Study Tour to China and Cambodia
03/15/2013
Professors Elizabeth Cain and Yan Wang co-taught a Study Tour course in the Fall 2012 semester exploring the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of children in three different cultures: Chinese, Cambodian, and American. During the Fall semester, the class analyzed micro level factors shaping childhood development including family, friends, schools, neighborhoods, religious beliefs, and extra-curricular activities such as sports and the arts. The class also explored the larger context of cultural differences, by looking beyond their own culture and using the expanded worldview to reflect on norms, and other macro systems that produce more subtle cultural assumptions. The course culminated in a 16 day Study Tour of China and Cambodia in January, 2013. The two faculty and nine students visited 11 schools and explored a variety of settings. Systematic observational research methods were used to compare and reflect on child development in these settings. Upon their return, the class reported their findings at a well attended presentation on campus in February.