UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE
Department of Human Resource Development
 

Course Syllabus
Spring, 2002

HRD 664  Culture, Tradition and Diversity
Thursday  4:10 - 6:40
410 Bailey Hall

Robert Atkinson
402 Bailey Hall
780-5078
Office Hrs: Tue. & Thur. 2 - 4 p.m.
 
atkinson@usm.maine.edu
www.usm.maine.edu/~atkinson

Course Description:
This course focuses on developing multicultural awareness, and on understanding the cultural foundations of human growth and development. The theoretical and research emphasis focuses on the exploration of cultural values, traditions, and issues of diversity.  The course considers specific ethnic groups to determine how values, beliefs, and traditions might influence attitudes toward growth potential. 3 credit hour

Goal:
This course will provide counselors, educators, and other professionals with a multicultural perspective, and a deeper appreciation of how the beliefs and values of specific ethnic and other diverse groups might influence growth and development across the life cycle.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Identify various issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society;
2. describe the interaction of culture, tradition and human development;
3. become familiar with the characteristics and concerns of the ethnic groups of New England within the context of a global community;
4. explore attitudes and behaviors that might be based on such factors as: age, race, beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, family patterns, gender, socioeconomic status, and intellectual ability;
5. describe the process of social and cultural change and its influence on ethnic groups;
6. understand sub-cultures, sexism, urban and rural communities, cultural mores, and how these factors influence life patterns;
7. explore techniques for working with diverse populations; and, understand the primary ethical considerations in working with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
    

 
Relationship to CEHD Curriculum Framework
All courses in CEHD are designed to facilitate learning through content knowledge, skills, and dispositions with an emphasis on connections and
partnerships, best practices, validating practices, and reflection and critical inquiry. This course prepares professionals in these areas in the following ways:

Using Program Content Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions to Design Educational Programs: Instructor has applied recognized standards of excellence in guiding the development of this course.

Forging Connections and Partnerships: Students and faculty will connect theory and practice through service learning projects with various schools, businesses, and other community agencies.

Developing Best Professional Practices: Instructor will model best professional practices in the classroom and expect students to aspire to high standards of professional practice.

Validating Practices: Students will demonstrate through research, assessments, and other performances how content knowledge, skills, and dispositions have been achieved.

Modeling Reflection and Critical Inquiry: Students and faculty will actively engage in examining, questioning, and learning from content knowledge, understandings, and their own professional development.

 
General Policies:
 

1. Attendance at all classes is expected.
2. Class discussion is considered to be a valuable part of the course and everyone is expected to participate.
3. All assignments are expected to be completed on time and will be considered late if not submitted by the class period immediately following the due date.
4. Incompletes will only be assigned in extreme circumstances such as illness or death of a close relative.
    

Course Format:
Each session may include discussion of the readings, small group activities, videos, and guest presentations.


Required Texts:
 

• Sue, D. W. & Sue, D. 1999 (3rd edition). Counseling the Culturally Different: Theory and Practice. New York: Wiley.
   
• Robinson, Tracy L. & Howard-Hamilton, Mary F. 2000. The Convergence of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender: Multiple Identities in Counseling. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
   
• Atkinson, R. 1995. The Gift of Stories: Practical and Spiritual Applications of Autobiography, Life Stories, and Personal Mythmaking. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
   

Course Requirements:
 

1. Regular attendance and participation in class and small group discussions, and regular participation in online class discussion.    20%
2. A three-part autobiographical exercise, the 1st part focuses on your own cultural influences, and 2nd part on your spiritual development, and the 3rd part on  your applied world view, exploring your own cultural values and ethical standards. (Guidelines to follow). 15%
3. A community field project, or service learning experience, in which you offer a few hours of volunteer assistance to a community agency in a
   multicultural setting, or to an individual of an identifiable ethnic background and write a brief report on what you learned from your experience. (Guidelines to follow). 15%
4. A journal, or personal learning portfolio, consisting of  six 1 page entries in which you reflect on your learning relative to the goals of the
   course, your own personal goals, & the issues raised by the material covered. (Guidelines to follow). 10%
5. A Life story interview of an adult preferably from an identifiable ethnic background, applying the issues and principles covered in class.
   (Guidelines to follow).  40%
    

Academic Support:  If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. Also make an appointment with the office of academic support for students with disabilities.  At any point in the semester, if you encounter difficulty with the course or feel you could be performing at a higher level, consult with the instructor.  Students experience difficulty in courses for a variety of reasons.  For problems with writing skills and time management, make an appointment to see a student tutor at The Learning Center, Luther Bonney, 2nd floor (780-4228).  Help is also available through the Counseling Center, 106 Payson Smith (780-4050) and
the and the Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities, 2nd floor Luther Bonney, Portland Campus (780-4706).
 

“It’s never to late to give up your prejudices.”             Thoreau, Walden