Ascending to the Concrete

Abstract

This article describes learning in a human development class designed to enable counseling psychology students to hold a complex, sociocultural view of development. The class emphasizes student transformation from reductive, personalist thinking to thinking in terms of complexity and sociocultural processes. It valorizes moving from knowledge-based to inquiry-based and critical approaches. The account here looks at class materials and teaching approaches. It describes student difficulties with learning complex views and gives examples of student products that have been successful.