PSYC 3770: A 3 credit course that counts toward electives in a Psychology major or
as upper division credits for any major.
This course investigates health issues from a cultural perspective and how they are situated in Caribbean culture in Dominica. Students will be engaging in health-related activities and connecting these activities to readings completed before and during
the study abroad program. A multidisciplinary approach using theories and research
from fields such as Global Health, Medicine, Psychology, Medical Anthropology, and
Medical Sociology are used to consider how culture impacts health behaviors.
Some major questions we address will be:
What is health? What is global health? What are major health issues in Dominica? How is culture defined? How does culture impact our concepts of health? How is health conceptualized in Dominica and what are common health practices? How does psychology and other social sciences inform global health issues, especially
in Dominica?
Dr. McLaughlin partnered with Therapy Abroad to help create an amazing set of learning experiences for you!
This course isopen to any major. As an upper division course it is best suited for students after their Sophomore
year, but I'm willing to consider students after their Freshman year, if they have
a course load that has prepared them.
There is not a specific course as a prerequisite. Students who have completed a course
that covers any of the following are best suited for this class:
Intro course in: Psychology, Public Health, Kinesiology, or Sociology
any health-focused course
If you have not completed any course like those above, reach out to Dr. McLaughlin
(hmclaughin1@csub.edu) to talk about your interest in the class.
Dr. Heidi McLaughlin will be leading this summer course. She participated in study
abroad twice as an undergrad to St. Petersburg, Russia and did graduate research in
Uganda and Tanzania. She primarily teaches Developmental courses at CSUB, but has
extensive experience teaching Cultural Psychology courses outside of CSUB. Her research
primarily focuses on how children around the world, in varying contexts, come to understand
health-related concepts (especially germs) and contamination. She has been a part
of other research that investigates the impact culture has on developmental processes.
Feel free to email her for any questions about this course.
The link below will take you to the interest form. This will notify Dr. McLaughlin
that you are interested in enrolling in Summer 2025 course. I'll be reaching out
to those who complete the form to get them started on the enrolling process and securing
passport/visas.
