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Translating Ethnic-Racial Identity Theory and Research into Practice
EDU H618

Course Information

Description

*Lottery-based enrollment* Have you ever wondered how years of research and theory building get transformed into evidence-based curricula that can be implemented on a large scale? The current class provides a real-world example of how we can use basic developmental science and research to develop a curriculum designed to promote adolescents’ engagement in ethnic-racial identity development.

In this course, students will grow to understand how adolescents develop their ethnic-racial identities and the consequences this can have for their broader development and well-being. We explore questions such as: What is ethnic-racial identity (ERI)? What theories have informed our understanding of how this developmental process unfolds for young people? How do social spaces that youth inhabit regularly inform their ethnic-racial identity development? What do we know about the links between ERI and adjustment? How can adolescents’ ethnic-racial identity protect them against risk factors such as ethnic-racial discrimination?  What’s the mechanism by which ERI promotes positive youth development?

After building a strong theoretical and empirically informed foundation on this topic, we turn to examining the Identity Project curriculum, which was designed to intervene in adolescents’ ERI development in a school-based setting. We spend the latter part of the semester doing an in-depth examination of the Identity Project curriculum and an educator professional development program designed to prepare educators to implement the Identity Project in their classrooms. 

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 4
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Student Option (Letter Graded, Sat/Unsat)
Learning Goals 1. Be able to explain how the concept ethnic-racial identity is defined by developmental and social psychological theories. 2. Be able to use your understanding of ethnic-racial identity theories to predict how different facets of ethnic-racial identity may change over time and be associated with learners’ psychological and academic adjustment. 3. Be able to explain why ethnic-racial identity is a developmental competency that is important for all youth. 4. Be able to predict how family, peers, and schools (including teachers) will influence learners’ ERI development. 5. Be able to analyze a curriculum for alignment with developmental research and theory. 6. Be able to explain how the work to date with the Identity Project curriculum has followed the prevention research cycle, and what aspects of the prevention research cycle remain to be examined.
Career Focus This course is ideal for students interested in learning how to connect theory and research to practice, particularly in terms of understanding how theory and empirical research on young people’s ethnic-racial identity development can inform intervention program development, classroom curriculum, and support positive youth outcomes.