Internship and attendance at conferences for new course proposal, The Birth of Psychology

Internship and attendance at conferences for new course proposal, The Birth of Psychology

Grant:
Lecturers' Professional Development Fund (LPDF)
Academic Year:
2013 - 2014 (June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014)
Funding Requested:
$2,000.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
vdisch
Overview of the Project:
I am proposing a new course for the German Department called The Birth of Psychology. It will explore some of the origins of the discipline of psychology in German philosophies. It will expose German students to some classic texts and discuss topics related to some of psychology's major questions, including perspectives on "the unconscious" and how it contributes to neuroses and to therapeutic processes, as well as to modern developments in the interplay between philosophy, medicine and various psychological methods. To develop curriculum for this course next summer, I would like to observe treatment sessions at a clinic to expose myself to a variety of relevant practices used today in the German-speaking world. Afterward, I would like to attend the 26th International Congress of Individual Psychology in Paris: "Precarity, Conflicts, Violence, a challenge to the Healing and Training processes". I will also attend the 2nd Conference of the International Society for Psychology as the Discipline of Interiority in Berlin: "The Psychological Difference", where I will learn about some of the latest discussions on psychology in a philosophical context. After these experiences, I will be better able to tie together historical and modern trends of thought in my course, working to define what psychology has become. This will raise important questions for students in their self-identity and in their education. It will also be valuable for the maintenance of my professional German skills to spend quality time in Germany, soaking up the language and culture.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:

The objectives of the project: to look at some modern applications of psychological treatment methods in the German-speaking world; to explore the roots of various psychological theories and how these have evolved in the past century to serve clients/patients in our time, complementing developments in neuroscience; to gain relevant German skills.

Project Achievements:

I visited the Hegel Haus Museum in Stuttgart. I observed patient counseling and consultation sessions at the Paracelcus Clinic in St. Gallen, Switzerland as well as at the welfare/social security office of the city of Bern, and worked with staff to process my observations. I attended 2 international conferences: the International Congress of Individual Psychology July 10-13, that discussed existential questions and mental-health related issues in various countries, and from July 19-21 the International Society of Psychology as the Discipline of Interiority, that looks to the philosophies/ideas of Hegel, Heidegger and Nietzsche to re-define the discipline of psychology in our era as one that observes the teleology of suffering and other internal phenomena but will not seek justification for them. This last conference in particular opened up a whole new set of ideas for me that has expanded my view of previous psychological debates. We have many students of German who are also studying psychology who will benefit greatly from exploring this field and its origins in original language. At the moment there is no such course in the German Department.

Continuation:
Yes, I will continue to research and to determine the best way to present the material. The course, The Birth of Psychology, will continue to take shape as new developments in the field change their relationship to the original establishment of psychology as a discipline and to timeless questions.
Dissemination:
I will discuss my findings in sharing discussions with colleagues. I will also guest speak on this topic in various German courses.
PRINTER VERSION
SEND BY EMAIL