STMA 561 Psychospiritual Development: Young Chick or Rotten Egg?

Winter 2004, January 10th-11th & February 13th-15th, 2004, Seattle University

Lê Xuân Hy, PhD, Casey 320, 296-5395, HYL@seattleu.edu

With Patrick Howell, SJ, Robert Howard, PhD, Cecile Andrews, EdD, and Thao Nguyen, SJ

http://WebCT4.seattleu.edu & http://classes.seattleu.edu/theological_studies_graduate/stma561/hy/

Updated Jan 14, 04

 

Introduction. An egg is beautiful in many ways: color, shape, life, fragility, promise, etc. Yet its beauty cannot remain static: it will either crack the beautiful shell and become a beautiful chick, or rot. A chick differs from an egg not only physically but also in other ways, for instance, chicks interact together more than eggs do.

            This course deals with one of the most important, fascinating, and practical dimensions of our lives. Make it work for you. First, dream about how the course can work for you. Second, study closely what this syllabus proposes so that when you do it, you achieve the desirable goals. And third, feel free to suggest modifications to make the course work even better for you. I have already built in options, but you can even create your own.

            “Psycho-spiritual” is intertwined with other dimensions of development, such as biological, social, and ecological. The course will start with two of the best sets of theories in human development that psychology can offer. One is the psychodynamic tradition exemplified somewhat by Erikson’s Childhood and Society, which presents a bio-psycho-social system of meaning making, including his formulation of stages of development—one of the most well-known and respected developmental theories, and we get to the primary source here. The other is the cognitive-structural tradition embraced by Kegan, who tries to merge both traditions theoretically in his book The Evolving Self. The two traditions also come together in Loevinger’s empirical work Measuring Ego Development, of which I am a fortunate co-author.

            How to distinguish a solid theory from barrels—sounding good but empty, like most pop-psy books that dominate the psychology section in bookstores? One way is to see whether it works! That means having methods to collect data for analyses. One rich but confusing and distorted data is ourselves. Progoff’s At a Journal Workshop method suggests structured ways to extract those data for our own growth.

 

Goals. This course presents an integrated model of human growth and service, based on developmental theory in spirituality and psychology. We plan:

  • To review some major theories on human development as a context of spiritual development
  • To explore methods and data to see how theories work in real life
  • To reflect on the assumptions and limitations of theories, methods, and data
  • To grow in community through presentations, discussions, providing feedback, and receiving feedback.
  • To apply all of the above toward one’s own growth, and/or to improve a particular program to assist spiritual development.

 

The self plays multiple important roles in this course. It provides:

  • Energy. We examine our motivation, and tap its sources.
  • Both an identity and a direction implied in that identity.
  • A growth experiment, or testing ground for various theories of human development.
  • The seat of generativity, for us to serve and leave a legacy.

 

We need to venture beyond the self to enrich the self. We will investigate:

  • A structural model for growth in knowledge and personality, including theories, methods, data, assumptions, and community.
  • The best theories of development: Erik Erikson, Jane Loevinger, Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, James Fowler, Ignatius Loyola, & Robert Kegan.
  • Two of the best authors & speakers who live what they say: Patrick Howell & Cecile Andrews.
  • Plus an evocative journal method to excavate and integrate different parts of oneself.

 

Schedule. This is an ambitious task, which requires much work. Students need to do the following to prepare for the first class:

  • Complete a sentence completion test (SCT). It is available in three places: near the end of this syllabus, in the book by Hy & Loevinger, and at the class website http://classes.seattleu.edu/theological_studies_graduate/stma561/hy/. Notice that there are separate forms for women and men. There is no right or wrong answer, but it is important that you take the test before reading the manual.
  • After completing the SCT, read carefully chapters 1 and 2 in Hy & Loevinger. A quick preview of chapters 3 to 5 will also help. Then remember to bring that book to class so I can show you how to use the rating manual to rate your own SCT. It is a complicated task and requires the whole book. Since it is a manual, you will need your own copy in class on the first day.
  • Use Fowler’s Faith Development Interview Guide, (FDI) as a questionnaire to gather a broad range of data about oneself. It is also available from the class website, to save you some typing. Answer all questions in the Interview. 
  • Read Pat Howell’s A Spiritguide and submit questions on the first day of class. Fr. Howell will be with us on the second day of class to answer your questions.
  • Preview other books. We will read carefully all of Kegan’s book. In Erikson’s, we will cover only chapters 1, 3, 4, and 7. I will guide you through sections of Progoff’s journal workshop, though you are not required to read or own that book.
  • Find a picture of yourself as a child and bring it to class.

 

Please submit your SCT and FDI by email to HYL@seattleu.edu (preferred), or by hard copy after January 1, 2004 and BEFORE the first class (or at 9 am on Jan 10th). These two are essential tools to start the journey. They count for 10% of the course grade, which depends on the completeness of the answers to the SDI. There are no right or wrong answers.

 

During the first two days of classes, January 10 and 11, we will have an overview of the major theories mentioned above. More about the schedule will be discussed in January.

Grading and Attendance: The purpose of grading is four-fold: 1) to help you learn the material; 2) to evaluate your learning; 3) to add incentive to your learning; and 4) to comply with the university's requirement. The final grade depends on the following components:

·       The depth of your answers to the FDI. You might want to share this with others in class, so please disguise confidential information, particularly when you mention other people; 10% of course grade.

·       Since we work together as a community, your on-time submissions of writings (including the SCT) and your in-class presence are important; 10%.

·       In addition, your participation both in class and outside of class (feedback to others; more will be said in class); 20%.

·       Your first paper and presentation in class during February; 30%.

·       Your final paper by final exam week; 30%.

Papers. One of the engines for growth is your papers. The first paper and the final paper form unit. As mentioned above, it draws from all theories, data, and sources, to deepen the understanding of oneself, to lead to generativity and serving others. The SCT and the FDI become appendices.

 

The first paper is actually a collection of several components:

  • Your psycho-spiritual autobiography at three different stages: childhood, present, and future. You write this for yourself, using your preferred format (prose, diagrams, outlines, pictures, other ways, or a combination) and decide on your own length. It does not have to be neat. Fragments and ketches are welcomed, though typed text is easier for me to read. The main purpose is to apply all theories you have learned in this and other classes to understand the energy at three different periods in your life.
  • In addition to using your own life data to understand the theories and to understand yourself, you should add data from a spiritually well-developed person, possibly a role model, someone you can learn much from. The best kind of data for our purpose is an autobiography. Second best would be her of his writing about any topic in conjunction with a good biography. If the person is available, you can also add interviews. Use the theoretical lens you have learned from Kegan or other sources to select, focus, and organize the data. Then comment on the utility of the theories, and last but not least, what you learn through this process. Different students can pick the same person to study. Since we only have limited time, we expect limited data and limited analyses.
  • Alternatively, instead of examining a person, you can examine one aspect or phase in psycho-spiritual development that you are most concerned about and can help you the most. For example, you might have concerns about, or are working with, a youth group in which sexuality is a main concern (see E. Whitehead & J. Whitehead, A Sense of Sexuality, Crossroad, 1989). Another example is some feminine side of spiritual development—characteristics of religions led by women (S. Sered, Priestess, Mother, Sacred Sister, Oxford U Press, 1994), the influence of women on the development of male spiritual leaders, spiritual characteristics of women’s poetry (J. Hirshfield, Ed., Women in Praise of the Sacred, HarperCollins, 1994), traits in ancient stories about goddesses (M. Stone, Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood, Beacon Press, 1990), traits in women’s spiritual writings (S. Anderson, Ed., Heaven’s Face Thinly Veiled, Shambhala, 1998), and so on. If your interest is the Bible, you can take one aspect to focus on, such as the importance of honor on people’s self perception and development (such as J. Neyrey, SJ, Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew, Westminster John Knox Press, 1998). Find a topic of great importance for you and work on it, with the assistance from the rest of the class. In the paper, examine theories, methods, data, and assumptions—more will be said in class about each of the components. You can work in teams of up to three people each, but each person needs to write his or her own paper.

 

The second paper is your own integration based on all works so far including your initial autobiography, your review of theories, your study of a highly developed person, your work on one special & most relevant topic of development, your Progoff journal data, what you learn from classmates through their works and through class presentations and discussions, all reflections, and anything else you got. The paper does not end with your formulation, but it goes to the community (i.e., our class) for feedback and affirmation, and then back to you for another integration: you receive written feedback from two other students in the class (you provide feedback to two students), and you write your response to the feedback. The feedback should include both appreciation and questions, because both can promote growth. It is an important skill to provide feedback for others’ growth. Then you add an appendix to your paper on the summary of the two feedbacks and your responses to them. One excellent way to focus and channel the paper is toward a creative project to be shared in a certain community (a publication, a letter to the editor, an art work for public display, some improvement of your current public service, etc.) as discussed in class.

 

Texts: Erikson, E. (1950/1963). Childhood and Society. ISBN: 039331068X

Howell, P. (1996). A Spiritguide. Sheed & Ward. ISBN 1-55612-818-5

Hy, L. & Loevinger, J. (1996). Measuring Ego Development. Erlbaum. (One copy on reserve.) ISBN 0-8058-2060-4

Kegan, R. (1982). The Evolving Self. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-27231-5

Progoff, I. (1992). At a Journal Workshop. ISBN: 0874776384 (Optional)

Additional readings from Piaget, Fowler, and others to be assigned, plus appropriate texts for your topic.

 

Appendices: The Sentence Complete Test & The Faith Development Interview Guide

 

Sentence completion test for WOMEN. Complete the following sentences:

 

  1. When a child will not join in group activities –
  2. Raising a family –
  3. When I am criticized –
  4. A man’s job –
  5. Being with other people –
  6. The thing I like about myself is –
  7. My mother and I –
  8. What gets me into trouble is –
  9. Education –
  10. When people are helpless –
  11. Women are lucky because –
  12. A good father –
  13. A girl has a right to –
  14. When they talked about sex, I –
  15. A wife should –
  16. I feel sorry –
  17. A man feels good when –
  18. Rules are –
  19. Crime and delinquency could be halted if –
  20. Men are lucky because –
  21. I just can’t stand people who –
  22. At times she worried about –
  23. I am –
  24. A woman feels good when –
  25. My main problem is –
  26. A husband has the right to –
  27. The worst thing about being a woman –
  28. A good mother –
  29. When I am with a  man –
  30. Sometimes she wished that –
  31. My father –
  32. If I can’t get what I want –
  33. Usually she felt that sex –
  34. For a woman a career is –
  35. My conscience bothers me if –
  36. A woman should always –

Sentence completion test for MEN. Complete the following sentences:

 

  1. When a child will not join in group activities –
  2. Raising a family –
  3. When I am criticized –
  4. A man’s job –
  5. Being with other people –
  6. The thing I like about myself is –
  7. My mother and I –
  8. What gets me into trouble is –
  9. Education –
  10. When people are helpless –
  11. Women are lucky because –
  12. A good father –
  13. A girl has a right to –
  14. When they talked about sex, I –
  15. A wife should –
  16. I feel sorry –
  17. A man feels good when –
  18. Rules are –
  19. Crime and delinquency could be halted if –
  20. Men are lucky because –
  21. I just can’t stand people who –
  22. At times he worried about –
  23. I am –
  24. A woman feels good when –
  25. My main problem is –
  26. A husband has the right to –
  27. The worst thing about being a man –
  28. A good mother –
  29. When I am with a  woman –
  30. Sometimes he wished that –
  31. My father –
  32. If I can’t get what I want –
  33. Usually he felt that sex –
  34. For a woman a career is –
  35. My conscience bothers me if –
  36. A man should always –

FAITH DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEW GUIDE This is part of Appendix A in James W. Fowler’s Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, 1981.

 

Part I: Life Review
1. Factual Data: Date and place of birth? Number and ages of siblings? Occupation of providing parent or