Course Syllabus

Course Title: Lifespan Development Psychology

Lo, I am with you always, means that when you look for God,
God is in the look of your eyes,
In the thought of looking, nearer to you than yourself,
or things that have happened to you. . .

~ Jelaluddin Balkhi Rumi, English translation by Stephen Mitchell)
The Enlightened Heart, (Harper & Row, 1989, pp. 54-55)

Course Number: PHD-9741
Number of Units: 3
Quarter/Term Offered: WInter Quarter, 2014

Instructor

Name:  Rosemarie Anderson, Ph.D.
Phone Number: NA
Email: rosemarie.anderson@sofia.edu
Instructor's Website: www.rosemarieanderson.com

Mail Assignments to:

Rosemarie Anderson, Ph.D., P. O. Box 120, Williams, OR 97544 USA. However, before mailing anything to me, please email me and ask where you should send it. Use USPS Priority Mail and do not use express mail of any type. If you wish return on assignments, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Office Hours

This is an online course, use email. If appropriate, we will set up a phone appointment.

Instructor's Philosophy of Teaching

I am not so much a teacher as a life-long learner. Therefore, teaching is an opportunity for me to learn from you and from the resources I bring together for us to share. Waiting and listening, I will sit with you at the door of wisdom. For what are we waiting and listening? We are seeking what is looking for me and is looking for you. Welcome.

Prerequisites and Priority Registration

The following courses are required in order to take this course: Global PhD Program Required course, Year 3

Priority Registration: NA

Course Is: Closed

Requires Permission of Program Chair: Yes

Other Course Requirements: NA

Fulfillment of Program Requirements

This course fulfills requirements in other programs, as follows: NA

Course Description

Lifespan Development examines theories of lifespan development, uniquely relevant to transpersonal psychology and psychospiritual development; explores the relevance of these theories to diverse and global populations, and encourages students to apply these theories to their own lives, research topics, and professional goals. Furthermore, this course emphasizes pre- and perinatal development and infancy because this content is not covered in any of other courses in Years 3-5 of the Global PhD Program.

Note. As a Year 3 PhD course, students are expected to be already familiar with mainstream theories in development psychology, including at  minimum those of Erickson, Freud, Gilligan, and Piaget. If you are unfamiliar with these developmental theories, see Basic Developmental Readings below for suggested readings.

Class Attendance/Posting Requirements

Students are expected to post responses to all course assignments, participate in all required discussions, and keep pace with assignments, readings, listenings, and each other.

Course Aims and How They Relate to the Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will have increased their capacity to

• Knowledge of several theories of lifespan development, which are uniquely relevant to transpersonal psychology and psycho-spiritual development
• Ability to articulate and critique developmental theories and concepts and reflect on the relevance of these theories to one’s own life, research, and professional goals
• Critique mainstream developmental theories from the perspective of transpersonal psychology and global wisdom traditions
• Appreciation developmental differences and values pertinent to time in human history, culture, ethnicity, race, sexual preference, religion, social class, geography, and so forth.
• Capacity to reflect skillfully on course readings and each other's essays
• Willingness to work compassionately and mindfully with other students and the instructor
• Ability to create a lively and collaborative online environment for learning through skillful listening, sharing, and reflection
• Awareness of the role of mindfulness, discernment, compassion, and ethics in online learning, research collaboration, and theory building

Evidence and Criteria for Evaluation

Students are expected to participate in this online class by (a) posting succinct responses to course assignments, (b) reading assigned readings, (c) engaging in mindful and compassionate online dialogue with each other and the instructor each week, (d) and working together with the instructor to make this course fun, insightful, and useful to your personal and professional lives.

Course Reading

Required Reading

Books:

Note: Prices and ISBN numbers below refer to the paperback editions listed on Amazon.com.

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York: Little, Brown, and Company. [$10.19; ISBN-10: 0316017930; ISBN-13: 978-0316017930]

Note: A free download may be available from: http://247best.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/2/4/5524897/gladwell_malcolm_-_outliers_the_story_of_success.pdf.

Stern, D. N. (1998). Diary of a baby: What your child sees, feels, and experiences. New York: Basic Books. [$9.21; ISBN-10: 0465016405; ISBN-13: 978-0465016402]

Ruumet, H.(2006). Pathways of the Soul: Exploring the human journey. Victoria, BC.: Trafford Publishing. [$18.95; ISBN-10: 1412092361; ISBN-13: 978-1412092364]

Tobin, J., Hsueh, Y., & Karasawa, M. (2009). Preschool in three cultures revisited: China, Japan, and the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [$20.85; ISBN-10: 0226805042; ISBN-13: 978-0226805047]

Wilber, K. (2000). Integral psychology: Consciousness, spirit, psychology, therapy. Boston: Shambhala. [$12.78; ISBN-10: 1570625549; ISBN-13: 978-1570625541]. (Note: We will read for this course: Note to Reader (vii-xiii), Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 (pp. 1-56), and Charts 1A – 11. However, I am asking you to purchase the book because its importance and value to your transpersonal library.)

Required books can be purchased online. Please check with the library about the availability of eBooks that relate to this course. There may be additional readings assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

Articles:

All articles and chapters below will be provided as electronic files or links on Canvas:

Anderson, R. (August, 2008). Embodiment and psychospiritual development: Anderson’s axial model of human evolution relayed from the perspective of the body. Paper presentation at the 1st Biennial Integral Theory Conference, Integral Theory in Action: Serving Self, Other, and Kosmos, JFK University, Pleasant Hill, CA.

Anderson, R. (August, 2010). Embodiment and human development: Exploring fairy tales and myths as developmental markers. Paper presentation at the 2nd Biennial Integral Theory Conference, JFK University, Pleasant Hill, CA.

Brenneman, W. L. (1991). Holy wells in Ireland. In J. A. Swan, J. A., The power of place and human environments. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.

Chan, W. (1963). Spiritual Dimensions: The Doctrine of the Mean, In W. Chan’s A source book in Chinese philosophy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Cook-Greuter, S. R. (1985). Ego development: Nine levels of increasing embrace. (See www.cook-greuter.com.)

Grahn, J. (2012). Excerpt from a Simple Revolution. Unpublished manuscript.

Grof, S. (1998). Ken Wilber’s spectrum psychology: Observations from clinical consciousness research. In D. Rothberg & S. Kelly (Eds.), Ken Wilber in dialogue (1st Quest ed., pp.85-114). Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House.

Luke, H. (1987). Introduction and The Odyssey. In Luke, H, Old age (pp. vii-24). New York: Parabola.

Wade, J. (2006). Destiny and forgetfulness: The origins of consciousness. Perfectly Human. Unpublished manuscript.

Washburn, M.. (1998). The pre/trans fallacy reconsidered. In D. Rothberg & S. Kelly (Eds.), Ken Wilber in dialogue (1st Quest ed., pp.64-80). Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House.

Note: Other required readings or recordings may be added.

Method of Instruction (class format subject to change)

Didactic: Readings and Instructor Essay Lectures, 1/3

Discussion: Canvas discussion threads, 1/3

Experiential: Experiential Exercises, Meditations, Personal Reflections, 1/3

Assignments

1. Each week, students write a 300-350 word essay on that week’s assigned readings.
2. Each week, students respond to the conceptual content of two students’ reading reflections.
3. Each week, students respond to an Experiential Exercise, which invites them to engage with an experiential aspect of the readings and post 200-250 word reflections on learnings.
4. As relevant to your emerging dissertation topic and as assigned by the instructor, post Dissertation Topic Updates that (1) further a clear articulation of dissertation topic appropriate to the field of transpersonal psychology and (2) explore the relevance of that developmental theory to that topic.
5. Post personal updates in the Cyber Café relevant to your life from time to time.

Incompletes and Late Papers

No Incompletes. Papers must be submitted on time unless otherwise negotiated between the student and instructor.

Reading Schedule

Week 1: Gladwell (2008)

Week 2: Anderson (2008), Anderson (2010), Grof (1998), and Wade (2006)

Week 3: Brenneman (1991), Grahn (2012), Luke (1987), and two readings of your choice related to diversity that represent your own concerns or research interests

Week 4, Stern (1998)

Week 5: Cook-Greuter (1985) and Ruumet (2006)

Week 6: Washburn (1998) and Wilber (2000) chapters, as above

Week 7 & 8: Chan (1963) and Tobin, Hsueh, & Karasawa (2009)

Week 9: No additional readings

Note. In addition, each week, students are asked to watch or listen to two hours of internet audio and video interviews or presentations by authors read in that week of the course. Suggested links to appropriate websites will be given during the course. However, students are free to choose among these or search for others on the internet, according to their own interests and dissertation topics.

Weekly Topic and Experiential Exercise (EE) Schedule:

Seminar Session: Overview of course.

EE: Revisiting a Childhood Photo: Who is That Child who is Looking at you?

Week 1: Developmental Circumstances, Prompts, and Challenges in the Spiritual Life.

EE: Exploring Early Memories

Week 2: Pre- and Perinatal Development.

EE: What External Circumstances Prompted Your Spiritual Growth: Short Autographical Essay

Week 3: Creating a Diverse Developmental Perspective (AKA What “Diversity” Do You Represent?)

EE: Power of Place: A Phenomenological Reflection on Lived Geographies

Week 4: Infancy.

EE: Phenomenology of Infancy, A Patch of Sunlight

Week 5: Spiral Paths of Lifespan Development.

EE: Revisiting Old Patterns in the Service of Transcendence

Week 6: Integral Paths of Lifespan Development.

EE: In the Presence of Enlightened Consciousness

Week 7 & 8: Cross-cultural perspectives.

EE: Refection on the documentary film Babies.

Week 9: Wrap-up and Integration.

EE: Creative Synthesis of Developmental Patterns

Basic Developmental Bibliography (Development Theories You Should Already Know)

Erikson, E. H. (1982). The life cycle completed, a review. New York: W. W. Norton.

Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Freud, S. (1958). Civilization and its discontents. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. (Original work published 1930).

Piaget, J. (1929). The child’s conception of the world. New York: Harcourt, Brace.

Piaget, J. (1976). The child and reality. New York: Penguin. (Original work published 1972).

Individual and Cultural Differences

This course is intended to be inclusive of multiple viewpoints that reflect and honor the voices of people with a variety of individual and cultural differences, including but not limited to differences related to gender, age, sexual orientation, religion/spirituality, physical/mental ability, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. The instructor will honor and respect multiple viewpoints expressed within class discussions and included in a scholarly manner in course assignments. 

Other Information

All other information and materials related to the syllabus can be found within the Syllabi link of Course Resources on the ANGEL home page:
http://itp.angellearning.com/section/content/default.asp?WCU=CRSCNT&entry_id=610D2D75F8224D52AD23D3E3C09D6B15

This includes:

• Online Learning
• Information Literacy Requirements and Use of Sofia Library
• Writing Requirements
• Self-Disclosure
• Confidentiality
• Academic Honesty/Integrity Statement
• Harassment Statement
• Netiquette Policy
• Accommodations for a Disability
• Mid-Quarter Evaluation
• Institutional Learning Objectives
• Program Learning Objectives

Standards for Course Assignment Evaluation

Evaluations of course performance will be based on the (a) regularity and originality of responses to course assignments posted on Canvas, (b) ability to express one’s own ideas about the content and apply them to assignments in the course, (c) willingness to explore the relevance of the body in relationship to psychospiritual development and transformation to their own lives, theory, and research, (d) responsiveness to each others’ questions and concerns, and (e) mindful, compassionate attention to community building, diversity, and ethics throughout the course.