University of Oregon, Spring 2002
Psychology 410/510: CULTURE AND PERSONALITY seminar
10:00 - 11:20 am, Mondays and Wednesdays
Professor: Gerard Saucier, Ph.D.
Office: 312 Straub
E-mail: gsaucier@oregon.uoregon.edu Phone: 346-4927 with voice mail
Course web page: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~gsaucier/Culture_Personality.htm
Office Hours: Mondays 1-2:30 pm, Wednesdays 11:30 am - noon, or flexibly by appointment
Required text: Westen, D. (1985). Self and society: Narcissism, collectivism, and the development of morals. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press.
Other readings (see page following seminar schedule) on reserve in Knight Library
Course Objectives (or, what's the purpose of this course?)
This is an experimental course -- a seminar in culture and personality. Its object is to explore frameworks for thinking about the relations of culture and personality, with an eye toward creating an integrative theoretical approach. How is personality affected by culture, and how is it interrelated with culture? We will take an unconventional and wide-ranging approach to the subject matter, with the aim of developing uncommon insights.
Readings will be from a variety of primary sources drawn from psychology, anthropology, and sociology. The largest portion (though less than half) of the readings will be from a book by Drew Westen, an ambitious attempt to create a synthesis of important concepts in culture and personality. But we will approach this particular work critically, with an eye to identifying its limitations and pointing the way to something better. Seminar participants are expected to read everything that is assigned.
Each session will have its own set of assigned readings. Class time will be spent mainly in discussion of issues arising in the readings, after short reviews of the reading content by the professor that will open each session. We will read entirely original sources, no textbooks. The readings are somewhat challenging because they are written for the scientific community. Although this seminar is offered as an upper-division undergraduate course, it is organized much like a graduate seminar. Prerequisites: It is helpful if the student has had courses in Personality or Psychological Assessment or Cultural Psychology or Cultural Anthropology, or has graduate student status at the University of Oregon.
Seminar participants enrolled in Psychology 510, i.e., as graduate students, will have one or more additional readings and one or more additional meetings during the term. The instructor will contact 510 students by e-mail during the first half of the term to make these arrangements.
Assignments and Grading
Participants' final course grade is based on the following (top of next page):
20% ...turning in and presenting two ELQ papers on assigned dates (10% each)
21% ...turning in three further ELQ papers on dates of participant's choosing (7% each)
4% ...turning in list of ideas for term paper by week 8 of term (i.e., May 22)
30% ...grade on term paper
25% ...score on final exam
What follows in this section is more detail on each of these components.
ELQ papers – ELQ papers are brief, and provide "examples, link-ups, or questionable points" concerning the readings for the date on which they are due. "Examples" means descriptions of practical or real-life examples that are proposed to fit concepts found in the readings, explaining why. "Link-ups" means linking concept(s) described by one author with concept(s) used by another author (in readings for the same date or a previous date). "Questionable points" means identifying something in the reading you find questionable, and explaining why. An ELQ paper need do only one of these three things. ELQ papers are grades on a P/NP basis. ELQ papers should be approximately 1 page in length (double-spaced) with a maximum of 2 pages (double-spaced). ELQ papers, to count for credit, must be turned in before 9 am on the due date (the date for which the reading addressed in the paper is the assigned reading), they can be turned in by e-mail (to gsaucier@oregon.uoregon.edu) or in hard copy, but participants should always bring a hard copy to the seminar meeting. The purpose of the 9 am deadline is to give instructor a chance to review them before the seminar meeting.
Two ELQ papers on assigned dates - Two of the ELQ papers must be turned in on certain assigned class days, which are different for each seminar participant. The purpose of this system is to assure that there are always two or more ELQs prepared for any class session, to stimulate discussion. ELQ papers for assigned dates will be read (or paraphrased or summarized) in class by the participant (doing so is part of the credit for that ELQ).
Three ELQ papers on additional dates - Each seminar participant is to turn in three additional ELQ papers on dates of his/her choosing (sessions 3-19). The purpose here is to allow participants to write on additional topics that particularly engage them during the course of the term.. There is no presentation requirement for these additional ELQs, however it is helpful to the seminar if all those who write ELQ papers for a certain date are present at seminar on that date..
List of ideas for term paper - By week 8 of the term (i.e., by May 22) each participant should turn in to the instructor a list of ideas he/she has for a term paper. Format is up to the participant. The instructor will review and give feedback on these ideas by the beginning of week 9. Seminar participants wishing to get an earlier start on the term paper (recommended only if you develop some clear ideas about the term paper prior to week 8) are welcome to submit the list of ideas earlier and will get their feedback earlier.
Term paper – The term paper is due by the end of week 10 (Friday, June 6, 4 pm). The final version of this paper must be at least five full double-spaced pages in length (filling a third page completely, no fonts over 12 point), not counting your reference list. At a maximum, it should not exceed ten full double-spaced pages in length, not counting reference list. There should be a minimum of three references (not including the course readings) consulted; for most topics it is helpful to consult far more than three references. At least two references must be from journals or else be chapters in edited books: Such references are distinguishable because they will be cited with a page number range (e.g., pp. 419-434) in on-line indexes. Internet sites (except for on-line journals) do not make reliable sources and do not count toward these minimum two references. The paper should be typed, readable, free of gross spelling and typographic errors, well-organized and focused. It will help your paper if you avoid overgeneralizing and oversimplifying, and consider that research evidence can have alternative interpretations.
Generally, term papers should be either critical reviews or proposals of new hypotheses. Specificially, this means either (a) reviews of the degree to which an idea is or is not supported by research evidence (and/or by rational considerations) or (b) a gathering together of evidence (or arguments) to support a new hypothesis for future research (or perhaps a real-life application that might be tried or ‘field-tested'). Thus, the kernel of a good term paper will generally be an idea (or set of ideas) identified by you as being worth some extra attention. You may have in mind a term paper that does not seem to fit these descriptions, and this may be fine, but it is advisable to discuss this first with the instructor.
Final exam – This will be an all-essay exam (open book) involving two "big questions" related to the seminar content. These two questions will be drawn from a list of four "big questions" made available by the instructor at least two weeks prior to the final exam.
The final grade in the course will be based on the total of your points from ELQ papers, term paper, and final exam. A range is 90% or better, B range is 80% to 90%, C range 70% to 80%, D range 60% to 70%, Fs are less than 60%. ‘+' and ‘-" are added to grades if they fall in the top 1/3 or bottom 1/3, respectively, of A, B, C, and D range.
Academic Integrity
The instructor takes academic integrity seriously. Insuring the "validity" of grades requires seeing that they reflect honest work and learning rather than cheating. Cheating is defined as providing or accepting information on an exam, plagiarism or copying anyone's written work. Students caught cheating will be given an "F" for the course, and UO's student conduct coordinator will be informed. The instructor retains the right to assign seats for tests, to change individual's seating for test security purposes, to require and check ID for admission to tests. "Plagiarism" is basically a form of theft: putting your name on work that is (in any part) not yours, where you have not fully identified the source from which you borrowed. Even taking someone else's ideas or paraphrasing their expression, without acknowledgment, is plagiarism. "Your responsibility, when you put your name on a piece of work, is simply to distinguish between what is yours and what is not, and to credit those who in any way have contributed" (quote is from Nancy Cotton of Wake Forest U.).
PSYCHOLOGY 410/510 SCHEDULE: What's Happening When
tentative and subject to change
April 1 – Syllabus; concept of personality
Readings: McCrae & Costa (1999), Saucier (2000); webpage on Westen ch. 2*
April 3 – Empirically observable patterns in personality and worldview
Readings: Westen pp. 3-8 and pp. 97-127
April 8 – Intrapsychic structure and dynamics of personality
ELQ**: A, H, R
Readings: Sternberg (199 pp. ) ; Westen pp. 128-154; Bischof (in Stent, 1980, pp. 48-66)
April 10 – Personality and moral development
ELQ: B, I, S
Readings: Westen pp. 154-185; Whiting (1959)
April 15 – Narcissism and development of morals
ELQ: C, J, T
Readings: Tomasello (1999); Solomon et al. (2000); Geertz (in Lessa & Vogt, 1965, pp. 204-216)
April 17 – Diverse topics: Animal culture, mortality salience, the function of religion
ELQ: D, K, U
Readings: Durkheim (in Thompson, 1985, pp. 117-135); Westen pp. 189-215
April 22 – Social theory, part 1 emphasizing Durkheim
ELQ: E, L, V
Readings: Weber (in Miller, 1963, pp. 32-64); Shils (1975, pp. 4-16 and 127-134)
April 24 – Social theory, part 2 emphasizing Weber and Shils
ELQ: F, M, W
Readings: Shils (1975, pp. 276-285); Westen pp. 217-240
April 29 – Societal structure and dynamics
ELQ: G, N, X
Readings: Westen pp. 241-255; Lee (1959, pp. 131-140 and pp. 59-69); Durkheim (in Pickering, 1975, pp. 170-173)
May 1 – Primary collectivism and its correlates
ELQ: H, O, Y
Readings: Westen pp. 255-281; Dion and Dion (1993)
May 6 – Secondary collectivism and its correlates
ELQ: I, P, Z
Readings: Westen pp. 285-298; Linton (1947, pp. 163-173); Honigmann (1976, pp. 293-303)
May 8 - Classic approaches to culture and personality
ELQ: J, Q, R
Readings: Westen pp. 299-309; Lee (1959, pp. 15-26); Fromm (in Kluckhohn & Murray, 1948, pp. 407-413)
May 13 – Psychic and sociocultural structure and dynamics
ELQ: A, K, S
Readings: Westen pp. 310-329; Codrington (in Lessa & Vogt, 1965, pp. 255-257); Swanson (1964, p. 1-31)
May 15 – Personality and collectivism
ELQ: B, L, T
Readings: Berry et al. (1992); Westen pp. 330-345
May 20 – Modernization and its psychology
ELQ: C, M, U
Readings: Mead (in Kluckhohn & Murray, 1949, pp. 511-522); Westen pp. 346-354; Swidler (1986)
May 22 – Modernization and ego ideal
ELQ: D, N, V
Readings: Westen pp. 355-366; Arjomand (in Beckford, 1986, pp. 87-112)
May 29 – Personality and sociocultural change
ELQ: E, O, W
Readings: Westen pp. 367-385; Barber (in Lessa & Vogt, 1965, pp. 506-509); Wallace (1956)
June 3 – Breakdown and recovery; identity; revitalization
ELQ: F, P, X
Readings: Westen pp. 386-393; Giddens (1991, pp. 1-9, 209-231)
June 5 – Personality and individuation
ELQ: G, Q, Y, Z
final exam: Thursday, June 13: 10:15 am to 12:15 pm
* Webpage is at: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~gsaucier/Culture_Personality_ch2
**: ELQ stands for "example, link-up, or questionable-point" papers (assigned dates) due before 9 am on given day
Readings on reserve are from the following sources:
Beckford, J. A. (Ed.) (1986). New religious movements and rapid social change. Paris: Unesco.
Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen, P. R. (1992). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Dion, K. K., & Dion, K. L. (1993). Individualistic and collectivistic perspectives on gender and the cultural context of love and intimacy. Journal of Social Issues, 49, 53-69.
Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity: Self and society in the late modern age. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Honigmann, J. J. (1976). The development of anthropological ideas. Homewood, IL: Dorsey.
Kluckhohn, C, & Murray, H. A. (Eds.) (1948). Personality in nature, society, and culture. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Lee, D. (1959). Freedom and culture. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Lessa , W. A., & Vogt, E. Z. (Eds.) (1965). Reader in comparative religion: An anthropological approach (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row.
Linton, R. (1947). Problems of status personality. In S. S. Sargent and M. W. Smith (Eds.), Culture and personality. Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1999). A five-factor theory of personality. In L. A. Pervin & O. P. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 139-153).
Miller, S. M. (Ed.) (1963). Max Weber. New York: Crowell.
Pickering, W. S. F. (Ed.) (1975). Durkheim on religion. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Redfield, R. (1947). The folk society. American Journal of Sociology, 52, 293-308.
Saucier, G. (2000). Isms and the structure of social attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
Shils, E. (1975). Center and periphery: Essays in macrosociology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (2000). Pride and prejudice: Fear of death and social behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 200-204.
Stent, G. S. (1978). Morality as a biological phenomenon: The presuppositions of sociobiological research. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Sternberg, R. J. (1998). In search of the human mind (2nd ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace.
Swanson, G. E. (1964). Birth of the gods: The origin of primitive beliefs. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Swidler, A. (1986). Culture in action: Symbols and strategies. American Sociological Review, 51, 273-286.
Thompson, K. (Ed.) (1985). Readings from Emile Durkheim. London: Routledge.
Tomasello, M. (1999). The human adaptation for culture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 28, 509-529.
Whiting, J. W. M. (1959). Sorcery, sin, and the superego. In M. R. Jones (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol. 7, pp. 174-197). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.