Undergraduate Programs
Course Information
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hdfs 505 advanced adolescence
2 hours (seminar)
Spring Semesters (odd-numbered years)
Course objectives
This is an advanced course focusing on current research on human development during the second decade of life. Ssessions will deal with processes of adolescent development (e.g., identity, cognitive and emotional development, autonomy) and principal contexts of adolescents’ lives, including family, peers, and school. Readings draw primarily from ecologically-oriented development psychology, however perspectives from sociology, education, anthropology, and other disciplines are included in discussion and are welcome.
The course surveys current knowledge and issues for a selection of major topics in the field of adolescent development. The term “advanced” in the title of the course carries several meanings. It assumes that students have taken prior coursework on adolescence or related topics, and the structure of the course presupposes that we are a community of advanced scholars who share responsibility for the learning process. The objectives include not just learning the material, but facilitating critical understanding of the field, including its limits, contributions, and future directions.
Topics
- Adolescence, social change and identity
- Cognitive development
- Emotions, emotional development and the emergence of psychopathology
- Sexuality and gender
- Autonomy, individualism and connection
- Family and peer relationships
- School and organized youth programs
Graded activities
- Weekly reaction papers (9)
- Topic critiques (2)
- Discussion leadership (2)