Submitted Assignments



PSY 339 Assignments

All assignments must be submitted the appropriate Assignment box basket by the due dates listed below. (These Assignments are linked to Turnitin.)

Paper 1

(Due at the end of Module 3, Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST)

In examining psychological theories as applied to diverse groups, it is critical that students have the opportunity to think about their own cultural heritage and personal experience in the world as well as any biases they may propagate about different minority populations.

This first assignment will provide students a structured opportunity to engage in some “family-snooping” and personal introspection. Each student is to interview relevant family members, use on-line or print materials or other resources to learn about his or her family history.

At minimum, students should be able to:

1. Identify the country or countries from which they emanate with a brief summary of how ancestors came to live in various areas of the United States.

2. Briefly discuss values, morals, religious or spiritual beliefs or other items that important to the student’s nuclear and extended family.

3. Succinctly explain how the family has handled interactions with racial/ethnic groups that are different from their racial/ethnic background and briefly explain how members of the family who belong to other minority groups (e.g., women, sexual minorities, people of multiracial descent, persons with disabilities, older adults) have been treated or what they have experienced.

4. Reflect upon and then briefly recount what has been learned about the family system and explore what biases the student may maintain toward those who are different from him or her.

Please note: this is to be about your family and cultural upbringing. Since culture is the focus, and not biology, all students should be able to answer the questions.

Please ensure that you do NOT exceed 6 double-spaced pages (12 point font maximum) in completing this assignment, as it is important that you learn to concisely express your thoughts in your writing. Standard APA format it required, but you may choose to use first person in completing this first paper if you so desire.

Experience Culture Through Food

(Due at the end of Module 4, Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST)

Since the beginning of time, there have been many activities that have linked groups of people together: Protection from dangerous elements, animals or events, fighting for or striving for a common cause or objective, or sharing a collective vision of a better way of life, just to name a few. However, there are few activities in human life that bond groups of people together more than the act of breaking bread with one another. Sharing a meal with those for whom we care is a central event in most of our lives. As such, we all have been raised with different expectations of family meals from what this event is to include and how it is to transpire to when and where it will happen, who will be invited, and what will be served.

Because of the central nature of food in our cultural lives, students will have the opportunity to experience the norms and morays of another culture as related to food.

Students are asked to think of a culture whose food they have not tried (this activity might be somewhat easier if you see what is available in your location and choose among available options). Then, each student will spend a little time researching the importance of food to that culture including the types of foods consumed, norms of dining, the role of food in family life and so on. Finally, each student is to sample as many or as few items as desired from that culture as he or she feels comfortable, but you are encouraged to try as many different types of food as you can. It is preferred that you visit a restaurant or snack stand that cooks the food rather than trying to prepare food items from this culture at home. Finally, each student will write a brief reaction paper that will include two parts: (1) A brief overview of the culinary beliefs and customs of the chosen culture; and (2) a reaction to your experiences of both learning about the culinary customs and then enjoying food from your chosen culture. Your paper should be no more than 3 double-spaced pages in length (12 point font maximum), and you should devote approximately 1.5 pages to each section. Standard APA format it required.

Trip to the Grocery Store

(Due at the end of Module 5, Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST)

Given the previously noted importance of food to many cultures and people, we oftentimes fail to see how various cultures can overtly or covertly divulge information about the importance of certain values just by the manner in which items are arranged in a grocery store. For this activity, each student will identify a large grocery store within 5 miles of his/her residence. Please try to identify a large grocery store chain and is a “dominant culture” store (i.e., a Latin specialty version of a large chain would not be appropriate). Each student should plan to spend at least 60 – 120 minutes at the grocery store taking careful observations of the types of people who frequent the store, the types and availability of the products available for purchase, and the ease of finding both dominant culture (American/White culture) and cultural grocery items. After the observation period, the student should write a brief report that answers the following questions:

1. What type of food or products were most plentiful in the store? What types of food or products were difficult to find?

2. What claims were used to promote food items? Did these items emphasize taste, nutritional value, cost or ease of preparation?

3. What were typically the most expensive items in the store? When a wide range of prices exists for the same type of product, what distinguished the lower from the higher priced versions?

4. What type of behavior did you observe on the part of the shoppers? Under what circumstances did shoppers interact with one another?

5. How were meats and poultry labeled and displayed? What efforts were made to distance these products from their original animal forms?

6. What did you observe about the sizes in which different types of products were available? What did these sizes imply about the social settings in which these products will be used?

7. How were foods from various racial/ethnic groups distributed throughout the store? Were some racial/ethnic foods presented as normative whereas others were presented as unusual or exotic?

8. What other observations did you make that informed you about cultural values? What cultural values were evident in the supermarket setting?

Students should organize the answers to these questions into a paper format with the number of the question clearly labeled. There is no minimum or maximum length for this assignment, but the answers to the questions should clearly convey that the student has taken time and effort in generating the observations. Standard APA format it required.

Movie Review

(Due at the end of Module 6, Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST)

Another way in which cultures tend to express themselves is through art, whether that be music, painting, or acting, among other forms. In American culture, movies and television play a significant role in the lives of individuals and families, and these movies and television shows oftentimes become a commentary on differences between groups of people. For this activity, each student will identify a movie that has a racial/ethnic or other minority issue as a MAJOR theme in the movie. A good example of a movie with racial/ethnic issues as a major theme might be Monster’s Ball (2001; Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry) whereas a bad example might be Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989). NOTE: Consider using the Internet Movie Database () if you are having trouble identifying a movie. The student will watch the movie, dissect the movie based on constructs relevant to the course and then provide a review of the movie using topics and terms from the class in identifying where the movie accurately portrayed the issue(s) and where the movie was inaccurate in presenting the salient issues. The resulting movie review should be no longer than 6 pages in length (double-spaced in 12 point font maximum) and no shorter than 3 pages in length. Standard APA format it required.

Paper 2

(Due at the end of Module 7, Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST)

The second and longer writing assignment for this class most closely typifies the traditional “research paper” that students complete while finishing a degree in psychology. Each student will submit a paper of approximately 8-12 pages in length (double-spaced in American Psychological Association Publication Manual format) on a topic related to the course.

Note: Prior to completing the research, students will need to submit their paper topic to the instructor via email by the end of Module 2, (Sunday, 11:59 PM EDT/EST) for approval. When developing your topics, please identify a very specific area to research, as topics that are very broad do not allow the student ample time to discuss the issue in depth. If there is an area of the field in which you are interested and are having difficulty developing a research paper topic, please discuss the issue with your instructor.

It is expected that this research paper will constitute an original work on your part, using relevant citations from the professional literature, thoughtfully developing a thesis statement, and providing a logical conclusion. As such, this paper should be in such a form as to permit submission to a local, regional, or national psychological conference. If you have questions or concerns about this paper at any time during the course of the semester, please consult with your instructor for guidance.

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