HD 3320

Gender and Psychopathology

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2019-2020.

This course examines the ways in which sex and gender impact the expression of severe psychopathology. We will study biological, psychological, and cultural factors associated with sex and gender as they influence the epidemiology, phenomenology, etiology, diagnosis, and course of illness in major forms of psychopathology: specifically, schizophrenia, major affective illness, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders. We will also examine the complicated roles of race, class, sexuality, and gender identity as they relate to these conditions. These topics will be examined through the frameworks of psychological science and feminism in an attempt to understand the effects that gender and science have on one another and the ways in which they influence the understanding of mental illness.

When Offered Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: HD 3300 or PSYCH 3250.

• Students will learn how to examine research methodology to critically evaluate the methods and interpretation of empirical research on gender and psychopathology.
• Students will become familiar with the empirical literature on the influences of sex and gender in psychopathology. They will refine their ability to read and understand scientific research and to mindfully consume the literature of the field.
• Students will explore the ways in which gender, race, class, sexuality, and culture interact with one another to influence the expression, diagnosis, and prevalence of various forms of psychopathology.

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