Psychology 12, Spring 2006
Introduction to African American Psychology
Professor Halford H. Fairchild
Office:  203 Scott Hall, Pitzer College
Hours:  Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 - 1:00 and by appointment
Phone:  909-607-3056

Course Syllabus


Course Description and Requirements:
This course surveys the specialty of African American Psychology.  The course is writing and speaking intensive.  Tuesdays are devoted to an exploration of the main text by Belgrave & Allison (students should expect quizzes in the first five minutes of each class); Thursdays are devoted to discussions of the readings provided by the instructor.  Short "S/R" papers are required each Thursday.  See "S/R papers," described below.

Texts:

Belgrave, Faye Z., & Allison, Kevin W.  (2006).  African American Psychology:  From Africa to America.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications.

Fairchild, H.H.  (2006).  Readings in African American Psychology.  Claremont, CA:  Pitzer College.

Schedule of Readings:
Date
 Topic
 Readings
1-17-06
 Course Introduction and Overview - What is African American Psychology?
1-19-06
 The impetus for African American Psychology:  Racism in White Psychology (Powerpoint Lecture)



1-24-06
 Introduction and Historical Foundation.   Today's Quiz.    Powerpoint Lecture. 
B&A: Chapter 1
1-26-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (2000).  African American psychology.  Pp. 92-99 in A.E. Kazdin (Editor).  Encyclopedia of psychology.  Washington:  American Psychological Association.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1995).  Placing Blacks at the center of psychology.  Los Angeles Times (City Times), July 30, 1995, p. 12.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1988).  Curriculum design for Black (African American) psychology.  Pp. 134-141 in P. Bronstein & K. Quina (Eds.), Teaching a psychology of people: Resources for gender and sociocultural awareness.  Washington:  American Psychological Association.
Fairchild's S/R Paper



1-31-06
 Africentric Psychology.  Film presentation:  Sankofa
  Today's Quiz    Notes
 B&A: Chapter 2
2-2-06
 Fairchild, H.H., Whitten, L., & Richard, H.W.  (2003).  Teaching African American psychology: Resources and strategies.  Pp. 195-206 in P. Bronstein & K. Quina (Eds.), Teaching gender and multicultural awareness: Resources for the psychology classroom.   Washington:  American Psychological Association.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1996).  Black history, Black psychology and the future of the world.  Psych Discourse, 27(2), 3.
Kwate, N.O.A.  (2005).  The heresy of African-centered psychology.  Journal of Medical Humanities, 26(4), 215-235.
Fairchild's SR Paper



2-7-06
 Kinship and Family.    Quiz       Film presentation:  Sankofa (continued) B&A: Chapter 3
2-9-06
 Fairchild, H.H., & Basu, D.  (2000).  Continuing struggles in Black studies.  Psych Discourse, 31(9), 11.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1999).  Father is a verb.  Unpublished manuscript.
Fairchild's SR Paper



2-14-06
 Educational Systems          Quiz       Film presentation:  Sankofa (concluded)
 B&A: Chapter 4
2-16-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (1984).  School size, per-pupil expenditures, and school achievement.  Review of Public Data Use, 12, 221-229.
Fairchild, H.H.  (2001).  SAT's 'halo effect' casts a long shadow.  Los Angeles Times (February 26, 2001), p. B7.
Fairchild, H.H.  (2002).  SAT: The sacred cow of higher education.  Daily Bulletin (February 24, 2002), p. A21.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1982).  How universities rip-off Black students.  Nommo: African Student Newsmagazine at UCLA, p. 5.
Fairchild's S/R Paper



2-21-06
 Neighborhoods and Communities    Quiz           Powerpoint Notes
 B&A: Chapter 5
2-23-06
 Fairchild, H.H., & Tucker, M.B.  (1982).  Black residential mobility: Trends and characteristics.  Journal of Social Issues, 38(3), 51-74.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1991).  A sad tale of persecuted minorities.  Los Angeles Times (March 24, 1991), p. M1.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1993).  Drip by drip, the indignities go on.  Los Angeles Times (April 19, 1993), p. B7.
Sankofa.  Produced and directed by Haile Gerima
Fairchild's S/R Paper



2-28-06
 Interpersonal and Close Relationships    Quiz   Chapter Highlights
Film:  A Question of Color  (Professor's Notes)
 B&A: Chapter 6
3-2-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (1985).  Black singles:  Gender differences in mate preferences and heterosexual attitudes.  Western Journal of Black Studies, 9(2), 69-73.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1988).  Glorification of things white.  The Journal of Black Psychology, 14(2), 73-74.
Fairchild, H.H.  (2002).  Denzel.  Psych Discourse, 33(1&2), 3.
Fairchild's SR Paper






3-7-06
 Cognition, Learning and Language  Quiz Study Guide    Quiz    Chapter Highlights
 B&A: Chapter 7
3-9-06
 Fairchild, H.H., & Edwards-Evans, S.  (1990).  African American dialects and schooling.  Pp. 75-86 in A.M. Padilla, H.H. Fairchild & C.M. Valadez (Eds.), Bilingual education:  Issues and strategies.  Newbury Park, CA:  Sage Publications.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1990).  Today's America needs many tongues.  Los Angeles Times (December 5, 1990), p. B7.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1991).  Redefining excellence in higher education.  Nommo: African Student Newsmagazine at UCLA, 22(4), 11.
Fairchild's S/R Paper



3-14-06
 Spring Break
3-16-06
 Spring Break



3-21-06
 Religion and Spirituality     Quiz          Film - First AME Church - Rev Najuma Smith (Notes)
 B&A: Chapter 8
3-23-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (2000).  Taking care of business:  The Black family and the Black church.  Unpublished manuscript.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1992).  Aren't they really us?  Los Angeles Times (May 13, 1992), p. B7.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1991).  Scientific racism: The Cloak of objectivity.  Journal of Social Issues, 47(3), 101-115.
Fairchild's SR Paper



3-28-06
 Self-Attributes and Racial Identity     Quiz     Film: Na'im Akbar on Black Students' Survival in White Colleges (notes in the 3/30/06 SR paper)
 B&A: Chapter 9
3-30-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (1987).  N Word should be odious from anyone.  Los Angeles Times (September 16, 1987), p. II.5.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1985).  Black, Negro or Afro-American? The differences are crucial!  Journal of Black Studies, 16(1), 47-55.
Fairchild, H.H. & Cowan, G. (1997).  The O.J. Simpson trial: Challenges to science and society.  Journal of Social Issues, 53(3), 583-591.
Fairchild's S/R Paper



4-4-06
 Lifespan Development    Quiz       
B&A: Chapter 10
4-6-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (2001).  A wake-up call for peace.  Psych Discourse, 32(10), 18-19.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1998).  The psychological costs of gang violence.  Psych Discourse...
Fairchild's SR Paper



4-11-06
 Health, Illness and Disability    Study Guide     Quiz
 B&A: Chapter 11
4-13-06
 NOTICE:  No class today.  Class is diverted to Passover observance.  Research and write a sentence or two on the Jewish Holiday tradition of Passover.  Turn it in with your SR papers for next week.

Fairchild, H.H.  (1987).  Our 'ostrict mentality' on racism.  Los Angeles Times (April 12, 1987), p. V.5.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1993).  Confronting white supremacy.  Psych Discourse, 24(9), 11.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1997).  The problem of the 21st century.  Psych Discourse, ?



4-18-06
 Psychosocial Adaptation and Mental Health.  (Quiz)
 B&A: Chapter 12
4-20-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (1994).  Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth in contemporary perspective.  Journal of Black Studies, 25(2), 191-199.
Fairchild, H.H.  (2000).  A (truly) new world order.  Psych Discourse ?  



4-25-06
 Drug Use and Abuse - Today's Quiz (Take Home)
 B&A: Chapter 13
4-27-06
 Fairchild, H.H.  (1989).  A whole community faces a life sentence of neglect.  Los Angeles Times (Decembrer 19, 1989), p. B7.
Fairchild, H.H.  (1993).  The fires this time.  Pp. 13-19 in N.C. McKinney (Ed.), No justice no peace? Resolutions.   LA, CA:  CA Afro-American Museum Foundation.



5-2-06
 Aggression, Violence and Crime
Faculty Diversity
 B&A: Chapter 14
5-4-06
 Course Rap Up (see description, below)


Assignments

Quizzes.  Students should be prepared to take a short quiz every Tuesday at the beginning of class.  These will be multiple choice questions that examine the readings for that day.  Questions may also include material from the previous week's lectures, films, and/or discussions.

S/R Papers.  Students are required to write short "S/R" papers for each Thursday class session. "S/R" stands for "Stimulus/Response."  The "Stimulus,"  is the day's reading assignment.  The "Response" is the student's reaction to that reading.  For each class session that has a reading assignment, students should write an "S/R" for each of the readings.  When a film or video is shown on the previous Tuesday, an "S/R" paper should be produced for that film or video.  The "Stimulus" portion of the paper should be a very short summary or synopsis of what the reading assignment was about.  (The "Response" portion may be short or long -- and should provide your insights, reflections, thoughts, reactions, and/or questions to the reading material.  These "Responses" will be shared in class as part of our class discussion.  Students should come to class, each Thursday, with their "S/R Papers" typed and ready to hand in.  These papers are generally graded on a pass/fail basis -- 100 points for being turned in on time (weak papers may receive fewer points; strong papers may receive bonus points); 50% credit for being late (turned in after class or if a student is absent).  Papers submitted by email are awarded 50% credit.

Course Rap Up.  On the last day of class, students will present (singly or in teams), a "rap" that defines the field of African American Psychology.  The rap should seek to integrate course materials (texts, readings, video lectures, class discussions, etc.).  The course "rap" will be ungraded.  (However, failure to complete this assignment will adversely affect a student's grade in course participation.)

Grading
Students will be evaluated and graded based on their quiz scores, S/R papers, and classroom participation.  Attendance and participation are heavily weighted.  Each S/R paper can earn up to 100 points (late papers receive 50% credit; papers submitted in absentia--where the student was absent and did not participate in the discussion--receive 50% credit; and papers submitted by email receive 50% credit).  Quizzes are worth up to 100 points.  Class participation is worth up to 500 points.   "A" students receive 92% or more of the available points; "B" students 82% or more; etc.  Students on the margins receive minuses or plusses. 

Assignments, grading and course sequencing may change.