Student Learning Objects

The program abroad will provide students the opportunity to study the psychology of societal control in an environment that has experienced various waves of oppression, dating back to the Nazi period and going up through the Cold War division between East and West Berlin. The primary format of the course will be field research by teams of students (two to three in each team) where the field research is defined as a “knowledge hunt.” The knowledge hunts will be driven by a list of topics provided to students by their faculty leader.

This program will support these academic goals and objectives via program activities such as guided tours, relevant museum visits, exploring the current state of structures and establishments dating back to Soviet control, and cultural events that will help connect students to the contemporary societies that have resulted from their histories.

1—To broaden student’s multicultural experiences.
2—To provide exposure to social control as practiced in a real life laboratory
3—To foster teamwork and shared responsibility
4—To increase confidence operating in another cultural setting.

Course

PSYC 463: The Psychology of Social Control

On almost a daily basis we see incidents that involve attempted ethnic cleansing, terrorist attacks designed to destabilize political and social systems, and ideological battles for control of the minds and allegiances of individuals and populations.

This course will take place in Berlin, where ideologies clashed in violent and not so violent ways from World War II to the Cold War. This is an ideal environment to take an in-depth look at the psychology of social control.

During student’s time in Berlin, they will work in teams to investigate social control. The investigations will be built around “knowledge hunts.” Students will receive daily assignments for their knowledge hunt and then move throughout Berlin to track down information. For example, there is a monument to the Nazi book burning at Humboldt University. Students might investigate this event, asking questions such as why books were burned, which books were burned, which authors were targeted, what are the implications of restricting access to literature, what were the goals intended by the Nazi government, etc.

Students will regroup each evening at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Campus in Berlin to discuss what they discovered from their teams assignment, to look at the psychological implications of the events investigated, and to plan further to expand each team’s assignment.

While in Berlin, students will also have an opportunity to look at the contributions made by psychologist in Germany to the field. In particular, a day trip to Leipzig is planned to look at the pioneering work of Wilhelm Wundt.

Program Highlights

Students will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities (and more!):
- Guided visit to the Berlin Spy Museum, DDR Museum
- Cesky Krumlov castle museum and tower in Prague
- Guided Jan Palach Memorial and Velky Strahovsky Stadium tours in Prague
- Guest lecture at the U.S. Embassy in Prague