Course Syllabus

Psychology of Endings

 

Semester & Location:	Fall 2019 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Psychology
Faculty Members:	Anna Sircova, PhD: anna.sircova@dis.dk
Program Director:	Lars Rossen: lro@dis.dk
Program Assistant:	Jennifer Finkelstein: jfi@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Monday & Thursday 10.05-11.25, N7-C23

  

Description of Course

The endings of important life events and relationships are often difficult to enact and troubling to experience. This course visits theory, research, and real world settings that address when and why individuals are tested by endings, how we and health professionals respond to common life endings, and what an ending might tell us about the nature of what has ended. We will study endings such as those of key life’s stages, personal relationships, social roles (e.g., role changes such as becoming a parent or retiring after a long career) and interactions (e.g., saying good bye at a party), psychotherapy, and life itself. We will therefore look at the psychological forces (e.g., personal skills, personality traits, social-situational constraints, and emotional concerns) that influence the quality or character of endings. How do we experience endings and things ended after their endings have occurred? Why do persons frequently find it so difficult to consider, accomplish, or manage endings? What makes an ending a good or poor one? What characteristics of endings make particular 

endings more or less similar? What do the psychological dynamics of endings tell us about the general psychological character of that which is being ended? In other words, what can we learn about the general psychological features of relationships, social interaction, psychotherapy, and the living of lives from a study of their endings? 

Furthermore, we will consider how we can use what we learn to help ourselves and others meet the challenges of ending. We will consider cultural differences and similarities in how endings are experienced and addressed from US/Danish/European perspectives, and integrate art in the form of paintings, music and poetry in the class room. 

 

Learning Objectives

Students in this class will: 

• Recognize how common and significant endings are in our lives and learn what counseling and clinical literatures as well as social psychology can teach us about those endings. 
• Read psychological theory and research on the study of social interaction, romantic relationship, role, therapy, and other endings and on adaptation to loss, responses to mortality, and the challenges of finding meaning in life. 
• Understand a common structural psychological framework for endings as well as develop a sensitivity to how endings fundamentally differ. 
• Apply their understanding to help address the difficulties often associated with endings in life. 
• Consider important cultural differences and similarities in how endings are experienced and addressed. 
• Appreciate how psychological science can contribute to professional practice and social services and how professional practice, in turn, can inform science. 
• Leave with a deeper and more nuanced conceptual understanding of the endings they have already encountered and a greater preparation for the endings they will encounter in their near future. 

Faculty

Anna Sircova, PhD in Psychology (Moscow City University of Psychology and Education, Russia, 2008). M.A. in clinical psychology (2000-2004, Moscow State University), post-doc at Umeå University, Sweden (2009-2012). Founder and Head of the Board at Time Perspective Network (2006 - present) and supervisor of BA, MA and PhD students. Owner of Creative Time Studio,  Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research interests are within psychological time (both of individual and of a group), futurization, cultures, design thinking, creativity, complex systems and social simulations. With DIS since 2014.

Readings

Required Textbooks:

• Ebaugh, H. R. F. (1988). Becoming an Ex: The process of role exit. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Lawrence-Lightfoot, S. (2012). Exit: The endings that set us free. New York: Macmillan.

Articles and Other Media on Canvas:

•  Silent History: Coming Out to a Turkish Mother, New York Times, June 21, 2015

• Albert, S., & Kessler, S. (1978). Ending social encounters. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 14, 541-553.

• Arum, Richard and Roska, Josipa (2014). Aspiring Adults Adrift, 83-114.

• Bochner, S. (2003). Culture Shock Due to Contact with Unfamiliar Cultures. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 8(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1073
  

• Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience. American Psychologist, 59, 1, 20-28

• Boss, P. (2006). Loss & Coping, xvii-22.

• Ersner-Hershfield, H., Mikels, J. A., Sullivan, S. J., & Carstensen, L. L. (2008). Poignancy: Mixed emotional experience in the face of meaningful endings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 1, 158-167.

• Gawande, Atul (2014) Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, 191-230.

• Goffman, E. (1971). Relations in Public, 62-94

• Fromm, E. (2000). The art of loving: The centennial edition. A&C Black.

• Hill, Melissa. For a Broken Heart, Take Tylenol. New York Times, June 5, 2016

• Howe, L.C., & Dweck, C. (2015) Changes in self-definition impede recovery from rejection. Personality and Social Psychiatry Bulletin Vol. 42 (1), 54-71.

• Kurtz, J. L. (2008) Looking to the future to appreciate the present. Psychological Science, 1238-1241.

• Lutsky, Neil (2015) Neil Lutsky’s Notes from India #13 and 16

• Rusbult, C. E., Agnew, C., & Arriaga, X. (2011). The investment model of commitment processes. Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications, Paper 26, 1-33.

• Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books. (pp.143-179).
  

• Sbarra, D.A., Smith, H.L., & Mehl, M.R. (2012) When leaving your ex, love yourself. Psychological Science, 261-269.

• Spielmann, S.S., MacDonald, G., Joel, S., & Impett, E.A. (2015) Longing for ex-partners out of fear of being single. Journal of Personality, 1-10

• Strube, M. J. (1988). The decision to leave an abusive relationship: Empirical evidence and theoretical issues. Psychological Bulletin, 104, 236-250'

• Weber, A. L., Harvey, J. H., & Stanley, M. A. (1987). The nature and motivations of accounts for failed relationships. In R. Burnett, P. McGhee, & D. Clarke (Eds.), Accounting for Relationships, 114-133. 
  
  

In addition to the readings, there are links to videos, poems and short texts relevant for each class, for example:

• R.E.M. (1987) Its the end of the World as we know it (and I feel fine) from the album Murmur

• De Montaigne, M. (1580) That To Study Philosophy is Learning to Die. Essays Vol I

• Ibsen, H. (1879) A Doll House (p 41-45)

• Celan, P. (1948) Todesfuge/Death Fuge.

 

Preludes

For many of our classes you will be asked to Watch, Read and Listen. You are required to read the poem, play or article, listen to the sound bite or watch the video, and think about how this relates to the topic of the day.

We will begin our classes with a short discussion of the pieces in order get us all in the right mindset to engage in the psychology of endings and the many expressions and situations that relate to endings. Please also think about related poems, pieces of music, paintings or other cultural expressions that might helps us understand the meaning of endings in our lives.

Example:

• R.E.M. (1987) Its the end of the World as we know it (and I feel fine) from the album Murmur

• De Montaigne, M. (1580) That To Study Philosophy is Learning to Die. Essays Vol I

• Ibsen, H. (1879) A Doll House (p 41-45)

• Celan, P. (1948) Todesfuge/Death Fuge.

 

Field Studies

The Psychology of Endings is about real life events and experiences as well as cultural and artistic expressions. Thus, in our field studies we will meet with people the critical issue of having to end their stay in their home country and having migrated to Denmark. We will also engage ourselves in recognizing and translating endings of various epochs. This leads us to the discussion of whether periods and era really ends or rather develop and transform, carrying reminiscences of the past forever into the future?

 History and endings - a grave yard tour with Peter Hyldekjær

Dealing with endings in a creative way - visit to the Creative Time Studio

 

 

Guest Lecturers

 

Peter Hyldekjaer, former DIS Head Librarian 

Peter will give a talk on how to end a career and realize you don't know how to live the rest of your life. A story about identity loss, loss of function and reinvention of the self. One life form ends and a new one begins when we retire.

Ragnhild Shanina Leinum

Shanina is the founder of Circling Denmark, Certified Integral Circling Facilitator from The Integral Center, Boulder, Colorado. Shanina is from Stavanger, Norway. She will share a story connected to her family about an abrupt ending of life, taboos connected to it, and how to go about being loyal to the family, but also true to oneself.

Approach to Teaching

My overall philosophy can be summarized by the following quote: “Concepts can never be presented to me merely, they must be knitted into the structure of my being, and this can only be done through my own activity” (Follett, M.P. Creative Experience, 1930, p.151). Thus, this quote indicates that the only way to understand any theory is by doing. Only thinking, theorizing or, talking about it will not get you there.

I invite you to use the course as an open idea lab and an opportunity for experimentation. Use this opportunity to get better at something that you really want to understand concerning time. Follow your passion. Try things out, maybe fail and move forward.

I believe in dialogue and thus my main aim is to create the conditions for fruitful and creative co-learning experience, where we will reflect and share our experiences and ideas with others. In our course, we will be co-creating the course reality, so I expect you to be 100% responsible for your active presence and participation in the course.

I value independent thinking, double-checking the facts before formulating an argument, zooming out and seeing the bigger picture, creativity and genuine curiosity.

I am interested in many perspectives and will include a variety of material in our sessions, such as (but not limited to): short videos and movies, book excerpts, cartoons, photography projects, etc., which can provide a different view on the same problem. In a way, our journey through the course material will be like reading Milorad Pavic’s book “Dictionary of the Khazars” (1984). If you haven’t read it, I warmly recommend it. It powerfully illustrates how one event can create three different interpretations and subsequent realities. It is also an illustration of how our mind works when we learn something.

In my class, you will be expected to move beyond an opinion by supporting your view with what you can argue for based on the available course material, observations, experiments etc. By doing so we will learn how to respectfully construct and defend an argument and to recognize when a belief has become indefensible.

If at some point you think, “Why do we need this?” I appeal to C. Levi-Strauss who studied myths among many other things; “Myth or any other ancient text is an answer to questions that we haven’t asked yet. When we will ask the question, we will understand the answer” (as cited in Petukhov, 1997). Hopefully, in our joint journey we will find those questions to which we are getting the answers.

The syllabus is our plan, but as it normally is in life “we need a plan so that we can deviate from it”. I would be interested to know what are your specific interests connected to the field and I will do my best to incorporate those into the course canvas. Do not hesitate to propose something at any time!

Looking forward to meeting you in person and starting our journey!

 

Expectations of the Students

As a student your are expected to participate actively during class and field studies. Apart from asking questions, participating in discussions and offering critical reflections on the topics, students are expected to consider how their contributions affect the overall work climate in class

Be punctual for class and field studies.

Show respect for and attempt to understand other people’s viewpoints and experiences, whether this be other students or guest lecturers and people encountered on field studies

Attendance: mandatory, except for serious illness or participation in religious holidays. 

 

Evaluation

Evaluation will be based on active participation in the class and showing personal investment in activities as well as during presentations. Critical academic reflection is highly valued both in class, where there will be a number of open questions, group work assignments and short presentations, as well as in your written work.

In order to be allegeable for grades above a B+ you are expected to exceed what is required, ie. analyzing cases from multiple angles, critically utilizing and discussing research, pointing out problems and contradictions in theory and practice at a high academic level, that goes beyond mere reproduction and reiteration. Thus creativity and independent thinking in combination with fundamental academic expertise is rewarded.

I expect, when required by the written assignment, that all statements and claims are supported by academic references.

 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Attendance and participation in class discussions and discussions on Canvas	20 %
Responses to Course Reading Questions and Answers	40 %
Major Team Presentation and Paper on a Selected Course Topic	40 %

Attendance and Participation (20%)

Active participation and engagement in classes, field studies and guest lectures are important because they show that you are taking responsibility for your own learning. It also demonstrates that you are keeping up with the readings and understanding the theoretical perspectives discussed in class. It is imperative that you show development in your knowledge and grasp of psychological theory and research relating to Psychology of Endings, as well as improvement in your reflection and analytical skills during the course. 

Active participation and engagement includes asking questions related to readings and material presented in the class and taking part in discussions and case analysis. The grading of this course component will also include evaluation of teamwork when it occurs in class. Attendance is mandatory. 

 

Course reading questions and answers 40%

Each student will be expected to submit a thoughtful, typed response of about 1 to 1 ½ pages to the question posted on Canvas about that previous reading and class discussion regarding the previous theme/block. See Rubric for further guidelines. 

Your paper must have at least one academic reference from the syllabus and at least one which is not on the syllabus.

 

Team Presentation and Research Paper: Constructing Good Endings (20% and 20%) 

• Student teams will be expected to present on a particular topic of endings which we have studied and to explore this topic in more depth and to generate recommendations for what would constitute a good ending for this selected experience. 
• Student teams will also submit an 8 page paper detailing their scholarly research and their recommendations for constructing a “good ending.” 

 

General formatting guidelines 

All written assignments must apply these formats: 

- double-spaced 

- Times New Roman 

- 12-point font 

- 1-inch margins. 

- Front-page/headline and reference list does not count towards sum 

Papers not adhering to these guidelines will be deducted points. 

Disability and Resource Statement  

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

Policy on late papers: Late papers will not be accepted. 

Policy for students who arrive late to class: Coming in late will affect your participation grade.

Use of laptops or phones in class: Students, who use their laptop for reasons not related to class, will have their class participation grade reduced significantly. Use of telephone is not allowed outside of breaks. For some lessons, laptop use may be banned completely.