Critical Psychology

Critical Psychology is a Social Science class taught by Peter Gilford.

This course requires prerequisites.

Course Description
Students often approach the field of psychology with a desire to both understand themselves and help alleviate the suffering of others in order to make the world a better place. Yet psychology, along with its myriad forms of inquiry and intervention, is inextricably bound up with social and political arrangements. Critical psychology inquires about psychological knowledge and its production by examining the social, historical and political contexts in which it is embedded. This course will survey the field of psychology from this critical perspective, asking questions about psychological methods, practices, and philosophical assumptions with the intent of understanding psychology as a potent and invisible sociopolitical force. By asking questions about how psychological knowledge impacts how we come to understand our 'selves,' our relationships, and what it means to be human, we will examine how these understandings support or challenge the political status quo. Prerequisite: prior psychology course.

Previous Semesters Offered

 * Spring 2009