Instructor: Susan Luczak, Ph.D., Professor (Research) of Psychology
Additional Faculty Accompanying Students: Jo Ann Farver, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Overview
This course will focus on health and mental health research programs in Mauritius. Students will learn about research design, existing health and mental health studies and research programs in Mauritius, unique challenges of conducting international research, and ethical considerations in human subjects research. Week 1 will be conducted at USC and will focus on basics of research, risk and protective factor models for lifecourse development of disease/disorders, and reviewing prior research studies and the cultural contexts in which they are conducted. Week 2 moves onsite to Mauritius and will primarily focus on research at the Joint Child Health Project (JCHP) in Quatre Bornes, along with exposure to research being conducted at the University of Mauritius (UoM) in Reduit. The onsite experiences combine exposure both to the research sites and to the broader culture in which they are conducted to provide context for understanding and interpreting the research outcomes.
An overarching goal of this course is to help students begin to develop culturally competent research skills, including understanding of the environments in which the research is conducted and the contexts in which the outcomes should be interpreted. A variety of opportunities are provided for students to learn from and study with international scholars with whom the instructor has built research connections and collaborations over the past 20+ years. Experiences and excursions outside the classroom will provide a broader understanding of this society, which shapes the approach to physical and mental health policies. Students will also produce their own literature review expanding on a topic examined in the research programs and examining this in a variety of samples and contexts. It is anticipated that these experiences will inspire students to expand their world views and think more deeply about how the processes they have learned about in their psychology courses apply in similar and divergent ways across societies. Such understanding of the processes underlying mental health is central to generating more comprehensive theories of human behavior and is a critical component to tailoring effective prevention and intervention programs to different cultural contexts worldwide.
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Through direct engagement with investigators and visiting Mauritius, students will challenge their cultural expectations and learn from the differing worldviews of others.
Students will:
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- Develop an awareness about health and mental health research programs conducted in low- and middle-income nations
- Develop skills in reading, reviewing, and summarizing empirical research articles and presenting this material to an academic audience
- Compare and contrast the research programs and studies conducted in Mauritius using a cultural perspective
- Identify how early risk and protective factors contribute to later health and mental health outcomes, and how these vary across cultures and within societies
- Produce a short literature review using online databases and article reference lists, then synthesize the literature into a research paper and present this material to an academic audience
- Interpret research findings within their wider cultural context and present the findings using culturally competent skills
- Interact with researchers, clinicians, students, and faculty from another nation, with an emphasis on listening and perspective-taking
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3.25+ GPA; pre/co-requisite PSYC 100 (contact us if you do not have this course)
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Assignments will include:
- Two annotated bibliographies on the locations, readings, and presentations for the research sites (30 points)
- Two in-class presentations of an article summary and a literature review (20 points)
- Two final writing assignments including a 6-8 page literature review (35 points)
- A3-4-page reflection paper (15 points).
The literature review will be broken down into three steps:
- Outline (5 points)
- Annotated bibliography (10 points)
- Final paper (20 points)
Students are expected to attend all trainings, activities, and excursions. Informed participation is expected.
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This course is open to up to 10 students. The application will be available on the FLP Student Travel Abroad website and will ask a) your motivation for enrolling and b) how this class aligns with your personal and professional goals. If the application does not request it, please email luczak@usc.edu your resume/CV, unofficial grades, and contact information for a referee (i.e. supervisor/teacher/mentor) who could speak to your reliability and potential fit with this course. Applications will be reviewed by Prof. Luczak, along with an interview and reference check, to determine eligibility. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. If offered a place in the course, students will receive d-clearance to sign up as part of their fall course load.
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Typical flights to MRU range from $2,000-3,000 during July and August. All price estimates assume double occupancy of rooms. Room and half board plus the cost of some lunches and beverages are estimated at $3,500-4,000. Students are encouraged to apply to SOAR, the Provost’s Office (for those with GPA of 3.75+), and USC Africa Student Fund (for those with GPA of 3.5+) to help cover costs. Students on financial aid are encouraged to work with USC to re-estimate their total award for the fall semester to adjust for these added costs.
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Students are responsible for their transportation to and from LAX. All transportation in Mauritius is arranged by The Sands. The entire group will travel on the same flights to MRU, and then students will arrange their return trip on their own schedule and route preference.
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All accommodations have been arranged for students and faculty at The Sands Resort and Spa in Flic en Flac
Contact Details
Susan E. Luczak Ph.D.
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Department of Psychology
3620 McClintock Ave.
SGM 501
Los Angeles, CA 90089