Culture and Psychology in London


Image of Parliament in London
Observe, understand, and connect with a variety of different cultures, while being immersed in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Language of Instruction: English
Term: Summer
Academic Disciplines: -Open to All MajorsPsychology
Program Type: Faculty-led
Open to non-KU Students: No
Fulfills KU Core 4.2: No
Fulfills KU Core 5: No

June 17 - July 1, 2024

The Culture and Psychology in London program will focus on the ability to observe, understand, and connect with a variety of different cultures, while being immersed in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. This international learning experience will connect students with the global community by fostering cultural awareness and appreciation for diversity. This experience will challenge student’s ethnocentrism and enhance their appreciation for diversity. Learning goals are:

  • Students will be able to differentiate a broader view of the human psychological experience by interacting with communities that may be different than those typically   described in psychological literature.
  • Students will be able to recognize and critically reflect on the cultural ecologies that shape and promote beliefs and desires that identify our own culture as well as others.
  • Students will be able to evaluate the extent to which psychology reflects cultural domination by a powerful Eurocentric elite, and the effects this has on populations outside of this elite group.

Observe, understand, and connect with a variety of different cultures, while being immersed in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

PSYC 545 Culture and Psychology

The course is 3 credit hours and considers the relationship between culture and psyche. One theme throughout the course involves revealing the cultural grounding of psychological functioning. The second and complementary theme involves identifying the psychological processes involved in the phenomenon of culture.

Students are expected to engage in readings prior to departure, participate in discussions related to the different site visits, and take pictures and write about experiences for a course blog. After students return to the US, they will complete a 3-5 page synthesis paper that connects experiences and reflections on the trip to existing literature about cultural psychology.

Students will be housed in twin en suite rooms or triple en suite rooms at twin occupancy at Bankside House, a London School of Economics dormitory. A daily full English or vegetarian breakfast is included in the program fee. Bankside House is located just south of the Tate Modern Museum, with easy access to a variety of central London neighborhoods and attractions.

There will be a guided bus tour of London early in the program to help students get familiar with the city, along with a separate guided walking tour in the city.

Entrance fees for group visits while in London are included in the program fee. Group visits within Greater London include the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, the Freud Museum in Hampstead, and the Bethlem Museum of the Mind in Beckenham. During your free time, you will be able to take advantage of numerous London museums that have no entrance fees. Students will be provided with public transportation passes that can be used for program travel as well as free travel within central London.

A day trip to Oxford is also included. 

SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.

Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any accredited U.S. college or university. Minimum 2.5 GPA required (exceptions considered after submission of a petition). Listed prerequisites are any of the following: PSYC 333, 334, 360 or 361. Students without these prerequisites are encouraged to request permission from the faculty director to enroll in the program’s course.

Accepted students must attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting on Monday, April 22, from 4:00-6:00pm with other student participants and faculty director Dr. McCartney. 

Psychology majors are eligible to apply for the Cheryle A. & Burton MacKenzie Study Abroad Scholarship for Psychology Majors, for $500 for the summer. 

Program Cost for Culture and Psychology in London

 

The course will be taught and led by Marsha McCartney, Ph.D., who is faculty in the Psychology department at KU.