In this course students students will be responsible for presenting the assigned readings and leading class discussion during two class periods in collaboration with Dr. Stephens. This assignment is worth 30 points. It is important to prepare for this assignment not only by presenting the course readings, but also taking time to understand the applicability of the article content to the broader course goals, and identify engaging ways to present this information.
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Spring 2025 Wednesdays 1:00pm- 3:45pm
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
Students in this course will examine a range of topics at the intersection of culture and psychology. Throughout the semester, we will explore, examine, and better understand how culture influences our lives and the lives of others, with a particular focus on Miami and South Florida's diverse communities. This course aims to develop students’ cultural humility competencies and skills (i.e., knowledge, awareness, and transformation skills) across diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Central areas of focus will include intersectionality; socialization; power via privilege and oppression; intergroup conflict and communication; and advocacy. These topics will be addressed as they relate to ethical education, research, clinical, and advocacy practices in psychology and allied fields.
The course will use both a traditional lecture/discussion format and intergroup dialogue. Students should be prepared to engage uncomfortable topics. This will serve to increase everyone's capacity to engage in difficult dialogues across groups, and strengthen individual and collective capacities to promote social justice (Zúñiga, Nagda, & Sevig, 2002).
This course counts toward the Applied Social & Cultural Psychology Certificate and Health Disparities Initiative Certificate. It also fulfills the Social Justice Competency requirement for students in the Applied Social & Cultural Psychology Doctoral Program.
Unit 1: Cultural Humility in Clinical & Research Practices
We begin this course by interrogating our own experiences using a cultural humility lens; this a process of self-reflection serving as a foundation for the building of equitable relationships across community settings. By engaging in reflexive discussions about intersectionality and personal historical experiences this unit will serve as an introduction to dialogues and establishing practices for engaging research with diverse communities across Miami.
Unit 2: Contextualizing Cultural Humility
Building upon our earlier focus on Community Engaged Research approaches, we will begin exploring how these theoretical frameworks are / are not being utilized across community settings specifically in Miami and abroad. We will apply our knowledge at individual (e.g. racial/ ethnic, sexual diversity), neighborhood, and geographic levels. There will be attention paid to the social determinants of health shaping health inequity outcomes across systems.
Unit 3: Transformative Practices & Applications
Drawing upon the earlier units' content, students will continue applying the course content to research and practitioners skills. This will involve designing a research study that centers easy translation approaches to real-world health settings and situations. Further, students will illustrate their Improved understandings of cultural humility through the transformative focus assignments grounded in their area of expertise.