FS810: Human Development in Context (4 units)

King

Fall 2020

MW 3:00 – 4:50

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to introduce clinical psychology students to human development across the lifespan from an ecological perspective. The course addresses psychological, cultural, and theological perspectives on human development. Given the vastness of developmental psychology, the course emphasizes the development of thriving of diverse persons through covering theorical, empirical, theological, and clinical perspectives. Students will be exposed to “grand” theories of development, research, integration, and case studies. Central issues of human functioning such as culture, social relations, emotions, cognition, identity, sexuality, gender, faith, and morality will be discussed in order to provide a normative and foundational basis for understanding human development in context and to understand the relevance of lifespan development for their own formation as a clinician and for clinical practice. This course will provide students the opportunity for integration at multiple levels: 1) theological reflection on human development, 2) psychological understanding of religious/spiritual development, and 3) personal integration of course content with student’s life experience.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated the capacity to:

1. Students will be able to articulate an integrative approach to human development.

2. Students will be able to utilize critical thinking through an integrative and relational developmental systems lens of development.

3. Students will be able to conceptualize clinical and real life scenarios through a developmental perspective.

4. Students will be able to compare and contrast major developmental theories.

5. Students will be able to identify and describe key concepts from each period of development across the lifespan.

6. Students will be able to find and apply relevant and current developmental research to inform clinical work.

7. Students will be able to demonstrate critical reflection of their own development and how it impacts their own clinical work and/or ministry.

COURSE FORMAT

Fall 2020 is being modified from conventional 4 hours a week (2, 2 hour meetings) of course meeting time to accommodate COVID teaching restrictions and to optimize learning and human (vs. Zoom-an) experience. Consequently, students will meet 90-120 minutes weekly as an entire class and 50 minutes every other week with small groups. Weekly critical questions or discussion posts required.

The course is designed to orient, inform, and engage students in order to gain mastery of course content, a developmental systems perspective related to clinical work and ministry, self-awareness of one’s developmental journey, perspective on personal goals for their own thriving and vocational formation. Learning will occur through assigned readings, lectures, webinars, online audio and video resources, class discussions and exercises, assignments, small group participation, and exams. 

RELATION TO THE CURRICULUM

This course will provide clinical doctoral students with an essential understanding of developmental psychology and a theological perspective of the purpose (or telos) of human development. It will provide a beginning capacity to reflect developmentally and from an integrative perspective about the lives of others; their own past, present, and future life, and their vocation. 

SOT:

• Graduates will demonstrate literacy in the core Christian tradition from a biblical, theological, and historical perspective.
• Graduates are able to engage culture constructively and critically so as to challenge both church and society.
• Graduates will make discernable progress in their spiritual journey and character formation.

SOP

1. Research: Engage in scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluations, program development) to inform clinical practice. Disseminate the results of scholarly activities primarily to local and/or regional audiences.
2. Individual and Cultural Diversity: Understand how one's own individual, cultural, and religious history, attitudes, and biases affect one's work, with an enhanced understanding of the impact of those factors on clients and colleagues. Demonstrate enhanced knowledge, application, and awareness of current theory and research as they apply to addressing diversity in the provision of clinical services.
3. Professional Values and Attitudes: Engage in self-reflection, pursue self-improvement, and seek supervision to enable behavior that reflects the profession's values and attitudes (e.g., integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and compassion). Across training, grow in the ability to respond effectively and independently to increasingly complex professional challenges, with enhanced competence in the domain of clinical work.

REQUIRED READING:

Balswick, Jack. O., King, Pamela. E., & Reimer, Kevin. S. (2016). The reciprocating self: A theological

perspective of development. 2^nd edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Academic

Press.

Coates, Ta-Nehisi (2015). Between the World and Me. New York: Penguin Random House.

Jenson, Lene Arnett & Arnett Jeffery Jenson (2019). Human Development Worldwide: A Cultural

Approach, 3^rd edition. New York: Pearson Education. ISBN: 9780134711447

(May also use electronic version.)

Seigel, Dan & Bryson, Tina (2020). The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired. New York: Penguin Random House.

Additional readings will be assigned throughout the class on Canvas.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Forthcoming in syllabus

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

Weekly discussions, brief reflection papers, study guide preparation, thriving research paper, and take home final exam. 

PREREQUISITES:

None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:

Requirement in the clinical sequence.

FINAL EXAMINATION:

Take home written final exam.