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Below are descriptions of my courses. You may access each syllabus by clicking on each course title. Austin College students, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at my AC email address. Note my proflisabrown@gmail.com address is meant for people outside of AC who happen upon this site.
Below are descriptions of my courses. You may access each syllabus by clicking on each course title. Austin College students, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at my AC email address. Note my proflisabrown@gmail.com address is meant for people outside of AC who happen upon this site.
The making of a legend, Austin College Magazine 2019. I was one of the faculty members featured.
Courses I Have Taught
FALL
FALL
Fall 2024
fulfills PPI and SS requirements
Fall 2024
fulfills PPI and SS requirements
taught every semester but last taught by me before my term as dean in Fall 2018
fulfills AW, QC, and SS requirements
taught every year but last taught by me Fall 2020
fulfills SS requirement
SPRING
SPRING
Spring 2022
fulfills PPI and SS requirements
last co-taught with Renee Countryman in Spring 2021
fulfills PPI and either NLS or SS requirements
Spring 2024
fulfills GLO and SS requirements
Study of the basic research techniques used in the scientific study of psychological processes. Extensive laboratory work includes application of inferential statistics to psychological data. Comparison of the strengths and weakness of various experimental, quasi-experimental, and qualitative research designs, with attention to ethical and theoretical issues as well as methodological ones. Involves completing a review of the literature in a defined area of psychology culminating with a detailed research proposal. Ensures that all students can adhere to standards outlined in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. PREQ: Psychology 101 and Psychology 120 or Social Science 120 or Mathematics 120 or equivalent. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Full Writing Competency, Advanced Writing Competency, Quantitative Competency (pre-Fall 2019), and Quantitative Competency (Fall 2019 & after). (Each fall and spring)
An examination of the relationship between humans and built, natural and virtual environments. The course explores topics such as environmental health and justice, planning and design, personal space, noise, crowding, and pro-environmental behavior. Students will have an opportunity to apply environmental psychology in community settings through needs assessment, research, and intervention. PREQ: Psychology 101. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. Cross-listed with Social Justice and Community Engagement 203. (Every other year)
New TMC design promotes healing atmosphere (KXII interviewed me about ways hospital design may improve the experiences of patients, visitors, and staff. My interview is no longer available, but for more information, check out this academic article.)
An examination of scientific theory and research concerning how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are affected by other individuals or by the group. The course investigates such topics as attraction, persuasion, and attitudes. PREQ: Psychology 101. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Typically each spring)
Friday the 13th Superstitions (KXII interviewed me about Friday the 13th, and I discussed ways our superstitious beliefs may stem from confirmation bias defined at this link)
An exploration of the relationship between psychological factors and physical health. Specific topics include stress and coping, seeking medical treatment, patient-practitioner interaction, adherence to medical advice, and health disparities. Students will have an opportunity to apply health psychology in community settings through needs assessment, research, and intervention. PREQ: Psychology 101. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Typically each fall)
An examination of biological, psychological, and social aspects of sexuality. Includes: methodologies to study human sexuality; sex-related anatomy and physiology; sex, gender and transgender; attraction, arousal and response; sexual behavior; sexual orientation; sexuality across the lifespan; sexual relationships; fertility, pregnancy and childbirth; contraception and abortion; sexually transmitted infections; atypical sexuality; sexual disorders; sexual assault, harassment and intimate partner violence; pornography, prostitution, exotic dancing and sex trafficking. PREQ: Psychology 101. Requirements met: Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality and either Social Sciences Breadth/Discover or Non-Lab Science Breadth/Discover. (Every other year)
An exploration of the ways in which different cultures lead people to vary in basic psychological processes. The course will particularly focus on collectivism and individualism. Topics include language development, moral reasoning, mental health, self-concept, and parenting styles. PREQ: Psychology 101 and Psychology 201. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Typically each spring)
An exploration of the ways in which different cultures lead people to vary in basic psychological processes. The course will particularly focus on collectivism and individualism. Topics include language development, moral reasoning, mental health, self-concept, and parenting styles. PREQ: Psychology 101 and Psychology 201. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Typically each spring)
A critical examination of a social psychological perspective of stigma (stigma being ways in which people experience others’ prejudice toward themselves). We investigate stigma based upon ethnicity, gender, religion, age, color, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other characteristics. We also investigate historical changes in the conceptualizations of stigma and prejudice. PREQ: Psychology 101, Psychology 201, and Psychology 240 (or instructor permission to bypass Psychology 240). Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Typically each fall)
Even though the US is often considered an ethnic melting pot, the vast majority of U.S. citizens establish long-term romantic relationships with someone of their own race or ethnicity. According to the U.S. Census roughly 94% of Black people and roughly 96% of White people in the US marry someone their own ethnicity. These numbers stand in striking contrast to television and movie portrayals in which interethnic relationships are relatively common and happen uneventfully (for example, on Grey’s Anatomy). Also, while pop culture often focusses on Black-White couples, the most common type of interethnic couple is Hispanic-White couples. In this course we will examine racial and ethnic portrayals in popular media, compare these images to demographic trends in the US, focus on discrepancies between the two, and discuss why these discrepancies exist and what purposes they may serve.
At Austin College faculty teach the first-year seminar roughly every four years. Students in that class become the professor's mentees, i.e., students for whom the professor provides academic advice about the graduation requirements. Below are pictures of students from my three cohorts of mentees when they were seniors (classes of 2010, 2015, and 2019 respectively). Note that there is a gap in my cohorts of mentees during my term as dean.
My Jan Term courses have included the following:
My Jan Term courses have included the following:
Tourism as Neocolonialism in Jamaica
Jamaica is often seen as a tropical paradise - a respite from the realities of modern life. This is the image promoted by the tourism industry. But what has the imposition of this image done to the lived experiences of the citizens of Jamaica? What impact has tourism had on the culture, economy, and local industries of Jamaica? We will investigate these issues during this Jan Term course. We will spend one week on campus learning information about the history, economy, and culture of Jamaica, viewing the documentary, Life and Debt, and preparing for our off-campus excursion. Then we will spend two weeks in Jamaica on a customized Reality Tour organized by Global Exchange. Our guide in Jamaica will be human rights lawyer, Tasha Rodney, Director of the Human Rights Unit in the Ministry of Justice.
Tourism as Neocolonialism in Jamaica
Jamaica is often seen as a tropical paradise - a respite from the realities of modern life. This is the image promoted by the tourism industry. But what has the imposition of this image done to the lived experiences of the citizens of Jamaica? What impact has tourism had on the culture, economy, and local industries of Jamaica? We will investigate these issues during this Jan Term course. We will spend one week on campus learning information about the history, economy, and culture of Jamaica, viewing the documentary, Life and Debt, and preparing for our off-campus excursion. Then we will spend two weeks in Jamaica on a customized Reality Tour organized by Global Exchange. Our guide in Jamaica will be human rights lawyer, Tasha Rodney, Director of the Human Rights Unit in the Ministry of Justice.
Social Change in Post-Apartheid South Africa
South Africa has gone from being excluded from the world stage because of its racist, Apartheid policies to being a country with tremendous expectations for full equality among its citizens through democracy. Can a place with such a difficult recent history live up to such weighty expectations so quickly - if at all, and if so, how? We will investigate these issues during this Jan Term course. We will spend one-week on campus learning information about the history, society, and culture of South Africa and preparing for our off-campus excursion. Then we will spend two weeks in South Africa on a customized Reality Tour organized by Global Exchange. Our guide will be Myesha Jenkins.
Multicultural Metroplex and Texoma
What is diversity? How, when and why did different ethnic groups generally arrive in the US? What is the multicultural approach? What is the colorblind approach? Do either of these approaches foster improved intergroup relations? If so, is it both of them or one of them? How does religious participation relate to ethnic diversity? We will address these and other issues in this class. We will particularly focus on ways in which particular groups of people settled in Texoma and the DFW Metroplex. What groups are overrepresented in this area versus which ones are underrepresented and why? The course will include general readings about ethnic groups in the US as well as multiple field trips relevant to our readings. It is my hope that we all come to better recognize, understand and appreciate multicultural diversity in the US, Texas, the Metroplex and Texoma so that we develop into better local, regional and global citizens for the world of today and the world of tomorrow.
Sports in Society
Sports are a more than $60 billion business per year in North America – more than the film industry and the music industry combined. This begs the question, why? What about sports is entertaining to so many people? First, perhaps we must address the questions what makes something entertaining? and what makes something a sport? This course will explore the role of sports in society. Are they a mirror of society or are they a microcosm of society? We will particularly focus on the intersection of sports with politics, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation. Additional topics to examine include: sports are entertaining to mass audiences because 1) there is something about skilled performance that people admire, and 2) they involve sensationalistic brutality and controversy that pique people’s interest.
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