History & Systems Course Homepage

Welcome to the History and Systems of Psychology!! For those of you new to my teaching web site, I suggest you take some time to explore the web site, especially the Writing Assistance Pages. The purpose of this web page is to provide you with a resource which will help you succeed in the class and maximize your learning experience. I recommend that you visit the web page at least once a week. I will try to update relevant information and resources as we go through the course.

Class Overview:

This class introduces students to the historical and philosophical issues related to the field of psychology. This course does not provide an in depth overview of the various psychological systems. This will be offered in your Personality Theories. Rather, it focuses on the philosophical and historical issues leading to their development. While it doesn't spend as much time directly addressing these theories, it should help advance your understanding of the various approaches to psychotherapy. We examine the philosophical foundation of these theories in order to deepen your understanding of the beliefs, values, and purpose of these different approaches. The 3 major philosophical epochs of premodernism, modernism, and postmodernism will provide the basis for understanding the development of different psychological systems. Additionally, this course gives special attention to the important diversity issues related to the history and philosophy of psychology.

Please take note of a couple of important structural elements of this class that will help provide you with a frame of reference for what will be covered and expected. There is no test in this class, but there is a good deal of writing. You will be writing 2 papers. These are 2 different types of paper which requires very different sytles of writing. Be sure to read the information provided about each assignment carefully. While this is is a good deal of writing it is very manageable if you get started early. Additionally, there is a good deal of reading required in this course. We will talk about some strategies for making this more manageable during the first night of class, but for now make sure not to get behind!