First-Year Studies: Health in a Multicultural Context

Catalog description

This community-partnership course will focus on the health of humans living within physical, social, and psychological urban spaces. We will use a constructivist, multidisciplinary, multilevel lens to examine the interrelationship between humans and the natural and built environment, to explore the impact of social-group (ethnic, racial, sexuality/gender) membership on person/ environment interactions, and to explore an overview of theoretical and research issues in the psychological study THE CURRICULUM 12 of health and illness across the lifespan. We will examine theoretical perspectives in the psychology of health, health cognition, illness prevention, stress, and coping with illness. We will also highlight research, methods, and applied issues. This class is appropriate for those interested in a variety of health careers or for anyone interested in city life. The community-partnership/ service-learning component is an important part of this class; for one morning or afternoon per week, students will work in local community agencies to promote health- adaptive, person/environment interactions within our community. Biweekly in fall, students will alternate between individual conferences with the instructor and group conferences that will include discussion of the nature of academic work and research, reading, writing, and editing skills. Biweekly in spring, students will meet with the instructor for individual conferences. This course requires on-campus arrival for pre-orientation. Religion First-Year Studies: Is Judaism a Religion?