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This course provides you with an understanding of how basic psychological processes may vary across cultures, and gives you the skills necessary to conduct your own research with different ethnic groups. The programme is specifically aimed at those who intend to pursue their psychological work in a number of different cultural settings, whether within Britain or overseas.
Attendance
Students taking the course full time typically attend two days a week for two 12-week terms from the end of September to Easter, plus attendance at up to two exams late April/early May. In the summer term students work (independently with tutor supervision) on their dissertations which are due for submission at the end of September. No formal attendance is required during the Dissertation period and, provided students do not need to use specialist facilities on campus and they maintain email contact with their supervisor, they are free to return home. Dissertations can be submitted by post at the end of September normally.
For students taking the course part time (over 2.5 years) students usually attend one day a week for two 12-week terms from the end of September to Easter each year. The summer term of the first year is free of commitments. During the summer term of their second year and the autumn and spring terms of the third year, part time students work (independently with tutor supervision) on their dissertations which are due for submission at the end of March of the third year.
Aims
The programme is designed for those with undergraduate degrees in psychology (and related subjects) who wish to gain a greater understanding of the role of culture in psychology, and for those already working in professions where psychology is of importance.
We also welcome graduates in related subjects who are interested in learning more about culture and psychology, as well as students who might ultimately want to continue on a PhD programme. By including materials from across the social sciences, the course aims to utilise the complementary disciplines within the College in order to offer a truly inter-disciplinary perspective.
Teaching on the course is by renowned international experts on culture and ethnicity, with the Brunel teaching team being complemented with visiting speakers from around the world. Recent invited lecturers have included specialists from the US, Hungary, Russia and Finland.
Careers
Graduates from this course will have gained considerable knowledge and expertise in cross-cultural psychology which will enhance their employability in a number of careers. Previous students are now working in major international organisations, such as the WHO. Others are continuing their studies, taking PhDs at leading international universities.
This course will prove especially useful to those who wishing to deploy their skills in international government and non-governmental agencies. In addition other major issues, for example that of cross-cultural attitudes and behaviours in relation to health and health care, are considered increasingly important by both local and national governments, as well as international agencies, in implementing desirable policies and practices.
Most psychology programmes around the world teach a set of 'basic psychological findings'. Such findings are usually based on samples of students in the US and Northern Europe, and give us few clues as to how psychological processes vary across the world. Many societies have an increasingly multi-cultural nature, which is compounded by the increasing contact and interaction between societies with very different cultural traditions. These changes are raising profound sets of issues about how we, as individuals, understand each other, and how we act in relation to each other in different cultural settings. This course considers the way in which psychological findings may differ across societies, and explores some reasons for this variation. It also aims to provide course participants with the skills necessary to conduct their own research with different ethnic groups and in different cultures.
You will undertake a variety of modules focusing on cross-cultural psychology and research methods modules leading to a dissertation (up to 15,000 words).
Core modules introduce you to the particular methods and skills employed by psychologists working in the cross-cultural area as well as providing you with an introduction to the major areas in which cross-cultural variations have been observed. They focus on cross-cultural psychology and aim to introduce you to the particular methods and skills employed by psychologists working in the cross-cultural area. In addition they provide you with an introduction to the major areas in which cross-cultural variations have been observed.
The research methods module will equip you with the tools and concepts to undertake project work in an international setting, providing you with a firm basis both in advanced techniques for analysis of data and the particular techniques required to conduct research across cultures (Methods for Cross-cultural Research module). A key feature of these modules is the poster presentation by the students, which is based on an analysis of key research papers in cross-cultural psychology and the student's own research proposals. Two further modules are concerned with understanding issues of universality and cultural variability in psychological findings. Here, the inclusion of the expertise of a number of members of our staff mean that a wide range of topics can be presented and discussed, ranging from issues in perception and bilingualism to psychoanalysis and inter-group relations.
Modules are subject to variation and students are advised to check with the College on whether a particular module of interest will be running in their year of entry.
Typical Modules
Core Modules
Cross-Cultural Variations in Psychological Finding 1
Main topics of study: controversies in defining culture; assessing culture; the development of cross-cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, the work of the Chinese Culture Connection, Trompenaars model, Inglehart's work, Schwartz's value circumplex) and a critique of cultural dimensions; the self-concept across cultures; emotion and motivation across cultures.
Cross-cultural Variations in Psychological Findings 2
Main topics of study: cultural variations in inter-group relations; national stereotypes; perception; bilingualism; theory of mind; well-being and happiness; personal relationships; acculturation; health and social change; cultural neuroscience; conceptions of the supernatural across cultures.
Cross-Cultural Research Methods
Main topics of study: the development of appropriate research strategies; sampling techniques; questionnaire and interview design and construction; piloting;
content analytic techniques; diary methods; projective techniques; quantitative data analysis; data standardisation; ethical considerations; writing-up reports; developing proficiency with statistical software (SPSS).
Dissertation
Some recent dissertation topics: mediation strategies amongst Jews and Arabs in Israel and the UK; cultural predictors of loneliness and life satisfaction in Canada: a comparison between Canadian and Chinese; partner preferences amongst Hindu Gujaritis in Britain.
Elective modules
Typical modules may include:
Foundations of Psychoanalytic Theory
Main topics of study: the origin and development of psychoanalysis; sexuality and the unconscious; neurosis, perversion, psychosis; the foundations of psychoanalytic technique; Freud's case-studies; the second topography; the work of Melanie Klein, Donald W Winnicott, Jacques Lacan; psychoanalytic theories of psychosis; psychoanalytic views on addiction; the so-called new symptoms' in contemporary society.
Cognitive Neuroscience
How has neuroimaging increased our understanding of brain function? This module covers learning and memory, language and the brain, cerebral lateralization and specialization, the control of action, executive control and frontal lobes, emotional mechanisms, evolutionary perspectives, development, plasticity and consciousness.
Evolutionary Psychology
Main topics of study: cognitive adaptationism and domain specificity; environments of evolutionary adaptedness; cross-cultural human universals; selective impairments; social status and reputation; cognitive sexual dimorphism in mate preferences and jealousy; attractiveness and symmetry; gustatory adaptations, social exchange and co-operation; coalitional psychology; interpersonal and coalitional aggression; violence and homicide; spoken language; face recognition and prosopagnosia; functions of the emotions; kinship psychology (recognition, altruism, and inbreeding avoidance); gene-culture co-evolution.
Want to improve your English level for admission?
Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.
- ✔️ Flexible study schedule
- ✔️ Experienced teachers
- ✔️ Certificate upon completion
📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.
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