Instructor: Robert Atkinson
Office: 410 Bailey
Hall
Telephone: 780-5078
Office Hrs: Wed & Thurs 2-4 p.m.
email:atkinson@usm.maine.edu
Course Description:
This course examines the process underlying growth and development
across the life span from conception through childhood, adolescence,
adulthood and old age to death. The interaction of biological, cultural,
and environmental factors will be considered in relation to physical, cognitive,
and psychosocial changes throughout the life cycle. Prerequisites:
None. 3 credit hours.
Goal:
This course will provide students with an understanding of the theories,
perspectives, and issues that have shaped the study of human development,
an appreciation of development as an on-going process, and a greater awareness
of the individual variations and universal aspects of the human life cycle.
Course Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Understand and apply theoretical perspectives of human development
2. Describe the interaction of biological and environmental factors in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development.
3. Identify research strategies for the observation of developmental phenomena.
4. Understand the social and cultural influences on human development, including knowledge of diverse populations, changing gender roles, sexism, urban, and rural issues, developmental crises as well as traditional and contemporary life patterns.
5. Become a life-long observer of human growth and development in order to identify and communicate the needs of individuals in their process of development; and,
6. Understand the methods and conceptual challenges in the assessment
of human behavior
"We spend our years as a tale that is told."
Psalm 90:9
Course Objectives in Relation to USM/CEHD Mission
All courses in the College of Education and Human Development are designed
to facilitate content knowledge, skills, and understanding with an emphasis
on reflection and critical inquiry, diversity, connections, and partnerships,
and performance assessment. This course prepares professionals in these
areas in the following ways:
Refection and Critical Inquiry: students and faculty will actively
engage in examining and questioning content knowledge, understandings,
and their own professional development.
Diversity: a major component of the course is for students and faculty
to explore the impact of factors such as cultural background, age, exceptionality,
gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity on human development and learning.
Connections and Partnerships: students and faculty will examine the
connections between theory and practice through observations and service
learning projects with various community agencies.
Performance Assessment: students will demonstrate their content knowledge,
skills, and understandings as they relate to course goals through journal
reflections, class presentations, autobiographical exercises, service learning,
and class participation.
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 on the due date.
4. Incompletes will only be allowed in extreme circumstances, and must be approved in advance.
Course Format:
Each session may include discussion of the readings, small group activities,
videos, and oral presentations. Open and frank discussion is encouraged,
and respect of all viewpoints is expected. Self-reflection is also encouraged,
especially in regard to one's own experience of human growth and development.
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).
Texts:
Diessner, R. (1997) Sources: Notable Selections in Human Development.
Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Gardiner, H.W., Mutter, J.D., & Kosmitzki, C. (1998). Lives Across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Muller, W. (1996) How, Then, Shall we Live? New York: Bantam
Course Requirements:
1. Regular class attendance and participation in class and small group discussions 15%
2. A four part autobiographical exercise, focusing on birth, childhood, and adolescent experiences, as well as a preview of your pre-retirement years. (Guidelines to follow) 20%
3. An oral class Presentation (individually or with a partner) on a life stage, theory, or issue of importance within the study of human development (Guidelines to follow) 15%
4. A self-designed learning project, which can be an observation, a case study, a service learning/field project, or other project-based learning that you design, carry out one of the methodologies used in studying human development and exploring an issue or stage of human development. This will usually include a few hours of volunteer service to an individual, agency, or organization that serves developmental needs. (Guidelines to follow) 20%
5. A Journal, or personal learning portfolio, consisting of 14
one page entries in which you reflect on your learning relative to the
goals of the course, your own personal goals, and the issues raised by
the readings. (Guidelines to follow) 30%
"These docs, they always ask you how you live so long.
I tell ‘em, ‘If I'd known I was gonna live this long,
I'd have taken better care of myself."
Eubie Blake, jazz musician, on his 100th birthday
| DATE | TOPICS | ASSIGNMENTS |
| 9/6 | The Human Life Cycle Introduction & Overview Issues & Approach Expectations & Guidelines |
. |
| 9/13 | Theories of Human Development
Freud - psychosexual development Piaget - cognitive development Erikson - psychosocial development Gilligan - women’s development |
Sources: 3-7 Sources: 8-14 Sources: 15-24 Sources: 35-42 |
| 9/20 | Cross-Cultural Human Development
Themes and applications Culture & socialization Culture & physical development The family in cultural context |
LAC: ch.1 LAC: ch.2 LAC: ch.3 LAC: ch. 8 |
| 9/27 | Infancy and Toddlerhood
Physical and cognitive development Piaget - the sensorimotor stage Social and personality development Bowlby - separation anxiety Ainsworth - patterns of attachment Culture & Health Video: Seasons of Life - Infancy |
1st Autobiography
Due Presentations Sources: 113-122 Sources: 123-131 Sources: 132-141 LAC: ch.9 |
| 10/4 | Early Childhood
Cognitive development Piaget-egocentrism & Perspective taking Vygotsky - inner speech Social and personality development Bandura - Observational learning & Modeling Baumrind - parenting styles Culture and Cognition Culture & Issues of Sex & Gender Video: Seasons of Life - Early Childhood |
Presentations
|
| 10/11 | Middle Childhood
Cognitive development Skinner - verbal behavior Chomsky - language development Piaget - conservation Social and personality development Selman - stages of friendship Piaget - stages of moral judgement Culture & Social Behavior Culture, Self & Personality Video: Seasons of Life - Childhood
|
2nd
Autobiography Due Presentations Sources: 193-201 Sources: 202-205 Sources: 206-211
|
| 10/18 | Adolescence
Physical and cognitive development Jones - somatic development Piaget - formal operations Kohlberg - moral development Gardner - multiple intelligences Identity & the Inner Life Who Am I? Video: Seasons of Life - Adolescence |
Presentations Sources: 235-243 Sources: 244-247 Sources: 25-34 Sources: 43-54
|
| 10/25 | Adolescence
Social & personality development Marcia - identity statuses The teenage world Identity & the Inner Life Who Am I? |
Presentations
|
| 11/1 | Early Adulthood
Cognitive Development Belinky et.al. Women’s ways of knowing Social & Personality Development Levinson - the adult life cycle Intimacy, Love & the Inner Life What Do I love? |
3rd Autobiography
Due Presentations Sources: 269-278
|
| 11/8 | Early Adulthood
Intimacy, Love & the Inner Life The Forms of Love Video: Seasons of Life - Early Adulthood |
Presentations Muller, 99-140 (Handout) |
| 11/15 | Middle Adulthood
Social & Personality Development Maslow - self actualization Gould - adult life stages Atkinson - midlife crisis or opportunity Generativity & the Inner Life How shall I live, Knowing I will die? |
Presentations
|
| 11/22 | Thanksgiving Break | . |
| 11/29 | Middle Adulthood
Generativity & the Inner Life Remembering & Gratefulness Developmental Tasks of Midlife Video: Seasons of Life - Middle Adulthood |
4th Autobiography
Due Presentations Muller, 177-232 (Handout) |
| 12/6 | Late Adulthood
Psycho-spiritual Development Fowler - stages of faith Generativity, the Inner Life What is my Gift? Video: Surfing for Life |
Service Learning Due Presentations Sources: 338-345 Muller, 235-284 |
| 12/13 | Looking Back and Looking Ahead
A Review of the Major Themes & Theories The Role Death is Life Kubler-Ross - stages of dying On Life and Living, Kubler-Ross Non-western Perspectives Wilber - stages of contemplation Baha'u'llah - stages of mystic development Confucius - the great learning |
Journal
Due LAC: ch. 10
|
| 12/20 | No Class
|
. |