PS 311 - Cross Cultural Psychology

The main aim of this course is to provide students with an overview of established and contemporary knowledge in the areas of social and cultural psychology while highlighting the traditionally ethnocentric nature of western psychology and pointing towards recent developments. The course covers selected topics within several key areas of psychology (e.g., social psychology, emotions, mental health), each viewed through a cultural lens. A further component focuses on an applied area—intergroup relations in South Africa—to provide students with an opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge within a current cultural context in South Africa. The approach taken in this course will ideally complement and enrich the students’ experience while living and studying in a new culture, on both academic and personal levels.