edwards & Polite, pp. 175-179 & 183-
188); J. Herman Blake, “Lilacs” (in Blauner, pp. 284-293); J. Herrera, “Lucha” (pp. 249-258)
W Nov. 10 Gay and Lesbian Family Psychosocial Development; Film: Camp Lavender Hill
Reserved: Patterson chapter, in Greene & Hered; Masten & Coatsworth article
Narratives: C. Schoonmaker, “Aging Lesbians” (in Davis et al., pp. 21-31); S.
Masover, “Speaking in Silences” (in Blauner, pp. 264-274)
W Nov. 17 Aging and Social and Personality in Later Life
Text: Blauner, pp. 207-208 (“Reconceiving the Mother”); Davis et al., (Siegel chapter, pp. 173-185);
Reserved: Cavanaugh, Chapter 8 “Personality, Social Cognition and Aging” (pp. 275-311) & Chapter 10, “Relationships and Aging” (pp. 357-401)
Narratives: M. Adolph, “Myth of the Golden Years” (in Davis et al., pp. 55-66); S. Nelson, “When Mary Stopped Talking” (pp. 13-20); J. Updike, “Which Visit Will Be My Last” (in Blauner, pp. 5-10)
W Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Holiday, No Classes Today
W Dec. 1 Social and Personality Development Film & Discussion: Applying Course Concepts
W Dec. 8 GROUP FINAL PRESENTATIONS;
TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAM DISTRIBUTED, Must be returned by Friday, Dec. 17, 1999.
F Dec. 10 JOURNALS DUE TODAY in appropriate flat 3-pronged folders
F Dec. 17 SERVICE LEARNING SUPERVISOR EVALUATIONS DUE;
TAKE-HOME FINAL EXAM DUE (Hand deliver to Prof. Dunlap or
Human Development Dept. secretary, Ms. Lisa Atkinson)
GRADING: Final course grades will be based on evaluation of the following (%’s are approximations):
Class Attendance and Informed Participation (15%)
Service Learning/Evaluation (15%)
Course Journals (15%)
Mid-Term (20%
Group Final Presentation (10%)
Final Exam (25%)
LATE WORK: Work that is late will be reduced by 10% of the highest possible grade for that assignment for each day that it is late.
GRADING AND ACADEMIC HONESTY: In this course it is expected and assumed that students are familiar with and abide by Connecticut College’s Honor Code. Therefore, all assignments and exams must be written solely by the stated author, and for this course only. No assignments may be submitted to fulfill the requirements of more than one course unless explicitly agreed upon by the instructors of each of the courses. Suspected cheating, plagiarism, or other dishonesty will be referred immediately to Connecticut College’s judiciary board, and could result in a failing grade for that assignment or exam and/or for the course.
JOURNAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D.
FIRST LABEL YOUR JOURNAL FILE: Label your journal file with, 1) Your Name, Gender and Age; 2) Your Course# and Section; 3) The Semester (e.g., Fall, 1996); and 4) The Name of Your Service Learning Location.
GENERAL FORMAT INFORMATION: Your journal is to consist of one computer file that is stored on a hard or floppy disk, and which continues to grow as you add entries to it. It is your responsibility to keep the latest version of your journal file backed-up at all times on additional disks. The journal allows you to stretch your thinking beyond the boundaries of the classroom. It is intended as an opportunity for you to relate what you are studying about humans to what you see them doing as you observe them in your service learning settings as well as to reflect upon concepts and experiences related to the course.
LABEL EACH JOURNAL ENTRY: Each entry in the file should be labeled with the date of visit. Some students have titled their entries or added other personal touches.
HOW TO PROCESS OR TAKE NOTES: It is probably NOT a good idea to take notes for your journal while you are engaged at your service learning site. The best time to process is right after your service learning for that day, and then perhaps at any points after as you continue to think about your observations and experiences. Entries should be double spaced, and each entry should be dated. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT SERVICE LEARNERS REFER TO ANY CHILDREN, ADULTS, STAFF, TEACHERS, ETC. BY INITIALS ONLY, AND NOT BY NAME, FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CONFIDENTIALITY.
LENGTH OF ENTRIES: There is no set or required length for each entry; the length should be determined by your observation and your processing of it. As you become more at ease with writing in your journal, length will become less important. You should have at least one entry for each day that you observe. You may add more entries between visits as you see fit as you process course materials, service learning, etc.
FIRST JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT- INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE FIRST FEW ENTRIES: Questions to think about when observing and reflecting. These questions are to be addressed in the first few entries of your journal, and can be addressed even before your placement actually begins. Please do not fear answering honestly. There are no right or wrong responses in your journals. Thus, prior to and/or over the course of your first few service learning sessions, respond to the following questions in your journals:
1) Where is your service learning site? How will you be getting to your service learning site? Describe the surroundings of your site.
2) How did you come to select your particular observation site? In other words, what attracted you to this one over the others available?
3) What do you hope to learn or possibly discover about the children, adults or families or about the observation site? What do you hope to observe, learn or discover about human development by participating at your observation center?
4) What are your specific duties or tasks? Are you a tutor, peer model, or do you serve in some other capacity? What specifically will be your tasks and roles?
5) Describe the children, adults, or families (not necessarily each one, but collectively) with whom you are working in your service learning. With how many children, adults, or families do you come into contact? What are their age ranges and school grade levels? What do you happen to know about their lives and backgrounds (their Microsystems, Mesosystems, Exosystems and Macrosystems)? How might the participants be similar to one another? How might they be different from one another? Are there any that you might define as under-served or “at risk” for some reason? Why so? Why not?
6) Do you see any similarities between yourself as a child or adult and the children, adults or families in general or individually? What are the similarities? What are the differences?
7) What developmental deficits (physical, cognitive, psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, etc.), if any, do you think the participants have? What strengths and competencies do you think they have? What have you observed in their behavior that might illustrate these deficits, strengths, and competencies? You may include a discussion of deficits and strengths in their Microsystems(s), Mesosystem(s), Exosystem(s), and/or Macrosystem.
8) What questions stand out in your mind most about the participants? If you had a crystal ball and could investigate any aspect of their development, what would you want to focus on? Why? What would you want most to avoid focusing upon? Why?
9) Again, please do not fear answering honestly. There are no wrong or right responses in your journal. Remember that the purpose of your journal is to help you record, discuss, and reflect upon your observation experiences without fear of being graded on content. How do you feel at this point about this service learning experience? How do you view yourself with relation to the participants at this point? In other words, do you feel any attachment or connection (can you relate to the participants in any way)? In what areas do you relate? In what areas do you not? Why? Why not?
10) Where do you want to go from here with respect to your observations? Have any areas emerged yet that you think you might like to focus on in particular when you observe the participants. Are there any individual participants that you feel particularly interesting? Jot any ideas for future directions.
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE ENTRIES: In general, your journal entry should have two parts: (1) a record of what you have observed or experienced at the time, and (2) your response or reaction to it. Your reaction should focus on relating what you saw to information from the course. Personal reactions in the journal are encouraged, but the central thrust of the response should be the relationship between what you saw and the course content as much as possible.
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
Human Development Department
Instructor: Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D.
SERVICE LEARNING PLACEMENT EVALUATION
Dear Supervisor or Teacher: I would appreciate your assessment of the following student service learner from my course. Please complete this evaluation for the student to return to me at the end of the semester. Your feedback will not only provide valuable information for measuring the progress of students, but it can also help me to improve on the design of future courses. The supervisor or teacher should mail this form by Friday, December 17, 1999 directly to: Professor Michelle R. Dunlap, Box 5322 Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London, CT 06320-4196. I thank you for your assistance.
STUDENT NAME _______________________________________________
DAYCARE/SCHOOL/AGENCY ___________________________________
SUPERVISOR/TEACHER ________________________________________
Using the number scale, please check the number best assessing the service learner’s performance: 1. Excellent 2. Good 3. Fair 4. Poor 5. Cannot Comment
1 2 3 4 5
a. Reliability ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
b. Motivation ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
c. Involvement ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
d. Commitment ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
e. Productivity ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
f. Cooperativeness ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
Do you feel that this service learner was adequately prepared to accept the responsibilities that they were given? In what way(s) could they have been better prepared?
Did you feel that this was a worthwhile experience for you and your classroom or agency? How did having a service learner in your classroom or agency benefit you?
In your opinion, what can I, as an instructor, do to enhance a service learner exchange such as this and make it a more beneficial experience for you, your students or clients, and my students?
Do you feel that you had a good rapport with this service learner? Why or why not?
Would you want to have a service learner from my courses again in the future? Why or why not?
I would greatly appreciate any additional feedback. Please use the back of this sheet for that purpose. This will help me to strive to better prepare my students for the service learning experience. Thank you for your participation and valuable input.
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
Human Development Department
Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D.
Connecticut College
270 Mohegan Ave., Box 5322
New London, CT 06320-4196
(860) 439-2634 (Office)
(860) 439-5457 (FAX)
[email protected] (E-Mail)
September 6, 1999
Dear School or Agency Supervisor,
The student ____________________________ is enrolled in a Human Development Course that I teach. I believe that service learning experiences help to enhance academic learning, and vice versa, that academic learning can enhance service learning. Therefore, I require that all of my students engage in supervised service learning involving children, adults and/or families, coordinated through either the Connecticut College Children’s Program or the Connecticut College Office of Volunteer for Community Services (OVCS).
The above student is enrolled in my HMD ________ course. All students of my courses are expected to behave in accordance with the Connecticut College Children’s Program or OVCS guidelines for behavior and performance of duties. For students of my HMD 111B Introduction to Human Development Course, they are also asked by me to make as many connections as they can between basic course concepts and real life child behavior, and vice versa, real life behavior and concepts taught in the course. HMD 302 Social and Personality Development students are expected to focus more on social developmental issues, and social cognition issues as they perform their regular service learning duties. For students of my HMD 321 Children and Families in a Multicultural Society course, students are encouraged to focus their attention more on multicultural concepts, issues, challenges and resolutions. HMD 402 Social and Personality Development Research students are expected to think in terms of the implications of particular areas of research that they are pursuing for the service learning environments and/or children and families of service learning environments in which they are engaged.
Attached to this letter you will find an evaluation form that I would appreciate your completing at the end of the student’s service learning period. It should be mailed directly to me. Your evaluation will not only provide valuable information for measuring the progress of my students, but it can also help me to improve on the design of courses in the future.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if I can provide you with more information regarding the service learning objectives that I have for my students, or if you have any other questions or concerns. I thank you again for helping to provide this service learning opportunity for one of my students.
Sincerely,
Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D.