About this blog

Welcome to the India Interim 2018 blog, a record of the study/travel experiences of 21 St. Olaf College psychology students during the month of January. This course examines childhood, adolescence, and family life in India today. Topics include: 

• the status of girls and women in modern India
• the impact of India’s surging population growth, rapid economic change, and globalization on the development of self-concept, relationships, education, well-being/stress, and expectations about adulthood
• how the work being done by Indian psychologists, social workers, and other helping professionals is influenced by this religiously and linguistically diverse nation’s unique history and culture  
  

The month of study/travel provides daily opportunities to consider what we can learn about ourselves by studying these issues in this important South Asian nation. Much of our reading will be from research in developmental and cross-cultural psychology. We will supplement these sources with guest lectures, memoirs, works of fiction, and our own observations and experiences in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Pondicherry) and Karnataka (Bangalore) and the north Indian cities of Delhi and Agra. 

Each week, a different team of students will post at least two updates. We hope you enjoy and learn from our reflections!