With the greatest respect to Gerald, I would like to suggest that we not
push the "teachable moment" too much with this topic at this time. At the
very moment that I learned of the planes crashing into the World Trade
Center, I was reviewing what I planned to cover in my 11:00 Abnormal
Psychology Class (FYI, I am in the Eastern Time Zone). The topic was stress
and coping strategies. My initial reaction was to use the developing
situation as the basis for the class and as a possible test question on the
study guide I was going to hand out that day. Fortunately, our college
cancelled classes for the rest of that day. Before the class met on
Thursday, I had realized that by turning the tragedy into a class lecture I
would have been forcing my own coping style onto all of my students, some of
whom are bound to have different ways of coping. I did select the material
to cover from the chapter on Thursday with an eye toward relevance to the
situation, but I kept my mention of that relevance very brief. I kept a
modified version of the question that I had added to there study guide.
That modification made the same point that I am trying to make here. That
for some people, the process of objectively thinking through the tragedy as
an example of a psychological principle or phenomena would be helpful both
emotionally and as a learning experience. For others trying to go through
that process would be too painful and that they probably would not be able
to benefit from even the academic part of the exercise. I also told them
that whether or not they should attempt to apply the material in their text
to the tragedy would depend on a combination of their general coping style
and how personally involved they were. Finally, I assured them that I would
think no more or no less of anyone based on their decision.
Now I am not suggesting that we never take advantage of the many teaching
opportunities that can be derived from these events. Nor am I suggesting
that we avoid making the connections for students who do want to know. We
will have many years to explore these opportunities before one of those
lists Nancy hates tells us that it would be meaningless to ask the current
crop of traditional-aged students "Where were you on September 11, 2001?"
But for now, while we are all still in the early stages of dealing with
these horrible events ourselves, I believe we should be extremely cautious
in how and how much we dwell on this in our classes.
Ann Calhoun-Sauls
Belmont Abbey College
-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald Peterson
To: tips
Sent: 9/15/01 3:58 PM
Subject: opportunities for learning/teaching
The tragic events still unfolding will present valuable
opportunities
for classroom instruction. Perhaps tipsters might explore possible
class activities. I mentioned earlier the "seeing of satan" in the
smoke as an opportunity to teach, discuss research on perceptual set,
expectation, the driving role of fear, etc. I am sure there are some
valuable activities that can be developed to discuss prejudices and
stereotype formation/maintenance, and the power of cultural
belief-systems. In this regard, I found it interesting that Osama Bin
Laden is revered as someone who is fighting against the secularization
and cultural intrusion brought by capitalistic cultures such as the U.S.
while our own Revs. Falwell and Robertson apparently see the evil as
also one of cultural threat from the secularization of society, and (an
openness to)those with different beliefs, values, cultural practices,
etc. I am sure we all can benefit from a better study of cultural
differences and the extremism possible from such ideologies. The
formation of attitudes, belief, and ideologies can be examined in social
psych and cultural psych classes. Some simple discussion of how
cultural experiences and conflicts might underly the formation of
implicit or explicit prejudices may prove valuable here. The role of
learning principles, and the role of both neurobiological and social
factors in the development of fears/phobias surrounding recent events
may stimulate other class activities and discussion of relevant
psychological research. At the same time, the continuing saga will
provide opportunities for interesting research and scholarly study, as
well as chances to promote respect for different peoples immersed in
different cultural frameworks. My point is simply to ask tipsters to
share activities that are found to serve the aims of teaching
psychology. Gary Peterson
