PY2018 - Intercultural Psychology

Credit points:	03
Year:	2016
Student Contribution Band:	Band 1
Administered by:	College of Healthcare Sciences

This subject is concerned with how interactions with different cultures influence behaviour and group's or individual's constructions and understandings of self, others and social reality. This subject is also concerned with how culture affects theoretical and research paradigms in psychology. While acknowledging theories and research from general psychology, this subject introduces students to the notion that psychological theories are culturally bound and value-laden, and that each culture should be understood from its own point of reference, including its own historical, philosophical, political and religious contexts. This subject focuses on the perspective of interculture when groups of individuals of different cultures (eg Western and Eastern cultures) come into continuous contact, these cultures co-create one another and come into being at the same time. As such, the West is in the East and the East is in the West, albeit to varying degrees. The subject is to provide definitions of the concept of culture. Theoretical foundations of western/individualistic cultures and eastern/collectivist cultures will be reviewed. The subject will offer an analysis of cross-cultural and cultural psychologies that provide the theoretical and methodological foundation for the discussion of intercultural psychology. Discussions specifically related to Asian psychologies and Australian Indigenous psychology will be introduced. Issues arising from globalisation as well as living and working in multicultural environments will be discussed as well.

Learning Outcomes

• On successful completion of this subject, students will have the cognitive, technical and communication skills to: select and apply methods and technologies to analyse and evaluate theories and concepts in intercultural psychology to a range of activities, including Discussion Board activities, literature review and online tests; to exercise critical thinking and judgement with intellectual independence in identifying and tackling social issues related to intergroup relations; and to present a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas about the diversity of cultures and peoples, their differences and commonalities, with particular reference to Australian Indigenous cultures and peoples;
• Students will demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of place, with specific reference to the role of Australia and Singapore in the Asia-Pacific region and the tropics worldwide;
• Students will demonstrate the ability to adapt their knowledge and skills to diverse contexts, including interdisciplinary applications.

Assumed Knowledge:

This subject is to be offered under any degree that allows for PY level 2 elective subjects. To undertake this subject, students must have successfully completed 12 credit points (four subjects) of level 1 study at tertiary level. Students of non-English speaking backgrounds must have adequate English language capacity assessed under the Australian International English Language Testing System. An IELTS score of 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5 is required.

Availabilities
Townsville, Limited, Study Period 2
Census Date 25-Aug-2016
Face to face teaching (Face-to-face lectures (dates/times TBA))
Coord/Lect:	Dr Wendy Li.
Contact hours:	12 hours lectures - Face-to-face lectures 26 hours - Online lectures and tutorials
Assessment:	assignments (40%); weekly learnjcu discussion board activities (40%); online test (20%).
Special Assessment Requirements:	N/A
JCU Singapore, Internal, Study Period 52
Census Date 11-Aug-2016
Coordinator:	Dr Wendy Li
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 12 hours tutorials
Assessment:	assignments (40%); weekly learnjcu discussion board activities (40%); online test (20%).
Special Assessment Requirements:	N/A

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.