PSYC 470 Outline

THE KING'S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

COURSE NUMBER:

PSYC 470

COURSE TITLE:

Ecopsychology

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Heather Looy

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An exploration of the psychological dimensions of our dependence on God's creation and our responsibility to care for it. The psychological contributions to and consequences of environmental problems, and the potential for psychological intervention, will be examined from a Christian perspective.

Same as ENVS 470.

Prerequisites: PSYC 250 or 251 and ENVS 300 or nine credits of psychology at the 300- or 400-level including PSYC 301

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Koger, S. M. & Winter, D. D. (2010). The psychology of environmental problems (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:


Weekly quizzes	10%
Field Trip Reflections	20%
Personal change project	15%
Projects	50%
Contribution/Participation	5%

	100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Explore the complex, ambivalent, and vital connections between human beings and the rest of nature
Examine the roles of human attitudes, emotions, and behavior in creating both environmental destruction and sustainability
Ponder the historical, philosophical, and theological roots of our current relationship with the natural world
Consider the role of the Christian faith in mediating our relationship to and attitudes toward the natural world
Examine the roles of various psychological perspectives in understanding our relation to the nonhuman creation
Examine the issues at stake and become self-reflective about personal intellectual and emotional responses
Experience personal reactions in natural settings, reflect upon them, and integrate this with psychological literature
Develop presentation and discussion leading skills

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.