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Course Descriptions

Psychology Courses

PSYC1000: INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ABNORMAL
PSYCHOLOGY
This course provides an introduction to a discipline that is growing in
popularity as an increasing number of persons have become interested in
gaining an understanding of human behaviour. The course will attempt to
integrate observations from human and animal research and provide
information on a broad range of topics that illustrate how and why we think,
feel and act. This section of the course introduces students to topics within
the areas of abnormal, social and developmental psychology, and examines
psychology in the work place. Psychology Majors will take PSYC1005 while
taking this course.

PSYC1001: INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE & PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course provides an introduction to a discipline that is growing in
popularity as more and more people become interested in gaining an
understanding of human behaviour. Overall, the course will attempt to
integrate observations from human to animal research and provide
information on a broad range of topics that illustrate how and why we think,
feel and act. This section of the course introduces students to topics within
the areas of cognitive and physiological psychology.

PSYC1002: INTRODUCTION TO INDUSTRIAL & ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course provides an introduction to the field of industrial/organizational
psychology. It involves the application of psychological principles, theories,
research methods and findings and intervention strategies to the study of
people within the workplace context. It draws from various fields of
psychology and includes management, human resource development and
sociology. A variety of topic areas will be explored. The course should appeal
to a wide range of students with varying academic interests but is specifically
designed for students who intend to pursue careers in the broad area of
Organizational Development.

PSYC1005: PSYCHOLOGY LABORATORY METHODS: SOCIAL, ABNORMAL
AND DEVELOPMENTAL
The primary purpose of this laboratory course is to introduce students to key
principles of psychological research methods. In addition it will provide
students with practical experience in carrying out basic research focused on
the core areas of psychology, namely social, abnormal, and developmental
psychology, and in writing reports on these research experiences.
(Psychology Majors ONLY)

PSYC1006: RESEARCH IN COGNITIVE & PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course reinforces and builds on knowledge and skills students learn in
PSYC1005. Students will continue to gain experience in collecting
psychological data and writing reports focused on cognitive and physiological
psychology.

PSYC2000: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
This is a follow-up of the Social Psychology component of PSYC1000. It seeks
to perform an in-depth study of three major areas in social psychology: The
Self, Interpersonal Relationships and Group Processes. Understandably, the
course attempts to fuse the theoretical perspectives with a Caribbean
application and will draw heavily on Caribbean history and sociology. Topics
include: The Sociological and the Psychological Influences in Social
Psychology, The Self, Attribution, Group Dynamics and Inter-group Relations,
Close Relations, Themes in Caribbean Social Psychology.

PSYC2002: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
The study of mental illness makes up a large part of the discipline of
psychology. Many psychologists are interested in the causes, classification
and treatment of abnormal behaviour. This course will attempt to integrate
observations from human and animal research to provide information on the
different types of mental illness, how mental illness develops, who is at risk
and which treatments are most effective. Topics include: Theoretical
Perspectives of Mal-adaptive Behaviours; Mental Health and Mental Illness;
Neurotic and Psychotic Disorders: Nature, Theoretical Explanation,
Treatment; Disorders of Social Development; Introduction to Therapies;
Behaviour Disorders and the Family.

PSYC2003: PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course is offered in the second year and seeks to explore how the
sensory, neural and muscular systems of the body interact to produce and
facilitate behaviour. It also helps students to understand behavioural
problems and to appreciate various biologically derived strategies of
behaviour modification and control. The course covers such areas as, the
body system, the biology of mental processes, motivation and emotion and
the future of psychobiology.

PSYC2004: PERSONALITY THEORY
Students will be introduced to the major theories of personality. The course
will address the historical and cultural background, which informs the
writings of the seminal theorists in the field as well as the relevance of these
theories to current conditions.

PSYC2005: INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
This course is taught as an introduction to the field of health psychology.
Health psychology is a sub-discipline of psychology that focuses on how
biological, psychological, and social factors are related to the maintenance of
health, the onset and course of illness, and the role that treatment plays. In
this course we will review psychological theories that have implications for
physical and mental health. The lectures are designed to provide you, the
students, with an overview of key theories, research methodologies, and
empirical findings that are relevant to health psychology and behavioural
medicine.

PSYC2006: INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS
The main objective of this course is to help the student to develop skills in
self-monitoring so as to enhance the ability to conduct effective interactions
with others. The course is an experiential one designed with particular
reference to students interested in counseling and in-group work practice.

PSYC2007: PSYCHOMETRICS
This course introduces the concepts underlying psychological measurement.
This is primarily done by an in depth examination of the topic of intelligence.
What is intelligence? How has it been measured? How much is it influenced
by environmental factors? In addition, students will develop their own
personality and ability measures in tutorials, and examine some of the classic
tests in these areas. At the end of the course students should understand
the concepts of reliability and validity, item difficulty, discriminability and
factor analysis.

PSYC2008: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the major
theories underpinning current cognitive psychology, as well as an awareness
of the methodologies used by cognitive psychologists to advance the
discipline. Cognitive psychology currently represents a mainstream area of
the discipline of psychology with which all majors in the area should be
familiar.
The course will commence with an examination of the theories and findings
which have been put forward to explain basic perceptual processes. There
will be consideration of how attention is controlled and directed towards the
environment, and how information is represented and remembered. The
course will then move on to consider the area of language functioning.
Finally, applications of this area of psychology will be highlighted, including
neuropsychology and ergonomics.

PSYC2012: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course presents a comprehensive view of the physical and psychological
development of the individual from birth through to death. The course looks
at different models of development and analyses of each model in terms of
its relevance to the Caribbean. Students are actively engaged throughout the
course in analyzing the real life problems of children and adolescents in the
Caribbean.

PSYC2017: POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course is an introduction to the field of Political Psychology, a multi-level
interdisciplinary field that examines the intersection of power and
psychology. Political Psychology (psychology of politics) employs diverse
theories and research tools to attempt to explain and make sense of why
political elites, mass publics and individuals think, feel and act as they do in
relation to power and how these thoughts, feelings and actions shape the
course of politics and of psycho-socio-cultural development.

PSYC2019: EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
This course emphasizes and demonstrates the importance of
experimentation as a method of exploring and establishing relationships and
of providing an evidential basis for claims made in psychology. The
importance of operationalization and of the development of techniques of
measurement is also emphasized. In the end, students are expected to have
skills with respect to the basics of experimental design in psychology and they
are also expected to be able to analyze and decipher critically, the
experimental descriptions and protocols provided in the literature.

PSYC3001: SOCIAL COGNITION
This course seeks to develop an understanding of the cognitive processes
occurring in every day social life. Firstly we examine models of individual and
social cognition, and then proceed to understand the social aspects of
cognitive processes such as attribution and person perception. Finally we
explore semiotics and the effects of the mass media (medium theory) on
social cognition. Social cognition refers to the system of mental constructs
and strategies that are shared by group members. In particular, it relates to
those collective mental operations involved in the representation and
understanding of social objects and in the establishment of the self as a social
agent.

PSYC3007: APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Using a social and psychological knowledge base and applying it to selected
organizational institutional and community contexts in Caribbean Society,
this course presents a programme of social psychological theory, methods
and projects, assigned to provide students with basic tools for analyzing and
solving problems of interpersonal, organizational and community relations,
while taking account of the human resource and institutional development
needs of Caribbean Society.

PSYC3008: ELEMENTS OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
This course provides an introduction to the fields of counseling and
psychotherapy in a complex multicultural society. The course will cover
professional foundations and provide an overview of the counseling and
therapeutic process. Students will learn simple interviewing and assessment
techniques, the taking of psychological histories as well as basic
communication and problem solving skills in a therapeutic context. Students
will also be exposed to methods for evaluation, recording and research in
counseling and psychotherapy.

PSYC3009: COUNSELING PRACTICUM
This course aims to provide students with increased comfort and confidence
in the art of counseling and psychotherapy and/or increased familiarity with
how psychological theories and methodologies are used in a practical setting.

Students will be attached to a site where psychology is practiced (e.g.
hospitals, schools, businesses, jails, police stations, counseling centres) and
supervised by psychologists working in the field, in order to gain practical
experience in the field of psychological counseling. Student experiences will
vary but may include exposure to group and individual therapy, conducting
interviews, psychological assessment, inter-disciplinary rounds, participating
in feedback sessions and collecting empirical data.

PSYC3010: APPLIED GROUP DYNAMICS
This course provides opportunities for the experiential exploration of topics
in intra-personal dynamics. It is presented as a Group Dynamics Laboratory
in which participants develop the techniques necessary for effective work in
and with teams. Participants will explore the following topics: Group
Intervention and facilitation; Building group cohesion; Communication and
co-ordination; Leadership and decision-making styles; Task performance;
Negotiation and conflict resolution. In this course students participate as
group members and analyze their own responses and those of other
participants. Participants learn and develop their skills by experiencing the
reality of attribution, communication and other interpersonal principles that
make up the substance of group relations.

PSYC3011: RESEARCH PAPER IN PSYCHOLOGY (Year Long - 6 Credits)
This course enables students to carry out a piece of empirical or theoretical
work chosen from a range of topics. At the start of the course, lectures will
be geared towards the review of the essentials of research design and
helping students to frame an appropriate research question. They will then
be assigned individual supervisors who will guide them through the research
process. At the end of the first semester students hand in a brief literature
review and rationale, and at the end of semester two a full research
dissertation is required. Students intending to pursue further studies in
psychology should note that this is an essential course to have on their
transcript.

PSYC3027: BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT
This course introduces students to basic principles in behaviour modification,
and the procedures and methods used to understand, assess, and change
behaviour problems. Specifically, the course presents a survey of important
behaviour modification procedures designed to overcome problems across a
broad spectrum of human dysfunction (e.g. fears, simple phobias, test
anxiety, school violence, and self-esteem). Additionally, the course is
designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills of how behaviour
modification procedures have been applied in the field of developmental
disabilities, education and special education, clinical psychology, community
psychology, and self-management. Finally, the materials in the course
examine important behaviour modification procedures applied in the area of
prevention, including stress management, sexually transmitted diseases,
emotional abuse, neglect, school violence, and drug use/misuse.

Sociology Courses

SOCI1001: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL RESEARCH
This course seeks to provide students with an introduction to basic social
research methods. It involves discussions of Research Traditions, Formulating
a Research Problem, Selecting and Measuring Variables, Research Design,
Questionnaire Designs, Writing a Research Proposal, Research Methods,
Data Analysis, Writing the Research Report.

SOCI1002: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY I
This course seeks to expose students to the basic concepts of Sociology
applied in the context of a developing country. The works of the classical
theorists Durkheim, Marx and Weber are explored in providing an
understanding of different models of society. The course also focuses on
issues of culture, class, race, social stratification, family and gender as they
relate to Caribbean Societies.

SOCI1003: SOCIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT
This course builds on the basic foundation of SOCI1002 by focusing on the
applications of sociological concepts to the processes involved in
development. It will equip students with an understanding of the basic
concepts and measures that are used in the analysis of Development.

SOCI1005: INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
This course covers the same material as ECON1005, but focuses more on
social and psychological examples such as the calculation and interpretation
of such questions and introduces students to basic univariate and bivariate
statistics. It focuses on levels of measurement and the appropriate
interpretation of each statistic computed. Social and psychological examples
are used for each application.

SOCI1006: INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY
In this course students will learn about the discipline of anthropology, the
scientific study of human diversity and similarity. Although it focuses on
social/cultural anthropology, it will introduce students to the other subfields
(archaeology, linguistic anthropology, physical/biological anthropology).
Students will explore some of the main themes that anthropologists have
studied over the years, such as the family, “race,” religion and language.
More contemporary concerns such as migration, diaspora and globalisation
will also be discussed.
In addition to showing what anthropology is, the course will show how
anthropology is done, by discussing its trademark research technique of
ethnographic fieldwork and providing an opportunity for students to do their
own work in the field. It will also discuss career opportunities as an
anthropologist, both in academia and in such fields as international
development and public health.

SOCI2000: CLASSICAL SOCIAL THEORY
The objective of this course is to bring the student to a deeper understanding
and appreciation of the origins of sociological thought, and the ideas of the
main thinkers during the formative years of the discipline. It explores
different concepts and definitions and expands on the basic information
provided of the classical theories in the introductory course, SOCI1002.
Although the subject matter of the course is “classical” it is taught with
references and example from “real life”, a down to earth sociology.

SOCI2001: MODERN SOCIAL THEORY
A sequel to SOCI2000, this course is designed to discuss the more recent
theoretical developments in theory. Beginning with the early 20th Century
theorists it continues to the present, where it explores the very basis of
sociology today in the postmodern world. Like its predecessor, it emphasizes
critical thought. A central issue is the fundamental relationship between the
individual and society. The intention is for students to question and defend
(if necessary) the status and importance of sociological analysis today. As
with its precursor it is a down to earth sociology, taught with references and
examples from “real life”.

SOCI2004: INTRODUCTION TO POPULATION
This course is designed to equip students from all faculties with a basic
understanding of the ways in which population variables interact with
economic, political, social, cultural, physical and environmental factors to
create a changing balance. The course introduces students to the basic
measures which are used by demographers to describe the structure of
populations, as well as the changes induced by births, deaths and migration.
There is no pre-requisite for this course, but through active participation in
the course, students will gain experience in the calculation and interpretation
of basic rates and ratios, as well as an understanding of the relationships
between patterns of development and population changes and distribution.

SOCI2005: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
This course seeks to equip students with a working understanding of the
biological aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and the social and
psychological issues that surround the area. From this foundation, the ethical
and legal issues are also considered, as well as the key debates in the field.
Students are exposed to the types of programmes for family planning and
family life education, and introduced to some of the approaches widely used
in counseling for reproductive health.

SOCI2006: QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Outline: Philosophical and Methodological Foundations; Strategy for Field
Research; Selecting and Gaining access to a Setting; Modes of Observation
and Methods of Recording Data; Unstructured Interviews; Types of
Qualitative Research; Personal Documents; Historical and Archival Sources;
Ethical Issues; Case Study Methods and Computer Application.

SOCI2007: SURVEY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
This course will focus on Problem Formulation and Alternative Research
Designs; Sample Design and Selection; Questionnaire Design; Data
Processing and Analysis; Univariate, Bivariate and Multivariate Analysis of
Tables; Use of Statistical Packages to enter and analyze data.

SOCI2008: STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
This course is a continuation of SOCI1005. It reviews basic statistics and
focuses on both parametric and non-parametric statistical testing. Students
are required to learn SPSS software for each of the statistical tests taught.
These skills are used to prepare a research report based on social and
psychological data.

SOCI2009: STATISTICAL COMPUTING FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
This course is practical in its orientation, and is designed to allow students
the opportunity to develop competence in the use of the computer-based
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The objective of the course
is to ensure that participants understand the relationship between
theoretical concepts, empirical measures and the computing techniques
necessary to analyse data and explore social relationships. This course will
give students “hands-on” experience with the computer and will strengthen
their secondary data analysis skills. Throughout the course, students will
work with an international dataset and a Jamaican dataset and will learn how
to formulate their own research questions, develop hypotheses, conduct
statistical analyses and write a complete research report. This course is
strongly recommended for students planning to pursue the MSc in Sociology.

SOCI2011: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
In this course students will learn the discipline of anthropology, the scientific
study of human diversity and similarity. It will discuss the various subfields of
anthropology (archaeology, linguistic anthropology and physical/biological
anthropology), as well as some of the classic themes of anthropology that
have emerged over the years. It will focus on themes that have recently
emerged in anthropology such as visual anthropology, the anthropology of
dance, the anthropology of violence and anthropology of the internet.

SOCI2017: CARIBBEAN SOCIETY: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
Outline: Caribbean in the World System: Theoretical Perspectives;
Population Trends: Growth, Composition, Contribution to Internal and
External Migration; Labour: Employment, Occupation, Organization; Rural
and Urban Social Organization; Social Differentiation: Gender, Ethnicity,
Class; Revolution and Reaction: Crisis Stagnation, Transformation

SOCI2018: ANTHROPOLOGY OF AFRICA
This course considers Africa from an anthropological perspective, covering
“traditional” anthropological themes such as kinship, religion and social
organization. Importantly, the course rejects early anthropological studies of
Africa that treat ethnic groups as static self-contained units, and considers
them as dynamic and responsive to external influences. It also aims to
explore contemporary Africa through consideration of its colonial and postcolonial history. This course also takes a critical look at anthropology itself,
by attempting to locate its role in the colonial enterprise and in the
elucidation of notions of “race.” The ultimate aim is to debunk popular and
longstanding myths about Africa and blackness.

SOCI2020: IDENTITY AND CONDUCT IN THE DANCEHALL CULTURE
This course provides a scholarly approach to the study and comprehension
of Jamaica’s dancehall culture. The course utilizes principles from
anthropology - the study of culture. The course also seeks to increase and
expand knowledge on dancehall culture through an examination of the
genesis and evolution of dancehall as a socio-cultural system. Some areas to
be examined include cosmology, aesthetics, politics, sexuality, gender
socialization and transnational cultural interpretations to name a few. The
emphasis will be on how people use the dancehall culture for identity
construction. Finally, the course will also examine dancehall culture and its
worldview in relation to the wider Jamaican culture, the Caribbean and the
World.

SOCI2111: ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION
This course is intended to provide students with an understanding of how
religious beliefs vary around the world. Students will begin with the basic
concepts underlying belief in the sacred and supernatural and apply these to
various religious systems. They will also consider how religion is used in
resistance movements and identity politics. Students will focus on religions
in the Caribbean, observe Jamaican religious practices and systems and
conduct their own research.

SOCI3001: THOUGHT AND ACTION IN AFRICA OF THE DIASPORA
This is a programme which falls within the area of study called Diaspora
Studies. We aim to look at how Africans of the Diaspora, principally in
Jamaica and the USA, moved in thought and deed from being on the outskirts
of the New World Societies to which they were brought, to social and political
participation in these societies, in the 20th Century. Given its intentions, this
programme falls principally in the domain of historical sociology. We look at
what current writers say on the matter of social death and social inclusion of
the African of the Diaspora, as well as at data which speak to this behaviour.

SOCI3004: TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT
This course is aimed at providing an understanding of the tourist industry,
mainly from a sociological and social, as well as a psychological perspective.
It seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature of tourism
policies and their actual and potential impacts on the social and cultural
fabric of Caribbean societies. Students will learn about the evolution of
tourism in the Caribbean; the relationship between Caribbean tourism and
global tourism; the link between theories of development and tourism; and
the methods associated with tourism impact analysis. They will also be
exposed to actual case studies of tourism impacts in the Caribbean.

SOCI3008: INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY I: THEORY AND METHODS
The overarching objective of the course is to enable potential managers to
understand the influence of the wider societal context on the operations
within their organizations. At the end of the course you should have, as part
of your tools of management, an appreciation of industrial society and its
place within human society. The course aims to provide students with an
understanding of the ways in which the process of industrialization has
shaped societies. Central to this endeavor is the treatment of work as a
sociological phenomenon. Some of the areas that are covered in this regard
include technology and its influence on the workplace, and the influence of
gender and class in the study of work.
To those of you involved in human resource management, the course will
provide you with an understanding of some of the salient factors that
influence job satisfaction. It will also review the nature of relations among
workers, and between workers and management. As an instructional
exercise, the course aims to foster the development of the following skills:
comprehension; application; analysis; and synthesis of information.

SOCI3011: RESEARCH PAPER IN SOCIOLOGY
This is a one semester 3-credit course which only Sociology Majors will be
allowed to take in their final semester. Only students who have obtained a
minimum of grade B+ in either SOCI2009 or SOCI2006 will be allowed to
register for this course. The objective of the course is to allow students the
opportunity to develop their research skills through the conduct of an
independent research undertaking, culminating in a full-length research
report. The research paper will serve to integrate theoretical perspectives
and methodological techniques, and should preferably be selected with
reference to the student’s area of concentration.

SOCI3015: INTRODUCTION TO THE EVALUATION OF SOCIAL PROGRAMMES
This course provides an introduction to the theory and the practice of
programme design, monitoring and evaluation. The course will cover the
basic methodological concepts and skills in needs assessment, programme
planning, evaluability assessment, programme monitoring and evaluation.
Students will learn how to develop logic or impact models for the design of
effective social programmes and will gain a basic understanding of how these
programmes should be monitored and evaluated. Students will also be
exposed to some of the key research designs utilized in programme
evaluation.

SOCI3018: DEMOGRAPHY I: POPULATION, TRENDS AND POLICIES
The objective of this course is to empower the student with facts, theories
and controversies in the field of population studies, so that he/she can
understand and participate in discussions relating to the interface between
population and development in his/her nation, region or the world. This
course examines: The nature of demography; The relationship between
demography and other disciplines; Source of demographic data; Types of
errors in demographic statistics; Basic rates and ratios in the study of fertility,
nuptiality, mortality and migration; Theories of population trends, problems
and prospects; Demographic history of the Caribbean population policies;
Population and Development.

SOCI3021: DEMOGRAPHY II: DEMOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES
The objective of this course is to equip the student with the skills needed to
collect and analyze demographic data for decision-making at various levels.
Included are; Techniques for evaluating and adjusting errors in demographic
data; Construction of Life Tables; Use of Life Tables in demographic research;
Introduction to demographic models/Model Life Tables; Methods for
estimating fertility and mortality from defective data; Population estimates
and projections; Computer applications and analysis.

SOCI3022: POPULATION, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
The major objective of this course is to explore the inter-relationships
between population, environment and sustainable development, with
special emphasis on the Caribbean. The focus will be on the human, rather
than the physical dimensions of population and environment issues, and the
course will examine critically the policy issues which arise as a result of these
linkages.

SOCI3024: POPULATION AND SOCIAL POLICY
This course has been designed to allow students the opportunity to explore
the policy implications and alternatives, which emerge from their study of
the changing interactions between population and development. It will allow
for detailed investigation of the questions which are encountered in other
demography courses such as environmental degradation, urban growth and
teenage pregnancy.

SOCI3025: CARIBBEAN CULTURE
This course seeks to equip students with an in-depth understanding of core
aspects of Caribbean Culture. Topics include: nationalism and identity, belief
systems, religion, the arts, sports, family and kinship, and gender roles.

SOCI3026: SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT
This course is aimed at providing students with the opportunity to critically
examine the current conceptual and theoretical framework associated with
the study of social change and development in order to foster an
appreciation for the approaches to understanding development.

SOCI3027: GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT
The main objective of this course is to expose students to the introduction to
gender perspectives in development theory, and the application of gender
perspectives to the analysis of Caribbean development. The main gender
issues in contemporary Caribbean development will be explored, with special
emphasis on gender in the urban and rural economy, labour force patterns
and labour force development, and gender-aware management systems.
Knowledge and skills for addressing gender issues in economic development
will be a central theme of the course.

SOCI3030: GLOBALIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT
This course builds on the theoretical understanding of development that
students acquired in SOCI3026. It surveys a number of important aspects of
globalization and the ways in which they impact on the process of
development. It provides students with an in-depth understanding of
globalization and its implications for contemporary issues and policy
questions such as employment, poverty, food security and environmental
degradation.

SOCI3032: CRIMINOLOGY I
The course will cover the following: Criminals and Criminology, Development
of Criminology: Philosophical Foundations; Schools of Thought; Theories of
Criminal Behaviour; Crime and Society: Socio-economic and Political bases.

SOCI3034: ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORIES
This course will introduce students to the important theories on culture that
underlie the discipline of anthropology. Classic cultural theories such as social
evolutionism, Marxism, functionalism, structuralism, and interpretivesemiotic approaches will be presented and explored. Students will also be
introduced to more contemporary theories that revolve around cognitive
anthropology, feminism and post-modernism. The class will examine the
utility of each theory for understanding cultural issues in the Caribbean and
across the world.

SOCI3036: CRIMINOLOGY II: POLICE AND SOCIETY
This course will be a core course for alter in-depth, graduate examination of
the role of the police in modern, democratic society; the problems attendant
to performance of that role; and of the management of complex police
organizations. The course will, at this level give basic attention to the role
police officers play in the Caribbean and especially Jamaican society. It will
explore ways in which citizens look at the police to perform a wide range of
functions: crime prevention, law enforcement, order maintenance and
community services.

SOCI3038: TECHNIQUES OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
This course introduces students to the attitudes, issues and tools required for
work in communities. It explores the differences between teacher, trainer
and facilitator, examining various communication styles and appreciating the
dynamics of politics, leadership and conflict within and between
communities. Gender issues are also relevant and special attention will be
paid to participatory approaches and methods as well as to the various
components and techniques of organizational strengthening and capacity
building required in community work.

SOCI3040: SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES
This is an advanced undergraduate course that introduces students to the
sociological study of the family and establishes foundation knowledge in the
field. Given the pivotal role of the family in developing appropriate cultural
patterns for productivity and development, it is essential to understand
contemporary Caribbean families within the context of the current social,
political and economic environment. This course covers definitions of the
family, the historical relationship between family and society, the diversity of
families, the family life course, sexuality and parenting. Social influences on
family stability and the role of macro social, political and economic forces on
the family are also examined. Finally, we will consider research methods and
policies concerning the family in order to prepare students with the skills
necessary to work in this area.

SOCI3041: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MARKETING
Introduction to Social Marketing provides foundation knowledge for
students to acquire critical skills concerning best practices in designing,
planning and implementing social interventions. The course emphasizes both
theory and practice in Social Marketing, in order to provide participants with
the necessary competence to identify and understand social problems in
need of critical solutions and how to conceptualize, plan and implement an
intervention (campaign) to address or alleviate these problems. Students will
be introduced to concepts and theories relevant to Social Marketing, and will
also be given the opportunity to apply the principles of Social Marketing
through planning and implementation of a social campaign, as part of their
course work. They will not be instant experts in the field, however, they will
acquire a level of knowledge and competence to plan and implement an
intervention in any field, while building their skills set in this area.

SOCI3042: RACE, ETHNICITY AND NATIONAL IDENTITIES IN THE CARIBBEAN
This course explores various theoretical perspectives on Race and Ethnicity
from both the fields of Sociology and Cultural Anthropology. It examines race
as a social construct and explores the impact of race, ethnicity and colour on
class, status, self-worth, and social mobility in the Caribbean.

SOCI3043: INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
This is an introductory course in medical anthropology. It provides a basic
appreciation of how health and illness are explained and understood in a
variety of different settings (both globally and in the Caribbean). Students
will learn how a range of factors - cultural, political, economic and social -
shape health-related knowledge and behaviour. Students will be introduced
to the concepts and theoretical debates within medical anthropology and
learn how knowledge gained through this sub-discipline can be applied to
real-life public health issues. Additionally, they will observe Jamaican healing
practices and systems and conduct their own research using the
methodological tools acquired in the course.

SOCI3044: INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND LABOUR STANDARDS
This course is intended to acquaint the student with the dynamics of
international trade and labour standards in the present world system. It links
both history and the contemporary. Students will be asked to examine the
position of the Caribbean and other developing countries within the global
economic system. Issues of economic dependency, under-development,
capitalism and the Caribbean response to globalization will all be discussed.
The role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as an adjunct of the
United Nations, as well as other international organizations that affect the
Caribbean will be examined.
Various conventions of the ILO will be analysed both internationally and
regionally relating to; freedom of association and the right to organize, equal
enumeration, setting and monitoring labour standards and child and forced
labour among others. The current influence and power of international trade
organizations and the impact and challenges they present to the
development of Caribbean economies, will form part of the discourse.
Students will be exposed to guest lecturers from relevant international
organizations.
On completion of the course the students are expected to have knowledge
of how the international trade and labour standards affect the region.
Students should be able to discuss issues of development and their policy
implications for the Caribbean. They are also expected to offer some
solutions and/or policy initiatives to the region’s perennial economic and
social problems caused by the hegemonic behaviour of international trade
organizations in the Caribbean.

SOCI3045: CAPSTONE COURSE IN SOCIAL POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT
The Social Policy and Development Major is built around the premise that
students should gain an understanding of the organic links between
international forces, development theories, social policies and social
outcomes, and that this can be achieved by the application of the sociological
perspective to social problems and policy. This final year course will allow
students an opportunity to synthesize and integrate discrete learning
experiences gained throughout their degree programme.
Designed as a research activity, this year-long course (6 credits) provides a
practical experience of doing applied sociology. Students will conduct
primary research to explore a social issue which has important policy
implications. Students will meet with relevant stakeholders and develop
policy recommendations. The course utilizes a mixed method approach
which enables students to strengthen their skills in both qualitative and
quantitative research techniques as well as to appreciate the benefits of
combining both approaches. Students will also be assigned specific readings
that must be discussed in the seminars/group meetings that accompany this
course.

SOCI3046: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE I
This course looks at the history and the theory of Restorative Justice. We will
also examine the techniques and practicalities of their concept in Jamaica.
Restorative Justice is both a theory and a practice. The principles are
grounded in the practices of the ancient Mori Indians, First Nation and Native
American tribes, and how they deal with offences committed within their
colonies. We will then examine how the father of modern day Restorative
Justice has used the principles to create a theory and the guidelines for
practice of Restorative Justice, which suits modern day criminal activities.
The practice is structured on three pillars: Harms and Needs of the victim,
Obligation of the offender and the engagement of all parties involved, which
are victims, offenders and the community. The course will also delve into
concepts that are important in understanding the role of the three pillars.
Students will then be expected to research some element of the history and
process, then demonstrate its applicability to modern day issues.

SOCI3047: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE II
This course is the second half of the Restorative Justice course and is a
practicum. The students who wish to pursue this course are expected to have
completed SOCI3046 before attempting this course. The objective of this
course is to apply the theory and practices that you have gained from the
prerequisite course and apply it to real-world situations, after brief training
and rehearsals. Students will then be placed in an institution to work
alongside the Administration to apply the skills that they have acquired.

Social Work Courses

SOWK1001: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK I
This course is designed to introduce students to Social Work as a field and
method of practice: This will be accomplished through the students’
exploration of:
i. The historical evolution of Social Work, Social Work as a general field of
practice, values and code of ethics, knowledge and skills, development of
Social Work in the Caribbean with special emphasis on Jamaica,
introduction to methods of Social Work intervention
ii. Introduction to Social Work Practicum which involves visits to and
observation of various types of social welfare and social development
service agencies with related seminars and presentations on agency visits.
(Duration: 50 hours). Please note: This one (1) credit course is retained as
SOWK1011 for the Diploma in Social Work students who do not take
section a) of the overall SOWK1001.

SOWK1003: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK I
This course introduces students to two basic integrated frameworks as the
foundation for competent generalist social work practice with individuals,
couples and families; groups and organizations; and communities. The first
framework will demonstrate the important connected areas which provide
the overall context for generalist social work education and practice. The
focus is on increasing competencies in these connected areas.
The second framework will introduce students to a broad inner-outer
paradigm as the basis for learning how to apply theory to practice. Finally,
this course will also emphasize the importance of learning how to do biopsycho-social-spiritual assessments as an important aspect of the social work
process when applied to all levels of direct practice.

SOWK1010: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICUM I
Social Work Practicum I ensures the comprehensive preparation of students
new to professional social work as practiced in a developing and
developmental context. The programme is spread over semesters I (38
hours) and II (127 hours) for a total of approximately 165 contact hours
during the first year of professional formation. It encompasses a wide range
of hands-on experiences inclusive of agency observation visits, job
“shadowing”, human skills laboratory training, skills practice, all day
workshops and integrative seminars. Social Work Practicum I is organized to
enable a high level of participation by students; it emphasizes experiential
learning, critical self-awareness and self-analysis as well as provides
opportunities for “innovative” and “creative thinking” while facilitating
“socially and culturally responsive” problem solving. The expected outcome
is for student transformation into reflective practitioners committed to
lifelong learning.

SOWK2001: LAW AND THE HUMAN SERVICES
This course is structured to enable students to have a thorough grounding in
Law as it relates to human services. It is specifically designed to broaden and
deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of the Law as it relates to
the delivery of services in the private and public sectors, and to expose them
to the administrative machinery of the Law.

SOWK2002 & SOWK2003: THEORY & PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK II & III
The main objective of these courses offered over two semesters is to enlarge
and deepen students’ knowledge base and analytical skills in the main
aspects of social work practice – assessment, intervention and evaluation –
involving work with individuals, groups and organizations and communities.
Students will participate in lectures/discussions, classroom-based exercises
and field activities.

SOWK2004: DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL POLICY
This course seeks to provide students with an understanding of the meaning
of social policy and its importance for national development. The course will
examine various definitions of social policy and models of social welfare, and
will trace the broad historical developments in Caribbean social policy
making. It will examine the role of various actors in the social policy and
programme development process and will highlight the importance of
research for social policy design, monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the
course discusses the paradigmatic shifts that have occurred in the social
policy development process globally and regionally, with special emphasis
being placed on health, education and social welfare policy.

SOWK2005: ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SOCIAL SERVICES
The course offers a sound theoretical base together with skills to analyze,
design and effect change in the organization and management of Human
Services. It brings together modern management and organizational
concepts and techniques. It lays the foundation for critical analysis of social
services organization and administration. Emphasis is placed on
understanding and improving organizational performance in terms of the
quality of service, which is delivered through more appropriate use of human
resources. Specific attention is given to social service agencies and their
administration such as Health Service, Child and Family Services, Education,
Social Security, Housing, Correctional Services.

SOWK2006: CARIBBEAN SOCIAL ISSUES
This course explores the dynamics of specific social problems which affect
the Caribbean region, noting their contributing factors, impact and existing
policy/national responses. This course offers a guide to identifying, analyzing
and effectively addressing social problems emerging within the Caribbean.
The intent is to give a general overview and to critically consider
contemporary discussions of as well as interventions to address these issues,
using various theoretical models as the basis of understanding the dynamics
of social problems. The topics examined are crime and violence, poverty,
ageing among others.

SOWK2007: DISABILITY STUDIES
This course will identify the ways in which differently-abled persons are
marginalized and restricted and experience discrimination within an “unadaptive” society. It will examine the interaction of persons with disabilities
within the existing political, social, cultural and legal systems. This course is
taught in partnership with persons with disabilities and is grounded in the
epistemological belief that the creation of knowledge about disability should
be with/by people with disabilities. This course will take students on an
interesting journey which begins with sensitization to the experience of
disability, explores the pathways of acceptance and inclusion and arrives at
the destination of policy and advocacy.

SOWK2008: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICUM II (Year Long – 6 Credit)
This course offers supervised placements involving working with individuals,
families, treatment or social groups, or community organizations in
programmes which have primarily a rehabilitative, a social development or a
social action focus. These may be in any of the following types of settings:
Clinical, Child and Family, Education, Counseling and Rehabilitation and
Community. Weekly field integrative seminars will seek to enhance the
students’ learning through sharing of experiences, discussion of cases to
integrate theory with practice, building network systems for more efficient
practice and an introduction to the fine art of peer group supervision
(Duration – 320 hours).

SOWK2009: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE SKILLS LAB
This course will help students to further develop the practice skills introduced
to them in their first year of study. It will focus on developing competence in
building client/worker relationships, whether at the individual, small group,
community or organizational level. The course will make extensive use of
experiential and reflective learning strategies.

SOWK2021: HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
This course provides a comprehensive examination of human behaviour
throughout the developmental lifespan and within different social settings
from the unique social work perspective of the person-in-environment.
General systems/ecological theory provides the underpinnings for this
approach from which the systems paradigm and model were developed as
frameworks for classifying other theoretical concepts, assessing social
problems and for devising prevention and intervention strategies when
working with clients. Specific attention will be given to current social
problems in the Caribbean as they affect and are affected by various systems
in the environment.

SOWK 2022: HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II
The effects of the macro systems on the clients served by social workers
cannot be ignored. Culture, communities, institutions and organisations are
the primary macro systems that continuously have an adverse impact on
individuals and groups within the social environment. Therefore, it is
important that students have an understanding of the connections between
the client's individual problems, and the larger social problems and macro
level change efforts required. This course will make extensive use of a
political economy and social constructionist perspective in theorising the
behaviour of small and large groups and organisations. Finally, students will
examine the implications of this knowledge for practice in the Caribbean
context.

SOWK2107: HEALTH, SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN SERVICES
This course challenges students to holistically assess the health status of self
and others and to examine the criteria for maintaining healthy lifestyles. The
connection between health and development will be examined as well as the
current health status and health trends in the Caribbean. Students will
critically discuss alternative/complementary health seeking behaviours
especially as they affect the biopsychology aspects of primary health care in
the cultural setting. The value of having a public health responsibility
orientation in addition to the need for a multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary team approach to tackling health problems will be
emphasized. Finally, students will examine the need for ongoing research and
evaluation.

SOWK3000: SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH PAPER (Year Long – 6 Credit)
(A maximum of twelve (12) students will be accepted to this course)
This course will be of particular value to social work students who plan to
continue to pursue graduate studies. The opportunity for conducting an
undergraduate level research course will be a very worthwhile preparation
for their subsequent work responsibilities as social agency employees. The
course requires the production of a furnished, moderately sized research
report based on original research and utilizing either quantitative and/or
qualitative methodology.

SOWK3009: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK: COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATION
This course gives an in-depth understanding of community and an
introduction to a modern method of community research. The history of
community development is reviewed, particularly, its interaction in the
Caribbean with the wider economic, political and socio-cultural framework
and techniques of a participatory approach to community are tried out in a
work-study exercise in the field.

SOWK3010: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK: APPLIED SOCIAL
GROUP WORK
This course will give students the opportunity to both experience and guide
the group process. In addition to an examination of the group dynamics
inherent in social settings, students will be introduced to the basic concepts
of Transactional Analysis as a useful theory and tool for assessing
communication, interpersonal styles and human behaviour in groups.
Students will practice specific skills required for demonstrating effective
understanding of and interventions in the beginning, middle and end stages
of selected task and treatment groups.

SOWK3012: SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS
This course will focus on the multidimensional issues and challenges facing
students and the administration within the educational system. The students
will be required to use their generalist knowledge base to develop
appropriate interventions to respond to the needs in this setting. Such
interventions will address the home/school/community dynamics, the need
for a multi-disciplinary team approach and advocacy, thus ensuring the best
interest of the children in the school.

SOWK3014: ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS IN SOCIAL AGENCIES
This course presents a management approach to the administrative process
in social agencies. It is concerned with the interaction and interconnection
between structure and operations of the administrative process. The
underlying theme of the course is the need for: Administrative effectiveness;
Improvement in the quality of management action; Quality assurance and
recognition of the important role of management as an integrative activity in
the administrative process in social agencies.

SOWK3015: DRUGS AND SOCIETY
This course explores the use and misuse of drugs, the social consequences
and the national and regional implications of drug trafficking. Theories and
research relating to these issues are explored and prevention, intervention
and treatment strategies are examined. A multidisciplinary approach is taken
in order to give the students a broad understanding of this complex problem.

SOWK3017: SOCIAL WORK PRACTICUM III (Year Long – 6 Credits)
This course has three (3) components:
i. Supervised work placements where students are engaged in social agency
programme planning/development, administration, in-service training, or
direct service roles which require more advanced levels of intervention
activities with individuals, groups, families and communities (Duration
320 hours)
ii. Supervision Module: Social Work Supervision as a process—The
Administrative; Educational and the Counselling Components.
Application of Adult Education methods (Andragogy) Individual vs. Group
Supervision;
iii. Field Integrative Seminars: Presentations by students on selected field
placement experiences.

SOWK3020: SOCIAL PLANNING AND PROJECT DESIGN
Students are introduced to the sequence of steps involved in social planning
and how such planning relates to social capital and human development.
Critical contemporary dimensions of social planning, namely participation,
gender and sustainability, are taken into account. Students address planning
on specific current social issues and practice toward acquiring some basic skill
in one form of social planning – designing a project proposal.

SOWK 3028: SOCIAL WORK IN SCHOOLS
This course will focus on the multidimensional issues and challenges facing
students and the administration within the educational system. The students
will be required to use their generalist knowledge base to develop
appropriate interventions to respond to the needs in this setting. Such
interventions will address the home/school/community dynamics, the need
for a multi-disciplinary team approach and advocacy, thus insuring the best
interest of the children in the school.

SOWK3030: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK: CASE WORK
This course is designed to sharpen the students’ competencies in working
with individuals, and families in agencies/institutions providing counseling,
treatment and/or rehabilitative services. The course will build on the
theoretical and practical foundations of Levels I and II. It will focus on
increasing knowledge and skills in both generalist and clinical social work
practice.

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