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The Psychologically Literate Citizen
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The Psychologically
Literate Citizen

foundations and global Perspectives

EDITED BY

Jacquelyn Cranney

dana s. dunn

1
1
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press, Inc.

______________________________________________________________

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The psychologically literate citizen : foundations and global perspectives /


edited by Jacquelyn Cranney, Dana S. Dunn.
â•… p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-19-979494-2 (hardcover) 1. Psychology—Study and teaching
(Higher) 2. Psychology. I. Cranney, Jacquelyn. II. Dunn, Dana.
BF77.P758 2011
150.71—dc22 2010053151

______________________________________________________________
1╇ 2╇ 3╇ 4╇ 5╇ 6╇ 7╇ 8╇ 9
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
We dedicate this volume to the participants of the “Blueprint” project,
and to undergraduate psychology students across
the world—may the future be yours.
This page intentionally left blank
F o r e wo r d

The P ro m i s e a n d P e r ils o f T h i n k i n g
L i k e a P s y ch ol og i s t

How wonderful it is to have a volume on the newly emerging construct of psycho-


logical literacy. Psychological literacy often starts in the first course in psychology.
Introductory Psychology is one of the most popular courses in many universities,
and psychology, for many years, has been among the most popular undergraduate
majors. If students are going to learn about psychology, why not use it? Why not
learn more than just the facts of psychology, but also how to think like a psycholo-
gist? In this foreword, I discuss five major challenges of psychological literacy with
which we all need to reckon.

1. When Today’s Psychological Literacy Is


Tomorrow’s Psychological Illiteracy

I came of age as an undergraduate in the waning days of behaviorism, but B. F. Skinner


and his cohort were still extremely influential in education and even childrearing.
The influence was not merely metaphorical: one year I studied English grammar
using a text that was based on Skinnerian learning principles. Although John Watson’s
claim that he could transform any child into any type of adult he wanted was not
taken wholly seriously, many behavioral (and other) psychologists believed in the
almost unlimited power of the environment to shape behavior. Well, that was only
my first semester of intro psych. My second semester was a largely Freudian intro-
duction to clinical psychology. My professor put us into a large T-group and, when no
one started speaking, he said, “You expect me to be the penis of the group.” That com-
ment did, indeed, get the discussion going.
Many of the views—Skinnerian, Freudian, or whatever—that would have con-
stituted psychological literacy then would be considered rather quaint today. Alfred
Hitchcock’s Spellbound, for example, was based on Freudian notions of psychology,
as were countless other movies of an earlier era. Many of Woody Allen’s films
would be impossible to understand without understanding Freud. In the humani-
ties, Freud still plays a dominant role in certain literary criticism, and countless
viii Foreword

intimate relationships no doubt have been analyzed in terms of Freud’s concepts of


the oral, anal, and Oedipus complexes. But going around spouting Skinner or
Freud does not have the same cachet in psychology that it once had.
So one danger is that today’s psychological literacy will be tomorrow’s psycho-
logical illiteracy. We may find that our use of psychological concepts in our daily
life will, at some future time, appear to be quaint at best, and misguided at worst.
Thankfully, the conceptualization of psychological literacy includes the critical
importance of life-long learning (see, for example, the chapters by Cranney and
colleagues, and Cranney & Morris), so ideally those who receive a quality under-
graduate education in psychology will have the mindset of periodically checking
on the currency of the psychological principles they learned during their under-
graduate years.

2. The Risks of Over-analysis

Anyone who plays golf or tennis knows that there are few better ways to make bad
shots than to think carefully and reflectively as one is making a shot. Analyzing
the shot as one makes it destroys the shot. The danger of psychology is that one
can over-analyze one’s life and the lives of others.
Many years ago, I was at a conference and found myself in a curious informal
dispute with a colleague. He was a developmental psychologist and said that he
and his wife, also a developmental psychologist, religiously applied what they
knew about developmental psychology to raising their children. He thought, in
particular, that their children could have an edge in school over other children if
the parents used their knowledge to push the children along at an accelerated pace
through the stages of cognitive development. He believed in the Piagetian stages,
but not in the idea that the ages at which children arrive at them are fixed. I said
that I sometimes applied the ideas, but was reluctant to use psychology in a highly
prescriptive way to rush along my children’s cognitive development.
I don’t know what ultimately happened to his children or to him. But I do think
there are advantages to joy and spontaneity in life that can be lost if one applies
one’s psychology too determinedly to one’s life. Indeed, in one of our studies of
love and close relationships (Sternberg, Hojjat, & Barnes, 2001), we found that a
lover’s story of a loving relationship in which scientific analysis of the relationship
is at the forefront of the relationship is not associated with satisfaction and suc-
cess. Green and colleagues’ chapter on positive psychology and psychological lit-
eracy argues for the integration of the science of positive psychology into
education; any psychologically literate graduate should appreciate the benefits of
creativity and spontaneity in everyday life.

3. Beyond Knowledge Base

The first semester of introductory psychology was a rough experience for me. When
I took it, in 1968, it was taught in a way that emphasized factual recall. The tests we
received were basically assessments of our factual recall. I received a C in the course
Foreword ix

and the professor informed me that there was one famous Sternberg in psychology
and that there was unlikely to be another. Thirty-five years later I was president of
the American Psychological Association and commented to my predecessor, Phil
Zimbardo, that it was ironic that the president of APA received a C in intro; he told
me that he, too, had gotten a C. Ironically, perhaps, the professor who gave me the
C was the chair of the search committee that later hired me to return to Yale, and
became one of the most valuable colleagues I ever had.
I would like to think that the teaching of psychology has changed greatly since
1968–69. Certainly, the content of the course has changed greatly. But from my
experience, the teaching methods used are extremely variable across professors
and institutions. There are some faculty members who teach it in a way that
inspires reflective thinking, and there are others who teach it for memorization of
“facts,” many of which, as I said earlier, will quickly become out of date. It is impor-
tant to teach psychological literacy in our courses because that is what most will
stay with our students, not knowledge of picky facts. One needs knowledge to
think reflectively, but rote memorization often leads to an inert knowledge base
upon which one is unable to draw to think reflectively. The chapters by McGovern
and Bernstein in this volume speak to the need for psychology educators to be
role models for psychologically literate citizenship, which would also include
taking on the approach of scientist-educator, thus acknowledging the literature on
the importance of student engagement and the effectiveness of active learning.

4. The Importance of Analytical, Creative,


Practical, and Wise Thinking

It is tempting to measure outcomes in terms of tests of so-called critical thinking.


A recent book, Academically Adrift (Arum & Roksa, 2011), concludes that students
learn virtually nothing in college solely on the basis of test results from a test of
critical thinking, the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), that is closely akin to
the SAT. But there are important outcomes of college, in general, and of the study of
psychology, in particular, beyond the development of critical thinking. Some of the
skills that psychological instruction should develop that go beyond critical thinking
include creative, practical, and wise thinking (Sternberg, 1995, 2010a, 2010b). For
example, during recent years, a major conflict among psychologists has been regard-
ing the role psychologists should play in military interrogations. The issues involved
relate more to wise and ethical thinking than they do to critical thinking. Psychological
literacy needs to involve sensitivity to ethical issues as much as to issues of inferential
validity and fallacy. These issues are very engagingly addressed in the current volume
in the chapters by Davidson and Morrissey, and by Sokol and Kuebli.

5. The Forest and the Trees

Much of one’s professional life is coming to terms with what one is as opposed to
what one hoped to be. When I started my career, I was thrilled with the big thinkers
x Foreword

I observed in the field, such as Roger Brown at Harvard, Irving Janis at Yale, Roger
Shepard at Stanford, Paul Meehl at Minnesota, and Bob Zajonc at Michigan, to
name just a few. But as the years went by, the focus of psychology seemed to move
to ever-smaller problems. More and more, the rewards seemed to be for extremely
microscopic analysis, in whatever domain. The era of the big thinkers seemed to be
over. Whereas the leaders of the previous generation were known to all psychology
students, more and more, thought leaders were known to students only in increas-
ingly more specialized fields. My hope is that the field, in its desire to mimic the
natural and especially biological sciences, will not increasingly lose sight of the
forest for the trees. Students need to be trained in broad areas of psychology, not
just in their own specialized area, and in thinking across areas, rather than only
within areas. Many of the greatest thinkers in the field—Herbert Simon, George
Miller, and Amos Tversky—became great in part because they worked across dis-
ciplinary boundaries. Desire for such breadth is implicit in many of the contribu-
tions in this book.
Psychological literacy is a good idea, but we need to nurture it, care for it, and
sometimes be wary of it, for the reasons I’ve just reviewed. In sum, I am delighted
that such an important volume on psychological literacy has appeared, and I hope
it will spawn many offspring that will continue to develop this important field.

Robert J. Sternberg
Oklahoma State University
Provost and Senior Vice President
Stillwater, Oklahoma

References

Arum, R., & Roksa, J. (2011). Academically adrift: limited learning on college campuses.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sternberg, R. J. (1995). In search of the human mind. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace
College Publishers.
Sternberg, R. J. (2010a). Teaching for ethical reasoning in liberal education. Liberal
Education, 96(3), 32–37.
Sternberg, R. J. (2010b). WICS: a new model for cognitive education. Journal of Cognitive
Education and Psychology, 9, 34–46.
Sternberg, R., Hojjat, M., & Barnes, M. L. (2001). Empirical tests of aspects of a theory
of love as a story. European Journal of Personality, 15, 199–218.
P r efac e

Our hope for this volume is that undergraduate psychology educators, curricu-
lum designers, and policy creators will be inspired to re-examine the aims of
undergraduate psychology education, and as a consequence reshape pedagogy
and curriculum, thus better preparing our students for their increasingly uncer-
tain but potentially very exciting futures. This book was inspired by our involve-
ment in the project that produced the volume Undergraduate Education in
Psychology: A Blueprint for the Future of the Discipline (Halpern, 2010a). Jacky,
who has been involved in national psychology undergraduate education in
Australia for several years, was privileged to be invited to contribute to the first
chapter, which outlined the two key concepts pursued in this volume, psychologi­
cal literacy and the psychologically literate citizen (McGovern et al., 2010). Dana
has long contributed to policy and guidelines regarding outcomes and assessment
in undergraduate psychology education in the United States, and he led the chap-
ter on defining a core curriculum for undergraduate psychology in the “Blueprint”
volume (Dunn et al., 2010).
The “Blueprint” volume has already been described as a classic in the field, and
was thus deserving of immediate follow-up, with the focus being on expanding
the theory and practice around the paradigmatic concepts of psychological literacy
and the psychologically literate citizen. McGovern and colleagues (2010) explicitly
referred to the global implications of those concepts, and the current volume
sought to extend the work of the “Blueprint” volume beyond the shores of the
United States. Although most of the chapters were written by U.S. and Australian
authors, there are several chapters written by education leaders on other conti-
nents, and the chapter by Dudgeon and colleagues gives a distinctly non-Western
perspective. Essentially, the primary aim of this volume was to provide some
answers from across the world on the “why” and “how” of educating the psycho-
logically literate citizen—the proposed universal outcome of the psychology
major. That is, this volume extends into global territories of the paradigm-shifting
disciplinary movement initiated by the “Blueprint” volume. It simultaneously
links traditional approaches and concepts in psychology to these new concepts in
a transformative manner, and provides practical suggestions for embedding these
concepts in everyday teaching practice.
xii Preface

In the introductory chapter, we develop further McGovern and colleagues’


(2010) concepts of psychological literacy and the psychologically literate citizen, in
particular by making reference to understandings, from diverse sources, of the con-
cepts of literacy, scientific literacy, citizenship, and global citizenship. The section
on “Curriculum Perspectives” addresses several key pedagogical and curriculum
aspects such as program structure, core content areas, and key skills. Dunn and
coworkers open the section with a consideration of how student learning outcomes
related to psychological literacy might shape disciplinary curricula for undergradu-
ates, acknowledging the necessary balance between graduate and undergraduate
needs, the balance between cutting-edge and core knowledge, and the need to take
a more global perspective.
In the context of the increasing complexity of current and projected everyday
living, Halpern and Butler argue that critical thinking is a core component of
psychological literacy, and Davidson and Morrissey argue that “ethical literacy” is
a core component of psychologically literate citizenship. Both of these chapters
contain examples and clear links to useful classroom teaching strategies, so that
educators can immediately start to integrate this material into their curriculum.
White evaluates the social psychological research literature on effective prejudice
reduction strategies to promote intergroup harmony and then outlines how stu-
dents can directly experience and learn from these specific evidence-based strate-
gies to reduce intergroup conflict, both within and outside the classroom. Dudgeon
and associates give an indigenous perspective on the history of psychology in
Australia, and suggest strategies for initiating the development of cultural compe-
tence in the undergraduate psychology program. As they argue, there needs to be
increased emphasis on the development of cultural competence in an increasingly
globalized world, as well as in countries where First Nation peoples are clearly
disadvantaged. It should be noted that this volume explicitly attempts to moderate
the use of the dominant Western psychology language without undermining the
psychological science that must be both the content and the practice of education
in psychology.
Burton and McDonald point out that psychology educators are uniquely situated
to help students develop aspects of psychological literacy (e.g., critical thinking, self-
knowledge) that would (a) be helpful in the transition process for all first-year psy-
chology students, regardless of the program they are undertaking, and (b) build
toward university aspirational goals of developing “global citizens.” Thus, they argue
that the development of psychological literacy should be the primary aim of first-
year psychology courses. Denson and Ing outline developmental psychology and
educational psychology theory relevant to understanding the nature of undergradu-
ate students and their learning processes, and particularly as relevant to different
forms of diversity in the university context. They then present evidence for the pos-
itive association between culturally diverse classrooms and the development of psy-
chologically literate skills such as critical thinking. Green and colleagues argue for
the value of a positive psychology approach in the undergraduate curriculum and
how this relates to psychological literacy; they then give examples of evidence-based
positive psychology interventions within the curriculum. Halonen and associates
Preface xiii

provide a comprehensive model for assessing psychological literacy, which is con-


ceptualized as a multilayered developmental model. Finally in this section, Cranney
and coworkers argue that students should be given the opportunity to purposefully
apply the basic principles of psychology to new problems or in new situations, in an
experiential and active manner. They briefly consider the background to the issue of
“applied” psychology in undergraduate education, and then give some concrete
examples of how applied psychology learning and teaching strategies can be imple-
mented to support the development of psychological literacy.
In the “Global Perspectives” section, national leaders in undergraduate psy-
chology education were challenged to discuss the relevance of the two concepts
from their particular national perspectives. From the Italian perspective, Job and
coauthors identify four features that would allow students to develop psychologi-
cal literacy during their undergraduate education, and include examples of how
psychological literacy is being developed and displayed. Sarwono argues that psy-
chology in Indonesia has been fostering psychological literacy in its students, in
its researchers, and also in its population (through the popular media) for the past
60 years. Trapp and Akhurst’s chapter considers the challenging concept of citizen-
ship, particularly in the context of current pressures on undergraduate psychology
education in the United Kingdom. They argue that existing course specifications
and the U.K. benchmark statements define a high level of psychological literacy.
Karandashev contrasts the professionally oriented undergraduate programs that
have been typical for Russia (as well as for many European and South American
countries) with the liberal arts education tradition typical for the United Kingdom,
Australia, and North America. He also emphasizes the importance of distinguish-
ing between general and professional psychological literacy, as well as recognizing
different conceptualizations of psychological literacy across cultures.
Harré and associates point out that the current ecological crisis is of enormous
relevance to psychology teaching, as it is essentially a problem of human behavior.
They urge psychology educators to consider how they can nurture the psycho-
logically literate citizen through a focus on ecological sustainability, and present
four learning and teaching cases designed to increase student psychological liter-
acy in this important area. Charlton and Lymburner consider how educators can
foster the development of psychologically literate global citizenship in their psy-
chology students, and discuss how psychological literacy may manifest itself
through some of the key social issues facing Canadians today: volunteerism, envi-
ronmental sustainability, illicit drug use, healthcare, and multiculturalism and
diversity. Methods and examples of how to foster psychological literacy are pre-
sented through classroom exercises, case studies, and curriculum development.
Cranney and Morris open the section on “Integrative Perspectives” by consider-
ing the relationship between psychological literacy and adaptive cognition, defined
as global ways of thinking (and consequently behaving) that are beneficial to one’s
(and others’) survival and well-being. The adaptive cognition approach draws on a
number of perspectives in psychology, including developmental psychology, evolu-
tionary psychology, cultural psychology, and human ecology. Cranney and Morris
argue that we are in the privileged position of being able to choose to use strategies
xiv Preface

that we know will improve our chances of achieving the goals of living a purposeful
and fulfilling life, and psychology education is one arena in which this perspective
can be shared and experienced. Building on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s claim that
“Intelligence plus character╯.╯.╯.╯is the goal of true education,” Sokol and Kuebli
explore the parallels between character development and psychological literacy.
They argue, in particular, that promoting the skills of psychological literacy must
be balanced against principles of citizenship and community in order to avoid the
dangers of instrumental reasoning. Bernstein extends the notion of the “scientist-
educator” introduced in the “Blueprint” volume and cogently explores the process
whereby a scientist-practitioner would seek to provide students with opportunities
to develop into psychologically literate citizens. McGovern argues that psychology
educators are ideal role models for the psychologically literate citizen and outlines
a program for faculty development and sustained renewal that can make explicit
the connections between psychological literacy, citizenship, and virtues and charac-
ter strengths. In their consideration of the alumnus perspective on psychological
literacy, Takooshian and Landi present data that clearly demonstrate the increasing
number of psychology honors graduates, which again raises the issue of what stu-
dents acquire during a psychology major, particularly as very few undertake further
study in psychology.
In the final chapter, we reconsider the concepts of psychological literacy and
global psychologically literate citizenship in light of the previous chapters. We argue
that there is a global need for the development of psychological literacy in the
general population, and undergraduate psychology education is an opportunity
that cannot be ignored if we as psychology educators are ourselves psychologically
literate. The aims of undergraduate psychology education in several countries are
briefly and selectively reviewed, and we argue that the development of psycho-
logical literacy is compatible with current aims. We then provide some examples
of renewed curricular and pedagogical strategies to enable undergraduate stu-
dents to gain psychological literacy. We build on Halpern’s (2010b) “Call to Action”
to psychology educators to reinvent their pedagogy and curriculum to better meet
the needs of our students who will best serve themselves and lead their local and
global communities by developing a high level of psychological literacy—that is,
by becoming psychologically literate global citizens.

References

Dunn, D. S., Brewer, C. L., Cautin, R. L., Gurung, R. A. R., Keith, K. D., McGregor, L. N.,
Nida, S. A., Puccio, P., & Voight, M. J. (2010). The undergraduate psychology cur-
riculum: call for a core. In D. F. Halpern (Ed.), Undergraduate education in psychology:
a blueprint for the future of the discipline (pp. 47–61). Washington, D. C.: American
Psychological Association.
Halpern, D. F. (Ed.). (2010a). Undergraduate education in psychology: a blueprint for the
future of the discipline. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
Preface xv

Halpern, D. F. (2010b). Introduction: a call to action. In D. F. Halpern (Ed.), Under­


graduate education in psychology: a blueprint for the future of the discipline. Washington,
D. C.: American Psychological Association.
McGovern, T. V., Corey, L. A., Cranney, J., Dixon Jr., W. E., Holmes, J. D., Kuebli, J. E.,
Ritchey, K., Smith, R. A., & Walker, S. (2010). Psychologically literate citizens.
In D. F. Halpern (Ed.), Undergraduate education in psychology: a blueprint for the dis­
cipline’s future (pp. 9–28). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association.
This page intentionally left blank
Ac k n ow l e d g m e n t s

Jacky and Dana wish to thank the team at Oxford, particularly Abby Gross and
Joanna Ng, for shepherding the book to publication. Smitha Raj’s careful attention
to detail steered the book through the production process.
Jacky would like to thank the authors for their motivation to produce thought-
ful and original contributions to this volume—in taking up the challenge, the
authors ensured that both the process and the product surpassed the original aims
for this volume. Let’s continue to work toward achieving the promise inherent
in the concepts of psychological literacy and the psychologically literate global
citizen. Jacky is eternally grateful to Dana for being a wonderful co-editor—she
could not have wished for a better partner in this endeavor. Thanks also to Minshin
Song and Jun Mo Jeong for creative assistance with the original cover design
image. The University of New South Wales and the Australian Learning and
Teaching Council provided the space and stimulation that allowed these ideas and
this volume to mature. Jacky thanks her family and friends, including colleagues
(Diane and Sue–your encouragement is invaluable), who continually challenge
and support her learning–this would not have been possible without you all.
As always, Dana appreciates his family’s love and support of his scholarly work.
Moravian College continues to provide him with the freedom to pursue his interests.
He again thanks Abby Gross for being an ideal editor (third time is a charm, Abby).
He is also grateful to the Executive Committee of the Society for the Teaching of
Psychology for giving him a smooth presidency in 2010, which allowed him to find
some time to work on this book. And finally, Dana wants to thank his hardworking,
kind, and thoughtful colleague Jacky Cranney, for inviting him to be co-pilot on this
wonderful project; she is now an old friend.
This page intentionally left blank
C on t e n t s

Contributors╇ xxiii

PART ONE╇ Introduction


1. Psychological Literacy and the Psychologically Literate Citizen:
New Frontiers for a Global Discipline╇ 3
Jacquelyn Cranney and Dana S. Dunn

PART TWO╇ Curriculum Perspectives


2. Curriculum Matters: Structure, Content, and Psychological Literacy╇ 15
Dana S. Dunn, Robin L. Cautin, and Regan A. R. Gurung

3. Critical Thinking and the Education of Psychologically Literate Citizens╇ 27


Diane F. Halpern and Heather A. Butler

4. Enhancing Ethical Literacy of Psychologically Literate Citizens╇ 41


Graham R. Davidson and Shirley A. Morrissey

5. The Social Psychology of Intergroup Harmony and the Education of


Psychologically Literate Citizens╇ 56
Fiona A. White

6. Changing the Lens: Indigenous Perspectives on Psychological Literacy╇ 72


Pat Dudgeon, Dawn Darlaston-Jones, and Yvonne Clark

7. Introductory Psychology and Psychological Literacy╇ 91


Lorelle J. Burton and Kathie J. McDonald

8. Educational Psychology and Psychological Literacy in Higher Education:


Developmental and Cultural Aspects of Racial Diversity╇ 104
Nida Denson and Marsha Ing

9. The Role of Positive Psychology in Creating the


Psychologically Literate Citizen╇ 119
Suzy Green, Paula L. Robinson, and Lindsay G. Oades
xx Contents

10. Departmental Program Approaches for Educating


Psychologically Literate Citizens╇ 131
Jane S. Halonen, Dana S. Dunn, Suzanne Baker, and Maureen A. McCarthy

11. Psychological Literacy and Applied Psychology in


Undergraduate Education╇ 146
Jacquelyn Cranney, Sue Morris, Frances H. Martin, Steve Provost, Lucy
Zinkiewicz, John Reece, Josephine Milne-Home, Lorelle J. Burton,
Fiona A. White, Judi Homewood, Joanne K. Earl, and Sherri McCarthy

PART THREE╇ Global Perspectives


12. Psychological Literacy: An Italian Perspective╇ 167
Remo Job, Lorella Lotto, and Claudio Tonzar

13. An Indonesian Perspective on Psychological Literacy╇ 178


Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono

14. A U.K. Perspective on Psychological Literacy and Citizenship╇ 191


Annie Trapp and Jacqueline Akhurst

15. Psychological Literacy Goals in Psychology Teaching


in Russian Education╇ 206
Victor Karandashev

16. Sustainability and the Psychologically Literate Citizen:


A New Zealand Perspective╇ 220
Niki Harré, Taciano L. Milfont, William Helton, and Andrea Mead

17. Fostering Psychologically Literate Citizens: A Canadian Perspective╇ 234


Steve Charlton and Jocelyn Lymburner

PART FOUR╇ Integrative Perspectives


18. Adaptive Cognition and Psychological Literacy╇ 251
Jacquelyn Cranney and Sue Morris

19. Psychological Literacy: Bridging Citizenship and Character╇ 269


Bryan W. Sokol and Janet E. Kuebli

20. A Scientist-Educator Perspective on Psychological Literacy╇ 281


Daniel Bernstein
Contents xxi

21. Virtues and Character Strengths of Psychologically Literate Faculty╇ 296


Thomas V. McGovern

22. Psychological Literacy: An Alumni Perspective╇ 306


Harold Takooshian and Giulia Landi

23. What the World Needs Now Is Psychological Literacy╇ 322


Jacquelyn Cranney and Dana S. Dunn

Index╇ 337
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C on t r i bu to r s

Jacqueline Akhurst Robin L. Cautin


Principal Lecturer Professor and Chair
Department of Psychology Department of Psychology
York St. John University Manhattanville College
York, United Kingdom Purchase, New York

Suzanne Baker Steve Charlton


Professor Faculty Member
Department of Psychology Department of Psychology
James Madison University Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Harrisonburg, Virginia Richmond, Canada

Daniel Bernstein Yvonne Clark


Professor Senior Lecturer
Department of Psychology School of Psychology
University of Kansas University of Adelaide
Lawrence, Kansas Adelaide, Australia

Lorelle J. Burton Jacquelyn Cranney


Associate Professor Associate Professor
Department of Psychology School of Psychology
University of Southern Queensland The University of
Toowoomba, Australia New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
Heather A. Butler
Doctoral Student Dawn Darlaston-Jones
School of Behavioral and Head, Behavioral Science
Organizational Sciences School of Arts & Sciences
Claremont Graduate University University of Notre Dame
Claremont, California Fremantle, Australia
xxiv Contributors

Graham R. Davidson Jane S. Halonen


Emeritus Professor and Lecturer Dean
Graduate School of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences
Assumption University, ABAC University of West Florida
Bangkok, Thailand Pensacola, Florida

Nida Denson Diane F. Halpern


Research Fellow Professor
Centre for Educational Research Department of Psychology
University of Western Sydney Claremont McKenna College
Milperra, Australia Claremont, California

Pat Dudgeon Niki Harré


Adjunct Professor Associate Professor
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Department of Psychology
School of Indigenous Studies The University of Auckland
University of Western Australia Auckland, New Zealand
Crawley, Australia
William Helton
Dana S. Dunn Associate Professor
Professor Department of Psychology
Department of Psychology University of Canterbury
Moravian College Christchurch, New Zealand
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Judi Homewood
Joanne K. Earl Associate Professor
Senior Lecturer Department of Psychology
School of Psychology Macquarie University
University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Marsha Ing
Suzy Green Assistant Professor
Co-Founder, Positive Psychology Graduate School of Education
Institute University of
Adjunct Lecturer California–Riverside
Coaching Psychology Unit Riverside, California
University of Sydney
Sydney, Australia Remo Job
Department of Cognitive Science and
Regan A. R. Gurung Education
Professor University of Trento
Department of Psychology Trento, Italy
University of Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Contributors xxv

Victor Karandashev Sherri McCarthy


Professor Professor of Educational Psychology,
Department of Psychology Counseling and Human Relations
Aquinas College Northern Arizona University
Grand Rapids, Michigan Yuma Branch Campus
Leningrad State University Yuma, Arizona
St. Petersburg, Russia
Kathie J. McDonald
Janet E. Kuebli Post-Graduate Psychology Student
Associate Professor Department of Psychology
Department of Psychology University of Southern Queensland
Saint Louis University Toowoomba, Australia
St. Louis, Missouri
Thomas V. McGovern
Giulia Landi Professor of Psychology
Medical Student New College of Interdisciplinary Arts
School of Medicine and Surgery and Sciences
University of Bologna Arizona State University West
Italy Phoenix, Arizona

Lorella Lotto Andrea Mead


Associate Professor Senior Tutor
Department of Developmental Department of Pychology
Psychology and Socialization The University of Auckland
University of Padova Auckland, New Zealand
Padova, Italy
Taciano L. Milfont
Jocelyn Lymburner Senior Lecturer
Faculty Member School of Psychology
Department of Psychology Victoria University of Wellington
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Wellington, New Zealand
Surrey, Canada
Josephine Milne-Home
Frances H. Martin Associate Head of School Learning and
Associate Professor Teaching
School of Psychology University of Western Sydney
University of Tasmania Sydney, Australia
Hobart, Australia
Sue Morris
Maureen A. McCarthy Research Associate
Professor School of Psychology
Department of Psychology The University of New South Wales
Kennesaw State University Sydney, Australia
Kennesaw, Georgia
xxvi Contributors

Shirley A. Morrissey Bryan W. Sokol


Associate Professor and Assistant Professor
Deputy Head of School Department of Psychology
School of Psychology Saint Louis University
Griffith University–Gold Coast St. Louis, Missouri
Southport, Australia
Harold Takooshian
Lindsay G. Oades Professor of Psychology and
Senior Lecturer Urban Studies
School of Psychology Department of Psychology
University of Wollongong Fordham University
Wollongong, Australia New York, New York

Steve Provost Claudio Tonzar


Lecturer Assistant Professor
School of Health & Human Sciences Department of Human Sciences
Southern Cross University University of Urbino
Coffs Harbour, Australia Urbino, Italy

John Reece Annie Trapp


Associate Professor Director
Discipline of Psychology Higher Education Academy
School of Health Sciences Psychology Network
RMIT University University of York
Bundoora, Australia York, United Kingdom

Paula L. Robinson Fiona A. White


Co-Founder, Positive Associate Professor
Psychology Institute School of Psychology
Doctoral Student and Guest Lecturer University of Sydney
School of Psychology Sydney, Australia
University of Wollongong
Wollongong, Australia Lucy Zinkiewicz
Lecturer
Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono School of Psychology
Professor Deakin University
Department of Psychology Geelong, Australia
University of Indonesia
Depok, Indonesia
PART ONE

Introduction
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1

Psychological Literacy and the


Psychologically Literate Citizen

New Frontiers for a Global Discipline

J ac qu e ly n Cr a n n e y a n d Da n a S. D un n

Today’s students must prepare themselves for a world in which knowledge


is accumulating at a rapidly accelerating rate and in which old problems
such as poverty, racism, and pollution join new problems such as global
terrorism, a health crisis created by alarming increases in obesity, and the
growing gap between the poor and very rich. All of these problems require
psychological knowledge, skills and values for their solution.
Halpern (2010, p. 162)

Although the psychology major remains very popular (88,000 bachelor’s


degrees in 2006)—and an increasing percentage of our citizens attend
college—most students will not major in our discipline. However, psychol­
ogy is second only to basic English composition as the most frequently
taken course by college graduates, and our potential to affect our future
citizenry is enormous. Yet I sometimes wonder how much of what we
teach is based on what we want to teach about our discipline (our favored
theories and concepts to those we hope to recruit to our field—a most
worthy endeavor) and how much is based on what the average person
needs to know to be a psychologically literate citizen.
Belar (2008, p. 56)
4 T he P s y c h o l o g i c a l ly Lite r ate Citi z e n

A s educators and psychologists, we believe we have a mandate to prepare


students to adapt and survive in their current and future world. More­
over, we believe that both the teaching and learning of psychological
knowledge can serve in this pressing capacity. To this end, we discuss and develop
further McGovern and colleagues’ (2010) concepts of “psychological literacy” and
the “psychologically literate citizen,” in particular by making reference to the
common understandings of the concepts of literacy, citizenship, and global
citizenship.
To begin, we will provide some historical context. In the northern summer of
2008, about 80 professors of undergraduate (UG) psychology gathered for the
National Conference on Undergraduate Education in Psychology at the Univer­
sity of Puget Sound. Under the leadership of Diane Halpern, the conference aim
was to undertake the core work in developing nine chapters for the volume
Undergraduate Psychology Education: A Blueprint for the Future of the Discipline
(Halpern, 2010). This book was in some sense an update of the 1991 St. Mary’s
Conference, which had resulted in McGovern’s (1993) Handbook for Enhancing
Undergraduate Education in Psychology. The Blueprint book also acknowledged
some core developments since the McGovern work, including The APA Guidelines
for the Undergraduate Major (APA, 2007), which listed five psychology-specific
and five liberal education-related capabilities, and associated student learning
outcomes (SLOs), for the UG psychology major in the United States.
McGovern and colleagues (2010) introduced the unifying concepts of “psycho­
logical literacy” and “the psychologically literate citizen.” Psychological literacy
means:

• “having a well-defined vocabulary and basic knowledge of the critical


subject matter of psychology;
• valuing the intellectual challenges required to use scientific thinking and
the disciplined analysis of information to evaluate alternative courses of
action;
• taking a creative and amiable skeptic approach to problem solving;
• applying psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational
issues in work, relationships, and the broader community;
• acting ethically;
• being competent in using and evaluating information and technology;
• communicating effectively in different modes and with many different
audiences;
• recognizing, understanding, and fostering respect for diversity;
• being insightful and reflective about one’s own and others’ behavior and
mental processes” (p. 11).

In essence, psychological literacy encapsulates the common graduate attributes


or capabilities that students should acquire while undertaking a major in psychol­
ogy, as exemplified by guidelines and lists of SLOs delineated by many national
psychology organizations (e.g., United States: APA, 2007; Australia: Cranney
Psychological Literacy and the Psychologically Literate Citizen 5

et al., 2008; Europe: Lunt et al., 2001). Although psychology educators interna­
tionally have been working toward helping students to acquire these attributes for
at least the past 50 years, it has been only recently that educators have explicitly
delineated attributes and SLOs and have sought to develop appropriate teaching
and assessment strategies, including whole-program approaches. From some per­
spectives, psychological literacy becomes the most important outcome of under­
graduate education in the discipline.
The concept of the psychologically literate citizen, however, is more controver­
sial than that of psychological literacy, for at least three reasons. First, it raises the
issue of the real purpose of UG psychology education (and perhaps higher educa­
tion generally). Whether stated or implied, the aim in most Western countries is
for UG education to provide the foundations for graduate professional training in
psychology. Yet in North America, Australia, and Britain, only about one quarter
of psychology majors enter graduate professional training programs (e.g.,
Landrum, Hettich, & Wilner, 2010), so there must be other viable outcomes for
psychology major graduates. One purpose that fits particularly well in the
North American context is that of liberal education. Indeed, many have argued
that the psychology major is possibly one of the best forms of liberal education
(e.g., McGovern, Furumoto, Halpern, Kimble, & McKeachie, 1991). The purpose
of liberal education is to teach people to write well, reason logically, identify
connections among diverse sets of information, recognize what they know and
what they still need to learn, engage in critical thinking, and rely on research
and data analytic skills to verify observations and conclusions (Dunn & McCarthy,
2010). This notion fits well with the recently stated purpose of universities in
many countries to create the so-called “global citizen,” which has been simply
defined as “anyone who works to make the world a better place” (Victoria
International Development Education Association, n.d.), while global citizen­
ship “involves understanding the forces that affect cross-cultural connections
and being committed to a global community based on human interdependence,
equality, and justice” (Franklin Pierce University, n.d.). We explore these concepts
further below.
A second reason for controversy is a reaction by many within and outside of
universities against the word “citizen,” and the implication that higher education
institutions should be promoting and encouraging citizenship. We argue, how­
ever, that the purpose of colleges and universities is to provide students with
the kind of education that enables them to participate and provide leadership in
both their communities and their nations, whatever form that may take. Indeed,
for democratic societies, education is one of the cornerstones of citizenry.
A third reason for controversy is that McGovern and colleagues (2010) do not
really define “the psychologically literate citizen,” but rather give the sense of a
complex process that evolves over time:

Psychologically literate citizens intentionally build upon their own psycho­


logical literacy, integrating it with the interdisciplinary and extracurricular
lessons learned during their undergraduate experiences. They try to grow
6 T he P s y c h o l o g i c a l ly Lite r ate Citi z e n

more sophisticated as ethical and socially responsible problem solvers. It is


an achievable outcome when faculty provide students with opportunities to
use their psychological literacy outside of formal learning environments, and
they begin to do so of their own initiative to accomplish goals that are impor­
tant to them, their families, their colleagues, their communities, and to the
larger society, state, nation, or world. (p. 20)

McGovern and colleagues (2010) clearly see this concept as an aspirational


but achievable outcome of UG education that builds upon psychological literacy,
and that also “pulls in” transdisciplinary and other “real-life” experiences. They
further discuss the notion of “intentional learners” as those who are “empowered
by intellectual and practical skills, informed by knowledge and different ways
of knowing, and ethically responsible for their personal actions and civic contri­
butions” (p. 21); the notion of integrative learning is also described as connecting
skills and knowledge from multiple domains, and as applying theory to practice in
various settings. Although McGovern and colleagues do not offer a discrete defi­
nition of the psychologically literate citizen, Halpern (2010) does, in her introduc­
tion to the Blueprint book: “Psychologically literate citizens have basic knowledge
of psychology and can and will apply their knowledge of psychology to a broad
range of situations” (p. 7). We expand on this concept in a later section as well.

The Concepts of “Literacy” and


“Psychological Literacy”

If students encounter a concept or term that they know little about, they are very
likely to seek more information on the open-source community-driven encyclo­
pedia, Wikipedia. Thus, as educators, we decided to embrace the role of student
as learner and approach the term “literacy” in the same way. Wikipedia states that
literacy has “traditionally been described as the ability to read and write. It is
a concept claimed and defined by a range of different theoretical fields” (see http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy). Interestingly, the entry then draws on a docu­
ment authored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), which defines literacy as the “ability to identify, under­
stand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written mate­
rials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning
in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and poten-
tial, and to participate fully in their community and wider society” [italics added]
(UNESCO, 2004). It is well documented that this kind of literacy is associated
with better life opportunities and better physical health outcomes—which is why
UNESCO has a focus on such “basic” education in developing countries and also
why, in Western countries, we generally take this kind of literacy for granted
(despite the fact that a significant percentage of our populations remain illiterate).
In a similar way, we argue that, in the face of global problems that are the result
of maladaptive human behavior (Marsella, 2007), psychological literacy may well
Psychological Literacy and the Psychologically Literate Citizen 7

become essential to the psychological health of both Western and “developing”


nations—that is, it may be necessary to purposefully increase the psychological
literacy of our citizens, either through formal education (e.g., the psychology
major) or through informal education media (e.g., “edutainment” formats; or the
“critical thinking” game being developed by Halpern and others; see http://www.
cmc.edu/pages/faculty/dhalpern/index_files/Page792.html).
Returning to the formal literature on “literacy,” we do not pretend to be experts
in this field, but rather take as an interesting example the article entitled “Literacy
Literacy” by Kintgen (1988) in the journal Visible Language. Therein the author
examines how the traditional meaning of the word has been extended to terms
such as “scientific literacy” and “cultural literacy.” Kintgen summarizes scholarly
work that traces the four historical stages of development of the meaning of the
core term “literacy,” concluding that we are now in the “analytic” stage, where
“readers are expected to analyze and draw inferences from the material they read”
(p. 154). By logically generalizing the term to other fields, he argues that “the ability
to analyze material from any field, and to draw inferences from it, can be referred to
as literacy in that area” (p. 154). However, he also argues that there is an evaluative
element to the term that encompasses the analysis and inference aspects, and goes
beyond mere descriptive aspects. In essence, literacy means the capacity to both
“describe knowledge, and the ability to think, about any field” (p. 155), and also
implies mastery of a traditional body of knowledge (p. 162). In his discussion of
“cultural literacy,” he explicitly makes reference to psychological notions, such as
mental models and schemas, as being essential to comprehension. Finally he states:

New experiences of any sort are assimilated by relating them to mental


models based on previous experiences; something that is totally novel is
incomprehensible. Knowledge is thus an essential component of even the
descriptive sense of ‘literacy’, and this leads, almost inevitably, to knowledge
as the defining characteristic of the evaluative sense. And thus the title of this
paper. (Kintgen, 1988, p. 166)

What are the implications of Kintgen’s (1988) analysis for the term “psychologi­
cal literacy”? First, he acknowledges the importance of the development of a
“schema” regarding the discipline of psychology; we argue that his notion of
“schema” overlaps with the notion of the “culture” of the discipline, including the
sometimes-not-so-explicit rules about the way one thinks if one is a psychologist
(or psychological scientist; Cranney et al., 2005; Ewing et al., 2010). This aspect of
literacy, which acknowledges that part of the discipline knowledge is “ways of
knowing,” can be related to the notion of epistemology. Second, he emphasizes the
higher-order cognitive skills of analysis and evaluation, which can be related to
Krathwohl’s (2002) revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. In terms
of types of knowledge, the levels are factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge,
and the highest level is metacognitive knowledge—the knowledge of cognition in
general as well as awareness and knowledge of one’s own thinking. In terms of types
of processes, the lowest level is remembering, whereas the highest levels involve
8 T he P s y c h o l o g i c a l ly Lite r ate Citi z e n

evaluating and creating. Third, Kintgen refers to conceptions of scientific literacy


as including the ability to evaluate the wider implications of the products of scien­
tific enterprise on society generally (p. 157); in a similar way, we might also consider
as part of psychological literacy the capacity to evaluate the past and predict the
future impact of psychological science on society generally. One aspect of this
capacity is being able to recognize the strengths and limitations or boundaries of
disciplinary knowledge in the context of other disciplines and other knowledge—
“meta-metacognition”? In a further play on Kintgen’s paper title, we need to
acknowledge that a particularly unusual aspect of psychological literacy (at least
compared to other literacies) is that the subject of the literacy is not something
external to us, but indeed is the essence of ourselves—our thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. This realization has profound implications for the importance of psycho­
logical literacy to oneself and one’s fellow human beings, and may also mean that
gaining psychological literacy is a particularly challenging enterprise, as it requires
one to attempt to hold an objective view of self-relevant subject matter.
We argue that a simple definition of literacy is “domain knowledge that is used
adaptively,” or more specifically, literacy is “knowledge plus the adaptive use or
application of that knowledge.” Thus psychological literacy could be defined as
psychological knowledge that is used adaptively. Taking into consideration the
Wikipedia, UNESCO, and English scholar’s definitions, however, this definition is
not, for many reasons, as simple as it seems. First, use of knowledge implies that
one has knowledge to begin with. Second, here “knowledge” includes not only the
core content areas, but all the aspects defined by McGovern and coworkers (2010),
including critical thinking, research skills, and communication. Third, knowledge
also includes ethical knowledge, and we argue that a high level of knowledge
acquisition in this area necessarily means that “adaptive use” translates to ethical
behavior in all domains of life, not just in the workplace. Fourth, this definition of
psychological literacy implies a relatively well-integrated and functional set of
schemas that across individuals may show some variability in expression, but in
terms of central tendency, can be recognized and assessed as “psychological liter­
acy.” Finally, regardless of the discipline students decide to pursue, opportunities
to develop some aspects of psychological literacy, such as “recognizing, under­
standing, and fostering respect for diversity” (McGovern et al., 2010), should be
formally included in their curriculum to help create truly “global citizens.”
Before we move on to notions of citizenship, however, two points should be
made. First, different cultures may have different conceptualizations of “psycho­
logical literacy,” as Karandashev (Chapter 15) makes clear in his discussion of the
concept in relation to the history of psychology education in Russia. Second,
because a central characteristic of psychology is the use of the scientific method,
we also need to consider the concept of “scientific literacy”:

Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts


and processes required for personal decision making, participation in
civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity . . . Scientific literacy
means that . . . a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict
Psychological Literacy and the Psychologically Literate Citizen 9

natural phenomena. Scientific literacy entails being able to read with under­
standing articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social
conversation about the validity of the conclusions. Scientific literacy implies
that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local
decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically
informed. A literate citizen should be able to evaluate the quality of scientific
information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it.
Scientific literacy also implies the capacity to pose and evaluate arguments
based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropri­
ately (National Science Education Standards, cited by http://literacynet.org/
science/scientificliteracy.html).

This definition of scientific literacy fits well with both Kintgen’s (1988) defini­
tion of literacy emphasizing its evaluative aspects, and our definition emphasizing
its adaptive application aspects. Many psychology educators have explicitly stated
that scientific literacy is a core attribute that should be acquired by every psychol­
ogy major (e.g., Beins, 2007). There are challenges to educators in achieving this
aim, particularly with students who may not have a science background and who
expect primarily to learn “how to help people” during their UG program (e.g.,
Thieman, Clary, Olson, Dauner, & Ring, 2009); Holmes and Beins (2009) suggest
some potential solutions to these challenges.

The Concepts of “Citizen,” “Global Citizenship,”


and the “Psychologically Literate Citizen”

During the week-long “camp” that produced the core drafts of the Blueprint book
(Halpern, 2010), there was some ambivalence about the word “citizen” as it
emerged in discussions from the developing chapter dealing with “The Psycho­
logically Literate Citizen” (McGovern et al., 2010). This ambivalence no doubt
reflected different meanings associated with the term (keep in mind the likely
“small-L” liberal political leanings of most psychology professors present, in the
context of the dominant conservative U.S. government at that time). The notion of
citizenship is central in the development of Western civilization and in particular
democratic societies, and so has strong cultural meanings. A comprehensive treat­
ment of this concept is beyond the scope of this chapter (but see Trapp & Akhurst,
Chapter 14). However, to introduce this section, we give the following definition:
a citizen is a “person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalisation to the
protection of state or nation” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/citizen). Citizen­
ship developed as a concept in the Classical era, where there were clearly signifi­
cant rights and responsibilities (the former outweighing the latter, particularly
when non-citizenship often meant slavery) associated with Athenian and Roman
citizenry (see, for example, Scullard, 1982, pp. 16–18). Finally, we note that citi­
zenship is one of the character strengths of the virtue of justice (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004; see also Dahlsgaard, Peterson, & Selgman, 2005).
10 T he P s y c h o l o g i c a l ly Lite r ate Citi z e n

If one conducts a search for “global citizenship,” one most often retrieves uni­
versity or college statements of the aspirational capabilities or attributes they hope
to inculcate in their graduates. For example, Australia’s University of New South
Wales recently defined global citizens as having an appreciation of (a) relevant
applications of their discipline to problems in their local, national, and interna­
tional context, and (b) the needs to respect diversity, be culturally aware, be
socially just/responsible, and be environmentally responsible (Marshall, 2010).
This definition pushes strongly into the “values” arena, and contrasts with unin­
formative conceptualizations of global citizenship as being merely the conse­
quence of study abroad experiences, or as reflecting the capacity to communicate
with people from around the world through Web-based social media (although
there is no doubt that these experiences and capabilities have value).
If we take Marshall’s (2010) definition, then how does this relate to the “psy­
chologically literate citizen”? We build upon McGovern and coworkers’ (2010)
discussion around these issues by arguing that psychologically literate citizens use
their psychological literacy to solve problems in an ethical and socially responsi­
ble manner in a way that directly benefits their communities. That is, they self­
lessly and sometimes courageously share their psychological knowledge and skills
to directly benefit their communities, large or small. For an alternative but related
conceptualization of this concept, see Charlton and Lymburner’s (Chapter 17)
“psychologically literate global citizen.”

Conclusion

In summary, we argue that psychological literacy is a core component of grad­


uate literacy in general, and that the psychologically literate citizen is a core com­
ponent of the “global citizen,” thus providing relevance to tertiary education in
general. Psychological literacy should be the core outcome of the psychology
UG major. Depending on how one conceptualizes “the psychologically literate
citizen,” one might see it as the “high end” of psychological literacy, or as an essen­
tial outcome of a liberal education in a democratic society. Building upon this
latter idea, we argue that we need to renew psychology education, using this con­
cept of the psychologically literate citizen. The time is ripe (and perhaps overdue)
for the psychologically literate citizen, as indicated by U.S. President Barack
Obama’s commencement address at Arizona State University in May 2009:

. . . we’ll need a fundamental change of perspective and attitude. It’s clear that
we need to build a new foundation—a stronger foundation—for our econ­
omy and our prosperity, rethinking how we grow our economy, how we use
energy, how we educate our children, how we care for our sick, how we treat
our environment . . . I’m talking about an approach to life—a quality of mind
and quality of heart; a willingness to follow your passions, regardless of
whether they lead to fortune and fame; a willingness to question conven­
tional wisdom and rethink old dogmas; a lack of regard for all the traditional
Psychological Literacy and the Psychologically Literate Citizen 11

markers of status and prestige—and a commitment instead to doing what’s


meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a difference in this world
. . . Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what’s in it for you—that
also creates ripple effects—ones that lift up families and communities; that
spread opportunity and boost our economy; that reach folks in the forgotten
corners of the world.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Fiona McDonald and Jun Mo Jeong for assistance with
this chapter. Jacky would like to thank Gail Huon for suggesting that we “unpack”
the notion of “literacy”. Jacky Cranney’s work on this chapter was supported
by funding from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an initiative of
the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Work­
place Relations. The views expressed in this chapter do not necessarily reflect the
views of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd.

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PART TWO

Curriculum Perspectives
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2

Curriculum Matters

Structure, Content, and Psychological Literacy

Dana S. Dunn, Robin L. Cautin, and


Regan A. R. Gurung

We often teach like everyone is going to graduate school, but graduate


school is [for] the minority.
Diane F. Halpern (quoted in Goldstein, 2010, p. 23)

P sychology differs from many other disciplines in that students can readily
connect what they learn in their coursework to their own lives (Goldstein,
2010). This distinction is at the root of the idea of psychological literacy
as defined by McGovern and colleagues (2010). Promoting psychological literacy
entails reorienting what and how we teach students in a way that emphasizes
psychology’s relevance. To the extent that the acquisition of core psychological
knowledge takes place in the classroom, the obvious channel for cultivating psy-
chological literacy is the undergraduate psychology curriculum.
In this chapter, we begin by reviewing the history of psychology curricula in the
United States and then consider how learning outcomes related to psychological
literacy might shape disciplinary curricula for undergraduates. Such curricular
change must address the necessary balance between graduate and undergraduate
needs, and the balance between cutting-edge and core knowledge; for this reason,
we specifically discuss the range of learning outcomes a psychologically literate
curriculum should comprise. We then turn to the competencies that should
appear in psychologically literate curricula and address ways to give courses a
more global perspective. The next section of the chapter focuses on practical ways
to make a departmental curriculum more psychologically literate and offers advice
on assessing literacy. We conclude with a call to develop a psychologically literate
citizenry.
16 T h e P s y c h o l o gi c a l ly Lit e r at e Citi z e n

A Brief History of Psychology Curricula

Curricula Then

Informal wrangling notwithstanding, virtually no systematic study of the under-


graduate psychology curriculum in the United States happened prior to the 1950s.
The earliest concerted efforts, which took place in the 1950s and 1960s respectively,
involved two small, self-selected groups of participants (Buxton et al., 1952;
McKeachie & Milholland, 1961), each of whom endorsed the notion of psychology
as a liberal arts discipline, and who specified preferred curriculum structures. In
the 1970s, based on a national survey of schools that did and did not offer a psy-
chology major, a qualitative study of the undergraduate psychology curriculum
was advanced (Kulik et al., 1973). It detailed the growing diversity of undergradu-
ate education in psychology and deliberately refrained from stipulating preferred
curriculum structures, a decision that reflected a divergence from previous efforts.
Throughout the 1980s there was growing demand for curricular guidelines for
undergraduate psychology students, and a concomitant call for ongoing assess-
ment of many facets of undergraduate psychology, including the curriculum
(McGovern, Furumoto, Halpern, Kimble, & McKeachie, 1991; Scheier & Rogers,
1985). In the mid-1980s, the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s)
Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE) resolved to clarify the function
of the undergraduate psychology major in relation to traditional liberal arts
education, as well as to detail curricular guidelines. This work inspired the APA’s
National Conference on Enhancing the Quality of Undergraduate Education in
Psychology, which convened at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 1991 (see
McGovern, 1993). The curriculum report of the St. Mary’s Conference (Brewer
et al., 1993) reaffirmed the conception of psychology as a liberal arts discipline,
stating that the general goal of an undergraduate education in psychology is to
“teach students to think as scientists about behavior and experience” (Brewer
et al., 1993, p. 169). Intended to elucidate the common features of all undergradu-
ate psychology programs, the curricular framework for the psychology major
described in the Brewer report was not prescriptive in nature. It did, however,
recognize four distinct groups of courses, ideally to be taken in the following
sequence: the introductory course, methodology courses, content courses, and
integrative experiences. A recent comparison of psychology major programs
around the nation to programs described 10 years earlier showed some progress
had been made in aligning with the Brewer report, although many suggestions
(e.g., capstone courses) were still not common (Stoloff et al., 2010).

A Core Curriculum for Now

The most recent curricular review (Dunn et al., 2010) was part of the APA’s
National Conference on Undergraduate Education in Psychology, which con-
vened at the University of Puget Sound in 2008 (see Halpern, 2010) and sought
to address key issues in undergraduate psychology education in light of recent
Curriculum Matters 17

changes and developments both within and outside the discipline of psychology.
The curricular report that emerged from the Puget Sound Conference reaffirmed
psychology’s place in the liberal arts tradition. Arguing that the increased frag-
mentation of the field, technological advances, and the rise of a consumerist cul-
ture have threatened the traditional identity of psychology, Dunn and colleagues
(2010) advocated a core curriculum that not only emphasized scientific method-
ology, but also ensured breadth and depth in substantive content areas of the field:
Biological Bases, Learning/Cognition, Developmental, and Sociocultural (see also
APA, 2007; Dunn, McCarthy, Baker, Halonen, & Hill, 2007). This recommenda-
tion was intended to provide greater coherence to the undergraduate psychology
curriculum in the United States, which could then be attuned to the specific needs
and resources of various programs.

Psychological Literacy, Student Learning


Outcomes, and the Psychology Curriculum

How can a curriculum be tuned to promote psychological literacy? First, we


believe that psychology departments should review their current curricula in light
of the core curriculum recommended by Dunn and colleagues (2010), and make
adjustments as necessary. Psychology departments should also familiarize them-
selves with the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (APA,
2007), the recommendations of which outline the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
values that derive from the undergraduate psychology major and its place in the
context of a liberal education. Table 2.1 categorizes two sets of five learning goals,
the first more specific to the science and application of psychology, the second
more related to the broader goals of a liberal arts education as addressed by psy-
chology (APA, 2007). McGovern and colleagues (2010) note that the APA guide-
lines are consistent with their definition of psychological literacy and with student
learning outcomes (SLOs) created independently by academic psychologists in
Australia and Europe.
SLOs are concrete statements that indicate what students will know or be able
to demonstrate once they have completed an activity, a course, or a major (Angelo
& Cross, 1993; Diamond, 2008; Suskie, 2009). For SLOs to be meaningful, depart-
ments must also identify useful measures for assessing SLOs. We identify selected
learning outcomes consistent with psychological literacy (McGovern et al., 2010)
and the core curriculum recommendations made by Dunn and colleagues (2010).
What follows is a description of each SLO, along with how each can be achieved
via the psychology curriculum.

Writing

It is important for students to have the ability to write effectively for a variety of
audiences and purposes. An essential skill for psychology students is to be able to
employ the discipline’s vernacular and writing style (e.g., APA, 2010; Beins, Smith,
18 T h e P s y c h o l o gi c a l ly Lit e r at e Citi z e n

Table 2.1╇ Learning Goals Advocated in the APA Guidelines for the
Undergraduate Psychology Major

Consistent with the Science and Application of Psychology

Goal 1: Knowledge Base of Psychology


Goal 2: Research Methods in Psychology
Goal 3: Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
Goal 4: Application of Psychology
Goal 5: Values in Psychology
Consistent with Liberal Arts Education Further Developed in Psychology
Goal 6: Information and Technological Literacy
Goal 7: Communication Skills
Goal 8: Sociocultural and International Awareness
Goal 9: Personal Development
Goal 10: Career Planning and Development

Source: Adapted from APA (2007).

& Dunn, 2010). Thus, the undergraduate psychology curriculum should provide
students opportunities to produce discipline-based writing samples, such as empir-
ical laboratory reports or critical literature reviews. Equally important as writing
professional discipline-based papers, which require the use of APA style, is the abil-
ity to write clear and effective prose in general. Such writing may include compos-
ing professional letters, e-mail messages, book reviews, or project proposals, and
may be intended for psychologists and non-psychologists alike. Accordingly, we
recommend that psychology instructors require students to write in a variety of
forms, including reflective or persuasive essays, book reviews, and blogs, in addi-
tion to the more traditional discipline-based papers. With respect to writing, the
goal of psychological literacy is to be able to write clearly and concisely about
psychology for professional and lay audiences alike.

Speaking

In addition to being proficient in written communication, psychologically lite�


rate students should be able to deliver formal and informal oral presentations to
both professional and lay audiences. Such presentations may include delivering
a lecture-style talk, engaging in a relatively casual exchange of ideas and reactions,
or leading a group discussion, all of which may involve groups of people of vary-
ing sizes. An undergraduate psychology curriculum that promotes psychological
literacy should offer students speaking opportunities that evolve in length and
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CHAPTER VII.

n making excursions in the neighbourhood it is advisable


not to attempt too much in one day. During the season
there is plenty time to take things deliberately. A good
beginning may be made by a forenoon walk to the
Monastery of the Annonciade, or Annunciata. It is
situated on the high ridge of the hill between the Carei
and Borigo—that hill the front promontory of which is
defaced by the buff-coloured, box-like villa dignified with
the name of the Château Partouneaux. The pathway to the
monastery leads off from the Route de Turin, a short way beyond
the railway viaduct, and will be found a curious zigzag lane, fit only
for pedestrians or donkeys. To relieve the steepness, the path is
formed like a series of steps four to five feet broad, cut in a rude
way in the sandstone rock, and now much worn. Winding upward
among olive and orange trees, and passing some dwellings, the road
has an antiquated broken-down look, significant of the misfortunes
of the religious establishment to which it leads.
On the spot occupied by the monastery originally stood a small
chapel, where, according to the account of M. Ardoin, wonderful
cures were effected by the intercession of the Virgin. We are told
that about 1660, a sister of the Prince of Monaco, afflicted with a
distressing leprosy, made pilgrimages to the chapel to offer prayers
for her cure. The prayers were successful: and, in gratitude, the
princess built fifteen niches or small chapels along the pathway,
dedicating them to the ‘fifteen mysteries of the rosary.’ This
recognition gave what may be termed a great lift to the institution,
which forthwith swelled from a simple chapel with one or two priests
into a regular monastery with twelve monks. In the eighteenth
century, all went on flourishingly until the French Revolution, when
the whole was abruptly put an end to, and the property taken
possession of by the nation. In this state matters remained until in
recent times some renovations were effected. Finally, in 1867, a
small number of monks of the order of St Francis, who had been
unhoused at Genoa by the appropriations of the Italian government,
got leave to plant themselves down here; and, favoured by local
munificence, the monastery was once more set on foot. So there it
is, with its monks in brown woollen gowns and hoods, wearing
sandals on their bare feet, and going about as walking curiosities.
The piety of the district has not managed to restore the niches
placed by the princess at different points of the ascending pathway.
They stand in hopeless ruin, and we see, only by fragments of
plaster, that they had at one time been pictorially decorated. Yet
they continue to be used as praying stations by those who, on pious
errands, mount to the Annonciade. The walk to the top is charming
—the view of the hill-terraces fine. If a little fatigued, the
excursionist can take a seat in the chapel, which is always open, and
there note the votive offerings hung about the walls. Among these I
observed two pairs of crutches, which had belonged to persons who
(it is said) were cured of lameness by intercessions similar to those
which had effected such wonders on the skin of the princess. M.
Ardoin gives some historical details concerning the spot, which may
interest visitors. His small pamphlet, Du Sanctuaire de N.-D. de
l’Annonciade, may be procured in Mentone. Scattered about in bosky
situations on the top and sides of the hill near the monastery, there
are several small cottages, some of them more fanciful than are
elsewhere to be seen. One is placed like a nest among the branches
of a tree—a very pretty Jack-and-the-beanstalk idea, but not to be
complimented on the score of convenience.
Another but more lengthened excursion can be recommended—
that to the heights of Ste Agnes (pronounced Anèse). Invalids and
persons stiff in the limbs will find the journey too fatiguing to be
undertaken on foot. They will require to hire a donkey at a Station
des Anes, and either a boy or woman will go to lead it up the steeps.
Walking, however, is preferable, if the fatigue can be encountered;
for much of the pleasure consists in sitting down now and then to
loiter over and mark the beauties of the scenery. The route is, for
about a third of a mile, along the right bank of the Borigo, and then
the ascent commences. First, it winds by the usual broad and rudely
made steps amidst orange and lemon gardens, laid out in terraces,
irrigated at certain seasons by water gathered with the greatest
possible care in well-built tanks. The design apparently is to conduct
all the rain that falls by channels and gutters into these receptacles.
When I made the ascent, the tanks were either wholly dry, or had a
residuum of dirty fetid water. What the dwellers in the cottages did
for water, was past my comprehension, unless supplies were brought
to them in small barrels on the backs of donkeys.
The solitude, the simplicity of these hill-dwellings, furnish
interesting matter of contemplation. Of the old Ligurian type, and
speaking a blended patois of Italian and French, with some words of
Arabic and Spanish, the people occupying the slopes of the hills cling
with tenacity to their old usages and habits. From generation to
generation, they have occupied their small properties. Simple and
frugal in their way of living, consuming no foreign or taxable
luxuries, they follow out their obscure destiny in a manner that
entitles them to respect. Conquered by the Romans, harassed by the
Grimaldis, they have been so fortunate as to suffer no absolute
robbery of houses and lands. Dynasties may come and go. It is
pretty much the same who are their nominal superiors. What they
have to do is to attend to their patch of olives, oranges, or lemons.
All the year round, the sun beats down on their little properties; and
provided they can secure a proper supply of water for irrigation, they
bask amidst permanent luxuriance. Water is to them most precious.
Every proprietor must have a tank for receiving the runs of water
from the pathways, in case of rain; and all along the hill-sides are
constructed channels for bringing supplies from distant sources. With
such appliances, a craggy steep, with but faint traces of soil,
becomes fertile and beautiful. In buying pieces of ground, therefore,
care is taken to stipulate for some sort of water privilege; such, for
instance, as a right to have water turned on one or more days, or
hours, per week. When there has been a long drought, as was the
case previous to my visit, the suffering is considerable; though
personal inconvenience is less thought of than loss of crops. In
summer, when the heat becomes excessive, it is not unusual for
these hill-dwellers to quit their small cottages, and live entirely in the
open air. A whole family will, gipsy-fashion, bivouac under one of the
leafy boughs of a fig-tree, and thus far exemplify in a European
country the Asiatic usage referred to in Scripture.
Gaining the summit of the colline, and passing through a forest of
pines, the path at length ascends the face of the mountains,
becoming continually more steep until the top of the pass is reached
at the small decayed village of Ste Agnes. The circumstance of snow
occasionally powdering the summit in winter, appears to have
suggested the dedication of the old church to Our Lady of the
Snows. By a steep footpath, an ascent may be made to the ruined
château, which is perched on the rocky peak. Tradition associates
the ruin with a lady, canonised as Ste Agnes, and a redoubtable
Saracen chief, the occupant of the castle, whom she Christianised;
there is, however, no end of romantic legends of this kind in the
Riviera, and any one so inclined might fill a volume with them. The
fête of Ste Agnes takes place on the 21st of January, when a
miscellaneous concourse gathers for the occasion, some on foot,
others on donkeys, while ladies of infirm health are carried up in an
arm-chair—the carrying being managed by poles, on the principle of
a sedan. The ceremonies include a procession with a large pomme
d’or, or golden apple; and besides gifts of money, some devotees
place an apple covered with gold-leaf on the altar of the saint by
way of offering. At the termination of the ceremony, pieces of the
apples are freely distributed. M. Pessy, who mentions the fact, is
unable to explain the origin of this strange and ancient usage. The
peak of Ste Agnes may be considered as the central eminence in the
wide semicircle of limestone mountains which shelter Mentone from
the north and north-western blasts. It is not nearly the highest of
the mountains, but it is prominent and singularly picturesque. In a
fine day, the view from it is magnificent, the heights of Corsica being
clearly outlined on the southern horizon.
We need say nothing special of excursions to Castellare, Castillon,
the lofty Berceau, the sunny knolls of Gorbio, Cabrole, or the quiet
nooks in the recesses of the different valleys. It is a common
practice for a party of visitors, ladies and gentlemen, to go off in the
morning for pic-nics to some choice spot, selected for its beauty.
Seated under the olive trees, the baskets borne by the donkey-boys
are opened, and their contents displayed. The grouping (faintly
represented in the vignette frontispiece) is sometimes made matter
of tasteful arrangement, and the tableau vivant, blended as to colour
and figure, brings to remembrance the pictures of Watteau.
In none of the excursions do we see the pasturing of sheep, such
as we are accustomed to at home. There is a general absence of
animal life. The scenery communicates the feeling of perfect repose.
In the recesses of the valleys, there is a sort of supernatural
stillness. You are environed by trees, rocks, and hill-terraces, with
châlets far up on which the sun is shining; but not a leaf is stirring,
although at that moment, perhaps, there is a breeze on the sea-
shore. I never quite understood what was done for supplies of
mutton for market. The only sheep visible consisted of a single flock,
under the charge of an old man and boy, dressed in antiquated
costume. Standing high on their legs, the sheep had remarkable
Roman noses, and long pendent ears like hounds. So thin, so lank
were they, that a Scottish store-farmer would have looked on them
with contempt. It was my impression they were half-starved. Every
afternoon about sunset, they might be seen conducted into town for
the night. They came down the dry rubbishy torrent of the Carei
among the washerwomen at their dirty frothy pools, eagerly
catching at every blade of grass that happened to be growing
among the stones, eating, as a windfall, any bit of orange-peeling
that happened to lie in their way. Then, getting out of the Carei to
the sea-beach, they had a leisurely walk along the shingle, where
possibly a stray turnip-top or decayed potato rewarded their
explorations. Next morning, after being housed somewhere, they
were out again for the day, and might have been observed grubbing
in the by-ways, and on odd pieces of waste ground, where a
mouthful of green food could be picked up. Such is all I can say
about the feeding of sheep in this pleasant Arcadia. As for cows,
they are not seen at all, but are kept within doors, where they are
fed on the waste pulp of oranges, lemons, and citrons, the rinds of
which fruits are for the most part manufactured as confections. Milk
good, nevertheless, which I thought strange.

Pont St Louis.

Few will refrain from hiring a voiture to make a trip across the
frontier by the Pont St Louis, as far at least as that projecting part of
the mountains on which stands the old tower of Grimaldi. From the
level space in front of the hotels in the East Bay, the Corniche
ascends amidst gardens and villas until, at the distance of a mile,
arriving at the ravine of St Louis, it is carried by excavation along the
face of the precipice. It is really a grand work of art. The ravine,
rugged and singularly picturesque, is spanned by a bridge of a single
arch, connecting France and Italy. A rivulet trickling down the hollow
is conducted by artificial channels to the immediately adjoining
gardens, and issues some hundreds of feet below on the sea-beach.
To have a proper idea of the value of the road, we would need to
walk along the bottom of the cliffs bordering on the sea, making use
of fragments of that ancient Roman way which was the sole
thoroughfare previous to the construction of the Corniche. The walk
is a scramble, with barely footing for a single individual. It is,
however, in various respects worth seeing. We here have an
opportunity of visiting several caverns in the overhanging cliffs, in
which bones and flint weapons of the pre-historic era have been
discovered, and may likewise see the arch of a Roman bridge, which
spans like an attenuated thread one of the ravines.
The road from the Pont St Louis, cut by blasting out of the rocks,
is the finest part of the whole Corniche. On our left we have the
huge overhanging cliffs, and on our right the Mediterranean—view
superb. Tourists will remember that at the top of the ascent, the
road wheels round to the left, and becomes a little more tame in
character. Just at the point of turning, we are opposite the old tower,
which had been a residence of the Grimaldis. It resembles a Border
keep, stuck high on the side of the hill, with a good outlook seaward.
Adjoining it, and reached by an awkward pathway over some broken
rocky ground encroached upon by a quarry, is a garden made in the
face of the steeps by Dr J. H. Bennet. The thing is a marvel of
artificial beauty. Five hundred feet above the Mediterranean, and
with incalculable labour and taste, has this garden been established,
‘with a view to the cultivation of flowers, and to the tranquil
enjoyment of invalid lazaroni life.’ Such is Dr Bennet’s own
explanation of this singular garden among the rocks of Grimaldi. On
entering, you walk along an avenue with built pillars on each side,
whereon climbing plants are ingeniously trained. At my last visit, the
garden had been considerably extended by a fresh purchase of
rocks. Where the earth comes from, is at first sight a little puzzling.
It is discovered to consist of what through ages had accumulated
amidst small crevices in the gray limestone, and being carefully
preserved when making the pathways, is found to be of immense
fertility. Dwellers in northern climes can have no adequate idea of
the productive power of even a single handful of earth in this
favoured spot. A large bush will be seen growing out of a hole in the
rock barely sufficient for its stem.
Although the season is winter, when most English gardens wear a
doleful aspect, all around is gay with salvias, lavateras, geraniums,
myrtles, pelargoniums, and other plants less or more in blossom.
Specimens of the aloe and cactaceæ grow luxuriantly on the jutting
points of the rocks. The mesembryanthemum is in great profusion
on the terraces. Garden plants which with us are only small bushes,
grow here to the dimensions of moderate-sized trees. The grounds
are tended by a native gardener, who conducts the engineering of
the ascending and descending pathways, and has the whole in
charge during summer, when the rays of the sun blaze fiercely on
the gray limestone cliffs. I ventured to suggest to the doctor the
purchase of that time-worn ruined tower of the Grimaldis, which,
amidst a group of olive trees, overhangs the entrance to the
gardens. Cannot be done. The ruin, practically valueless, is held in
heritage by six individuals, whose demands are too enormous to be
dealt with. At an opposite corner of the gardens is a slip of flat
ground bounded by a wall on the verge of the cliff, and here, at a
projecting angle, stands a round pepper-box-looking turret, which in
the olden time had been a watch-tower of the Grimaldis,
commanding a fine view westwards as far as Cap Martin. From a
flag-staff on its summit, the union jack—‘the meteor flag of
England’—is unfurled on holiday occasions, and may have been seen
incomprehensibly waving far overhead by travellers along the
Corniche.
The level patch of ground which is so distinguished seems to form
a kind of open drawing-room or lounge, for playing croquet, reading,
and other recreations. At the inner side of it there is an arched
alcove with a slight trickle of water, affording growth to ferns and
some other plants; and here in the cool shade, swinging his
hammock, Dr Bennet at certain hours indulges in the pleasures of a
lazaroni existence. While his old friends the London physicians are
driving through drizzling sleets and choking smoky fogs, he, by an
intelligent if not compulsory restraint, is lolling in his hammock on
the cliffs of Grimaldi, enjoying the pure air and sunshine in the midst
of a little garden of Eden—the elegant pursuit of botanical science in
a bland climate skilfully protracting a life which had formerly been in
jeopardy. All cannot follow his example, nor is it desirable they
should do so, but to how many professionals approaching their
grand climacteric is the example, at all events, eminently
suggestive?
The slopes to the sea-shore, after passing Grimaldi, if less
picturesque, possess an interest from archæological circumstances.
The land, rich and beautiful, had pertained to a number of families
of distinction, each with a palazzo of old Italian architecture, the
approach to which had been by lofty gateways, surmounted by
heraldic devices, and opening on the old Roman way. As that way is
now broken up, and all but impassable, the palazzos are in the
awkward position of being left without a road. All that can be done is
to make pathways down to them from the modern Corniche, and in
a country where donkeys play so important a part in social economy,
the absence of regular roads is perhaps not esteemed a serious
inconvenience. If anybody wants to buy a palace with fifty to a
hundred acres of land on the borders of the Mediterranean, here is
his chance. Revolutions and what not have cleared out the old
families. The actual proprietors are living somewhere in penury and
obscurity; their palazzos are shut up, with boards in the windows
instead of glass; and the only major-domo is a peasant dwelling in
an outhouse, to take charge of the grounds. Several properties were
pointed out to me (1869) as being for sale.
The idea of making an investment in Italy may not be pleasing.
One never knows what may turn up. Possibly, this is being too
sensitive. Distance is said ‘to lend enchantment to the view,’ but it
sometimes also lends unnecessary apprehensions. On the spot,
everything looks as composed and harmless as may be, and
whatever political turmoils may occur, this cosy nook in the Riviera
offers a retreat not likely to be molested. It is a great thing to
acquire a palazzo and the importance of a seigneur for two or three
thousand pounds—to make your own oil and wine, eat your own
oranges and figs, and have boating and yachting to any imaginable
amount. It is something in the catalogue of recommendations, that
the authorities at the neighbouring town of Ventimiglia are delighted
(and no wonder) to see Englishmen buying properties about them;
any one, therefore, settling down in the neighbourhood, may expect
to be treated with profound civility and consideration. Then, think of
being within an hour’s drive of France—Mentone quite at hand,
whence friends can come to see you on all occasions during the
season, and the douaniers at the frontier giving no sort of trouble. I
retain a vivid recollection of the richly-prolific grounds which environ
these old and traditionally dignified palazzos. Peeping within the
gateway, you see an enclosure exuberant in orange, citron, and fig
trees, with vines trained from pillar to pillar over the silent approach.
Amidst the foliage towers the old gray battered edifice, shut up, and
sorrowful, with nothing to animate the scene but the swallows
wheeling in their busy flight around the deserted mansion. My visit
to these palazzos was in the month of January, when peas (probably
raised for market) were in full bloom.
An English gentleman has bought one of these properties, the
Palazzo of Orengo, near Cap Murtola, and renovated it in first-rate
style. The mansion occupies a site so prominent as to command a
view of Mentone. With the grounds and some water privileges, it
was a cheap purchase. Even with cost of repairs, it was a prodigious
bargain. Politely invited to the palazzo, we went in a hired carriage
from Mentone, but unexpectedly found that it could not take us
further than a point on the high-road overlooking the house, two
hundred feet beneath. A walk down, and the use of a donkey up for
Madame, made all easy. I was of course interested in the interior of
the structure, with its white marble stairs, its inlaid floors, and loggia
off the drawing-room, in the upper floor of the mansion. In every old
palazzo two things appear to have been essential, a draw-well and a
loggia. The draw-well is here situated at one side of the marble-
paved entrance-hall; being, however, tastefully enclosed, it does not
appear out of place. Without a loggia, it would be scarcely possible
to exist in the heats of summer. At Orengo, the loggia is a square
apartment, open on two sides, the roof being supported on pillars.
Seated in this shady retreat, the family enjoy the pleasures of the
open air, with a view of the gardens beneath and the adjacent sea-
beach. A flight of steps on the side next the sea leads down to the
original entrance to the grounds from the old Roman road, here
distinctly traced, about twelve feet wide.
Conducted over the gardens, I had the pleasure of being shewn a
variety of trees and shrubs natural to a tropical climate, and rarely
seen in the open air in Europe. During the short ramble, I learned
some facts regarding the antiquity of the water channels which one
observes everywhere, and of the punctilious way in which custom
and legal rights guard the privileges of the proprietors. The water for
the grounds is led from a torrent, which at certain times turns a mill
for pressing oil from the olives. In consideration of the priceless
value of water, something like a grudge was felt that there was
somewhere hereabouts a subterranean river which had its outlet in
the sea, where it could be seen boiling up and running to waste.
Nobody could tell where it came from. All that could be conjectured
was that it found its way through the limestone rocks from some
place far distant, it might be a hundred miles off. If that river could
be but tapped, and diverted to some useful purpose, what visions of
wealth for the neighbourhood! Perhaps, thought I, this may come
about. What a prize for the Mentonians if they could manage to tap
and impound a subterranean and ever-running river! A gold mine
would be nothing to it.
Palazzo of Orengo.

Observing English newspapers on a table in the house, a talk


ensued about the irregularities of the French postal system. On
settling here, the Times was ordered from London viâ Mentone, but
so frequently was it late in arriving, that at length the expedient was
tried of procuring it by way of Turin and Genoa (some hundreds of
miles about), and ever since it had arrived with regularity and
despatch. I am glad to have at least one good thing to say of Italian
administration, and were the circumstance properly known, it might
shame the French into an improved system of forwarding English
newspapers to strangers residing in their country. In the pleasant
society at Orengo, a few hours sped quickly away. On our departure,
after being hospitably entertained, a school of little girls, under
charge of their mistress, stood awaiting us on the road. It was an
agreeable surprise. At a signal, before entering our carriage, which
had been in attendance at the village, they united in singing a hymn
expressive of good wishes. Having concluded, they individually
presented us with bouquets of sweet-scented violets, and kindly
courtesied an adieu.
CHAPTER VIII.

here is one other excursion which ought not to be


omitted. It is to Cap Martin, and will be comprehended
in a forenoon walk. What, I think, may particularly
interest strangers, is a sight of the largest and finest
olive trees in the whole Riviera, and also some curious
Roman remains, of which no one can give any perfectly
satisfactory explanation. A few days before my
departure from Mentone, I made this excursion.
Fortunately, I was not alone in the journey. I was
favoured with the escort of Mr M. Moggridge, an English gentleman
of nearly my own age, who has resided a number of winters in
Mentone with several members of his family. Uniting a singular
saliency of disposition with scientific tastes, and happily possessing a
wiry frame, which seems to defy fatigue and exposure, he has been
able to undertake journeys over a lengthened tract of the Riviera,
from the sea-shore to the tops of the highest mountains. In 1862,
he occupied himself in exploring the caves in the limestone rocks on
the shore near Pont St Louis, already noticed, bringing to light
bones, pieces of charcoal, and flint instruments, which are the
puzzle of historians. In the midsummer of 1868, he made an
expedition to the mountainous region of the Laghi delle Meraviglie,
thirty-two miles north of Mentone, and there, at the height of 7825
feet above the level of the sea, copied certain hieroglyphic
inscriptions on rocks, which bear some remote resemblance to those
remarkable stone carvings in Scotland which have engaged the
inquiry of antiquaries. Ever on the alert, chiefly with a view to
investigating the nature of the plants in the Riviera, and so aiding
the inquiries of his son, who has written some elegant brochures on
the botany of the district,[A] Mr Moggridge readily consented to be
my cicerone to Cap Martin and the vicinity of Monaco.

A. Contributions to the Flora of Mentone. By J. Traherne


Moggridge. With Coloured Engravings. London, 1868.

At ten o’clock I was ready to start, equipped in my strongest


shoes, which, however, were not half strong enough; for the
weather had been wet, and the roads were in about as bad a
condition as possible for a walking expedition. Feeling the
inadequacy of my equipments, I could not help admiring and
envying my friend’s whole set-out. On presenting himself, you might
see at a glance that you had to deal with an enthusiastic mountain
pedestrian. Attired in a pair of knickerbockers, ribbed woollen
stockings, and stout ankle boots, he carried a pole five and a half
feet long, with a pike at one end and a hook at the other, calculated
either to steady him on the acclivities, or to pull down the branch of
a tree which he wished botanically to examine. Besides this
formidable pike-staff, he carried a green-painted tin box, slung by a
belt round his shoulder, as a receptacle for specimens of plants;
while around his waist was another belt, bearing two leather
sheaths, one containing a large knife, and the other a saw, both
serviceable in his explorations. In his visits to the hills, as I learned,
he does not burden himself with provender. Ordinarily, he is satisfied
with a few oranges in his pocket, and a brown tobacco-pipe, which
he has the knack of smoking while talking to you, holding the pipe
adroitly between his teeth.
It was in this guise that he proceeded to lead me to Cap Martin.
Passing Carnolles and the last house in the western suburb, we left
the main thoroughfare, and struck to the left, down a narrow road,
dreadfully cut up with wheel-tracks, and environed by grounds, on
which grew a forest of olive trees of considerable size, and evidently,
from their appearance, of great antiquity. I had seen none so large
elsewhere. According to tradition, many of these trees were upwards
of a thousand years old, and such, in a qualified sense, is likely to be
the case. Branches and part of the stem of the olive tree decay, but
life remains in the roots and lower division of the trunk, from which
new boughs spring time after time through a succession of ages.
From these causes, while many of the trunks are rent in antiquated
hollows, the mass of branches above are youthful and luxuriant.
Such trees may command a degree of veneration from their age, but
I cannot coincide in the notion of their beauty. Evidently the whole
require frequent manuring around the roots. Old woollen rags, if
they can be obtained, are used for the purpose. There is a belief
that the Romans brought the olive from Palestine and introduced it
into the country. Nowhere, as I have said, has it attained such a
gigantic size as on the soil of Cap Martin.
Having floundered along the pathway for about a mile, turning
and winding, and at length ascending to the higher ground forming
the flattish ridge of the Cap, we paused a little to have a view over
the Mediterranean and the environs of Mentone. Mists hung on the
summits of the higher mountains, a few peaks being slightly
whitened with snow. One sharp point stood out clearly against the
sky.
‘Do you see that tall jagged peak,’ said Mr Moggridge, ‘that one
clear of clouds, immediately behind Castellare?’
‘Of course I do,’ I replied: ‘it seems so narrow that a person could
not find footing on the summit.’
‘Quite a mistake,’ he replied. ‘I have often pic-nicked with parties
on the very top, which is only 2745 feet high.’
‘Surely, ladies cannot have climbed to such a height?’
‘Yes, they have,’ replied my friend. ‘The last time I was up, there
was a lady in the party who was a grandmother, and she is quite
ready to make the ascent again at the first opportunity. You have no
idea what spirited ladies—English visitors—we have in Mentone; they
will walk for miles up the hills, and afterwards dance half the night
at a ball at the Cercle. This is the place for exercising the limbs.’
‘Perhaps,’ said I, ‘sometimes rather more dancing than discretion;
however, that is not my affair. What is your idea about the climate of
Mentone?—you must have had a good experience of it.’
‘My idea is very conclusive; I care nothing about popular fancies,
but go to Nature. Two things I take as a criterion—contour and
vegetation. See that semicircle of mountains, the whole a mighty
rampart sheltering the lower grounds from the cold and moist winds
of northern and central Europe. Then, see what is the vegetation.
Lemons and citrons, two most delicate fruits, growing in profusion in
the open air, like apples in Herefordshire. Look around you, also, and
see these noble olive trees, as old and as tall as oaks in England. I
might speak of the carouba and various other trees, but it is
unnecessary.’
‘Is not dryness a peculiarity of the air?’
‘Yes, the air is generally dry and light, which adapts it for some
classes of invalids; but I do not consider it as being too dry; the sea
must have a certain modifying influence. The benefit derived by
members of my own family wintering here, enables me to speak
with confidence of both air and climate.’
Speaking of the adaptability of the Cap for a pleasure-ground,
with drives for the enjoyment of visitors, I learned that the land had
been put in the way of being saved from exclusive private use by
being purchased by a Parisian gentleman, a winter visitor, M.
Sabatier, to whom, as well as to his family, Mentone was under many
obligations. Having bought the property, he has given the municipal
authorities an opportunity to acquire it at the purchased price for the
use of the public. Whether the liberal offer will be embraced seems
doubtful; for besides the purchase-money, there must be a
considerable outlay in forming a proper road along the beach to join
the Promenade du Midi.
After a little chat on this interesting topic, we walked on,
immediately striking upon a narrow road through the forest, differing
in some respects from the miry path in the lower grounds. It was
bounded by low walls, and here and there we came upon a remnant
of pavement with large stones; such being portions of the old
Roman road through the country. Excepting what produce might
presumably be gathered from the huge olive trees, the district was a
waste. Along the road, we met only two or three labouring men
going to their work somewhere, to all of whom my companion said:
Bonjour, mon ami, to which greeting there was a gracious response.
‘I see,’ said I, ‘that you make a point of speaking to every one you
meet—I suppose that is the common practice.’
The reply was: ‘Some do it, and some do not. It has been my
custom through life to always have a kindly word for every one when
walking through the country. It is a bit of civility that gives pleasure.
I have never been the worse, but often the better, for it. Years ago,
when helping a canvass in Wales, I secured a great many votes from
people I knew nothing at all about; the explanation being, as they
candidly told me, that I had spoken to them long before, when I
asked for and expected nothing. Since I came to France, I have
followed the practice, and am the best friend in the world with all
the poor people in the neighbourhood.’
‘The opinion I have formed,’ I said, ‘from a comparatively limited
observation, is, that the humbler classes in Mentone and its vicinity
are an industrious, quiet, well-disposed people—does that consist
with your experience?’
‘Most assuredly it does: they are old-fashioned in their ways,
possess no enterprise, but in all my experience I never saw such a
decent, well-behaved people. Crime is almost unknown amongst
them.—But here we are at the ruin.’
At the distance of about sixty feet north from the side of the road,
on a raised bank surrounded by olive trees, stands this fragment of
masonry. Approaching it, to have a close inspection, we find it to be
a building of stones squared, and laid in regular courses. Fronting us
is a façade, measuring twenty-seven feet across, and twelve feet
high; but as the top is broken and ragged, the original height must
have been greater. The thickness of the façade is five feet six inches
—so thick as to admit of three alcoves or recesses in a row, each
recess arched, and about two feet in depth backwards. The wall
above the arches shews a handsome string-course, with a lozenge-
shaped figure over the two side arches. Over the central arch, there
is a square recess in the wall, which had evidently at one time been
occupied by a slab, probably bearing an inscription. Behind the mass
forming this frontage, there had been an open quadrangle, enclosed
by a wall two feet thick. Of this wall the west side only remains, but
we trace where the other sides had been. The depth of the
quadrangle over the wall had been twenty-eight feet six inches, by
twenty-seven feet—very nearly a square. These walls, as is observed
by significant traces, had not been above seven or eight feet high.
Having examined the structure at all points, we can have little
difficulty in assigning its origin to the Romans; but at what period it
was erected, or what were its uses, are questions less easily solved.
There it stands, without date or mark to tell its mysterious tale; and
from no ancient writer do we learn aught concerning it. To
strengthen the opinion that the ruin is of Roman origin, it is known
with all but absolute certainty that on the flat ground hereabouts
was the military station of Lumon or Lumone, indicated by Antoninus
as being on the Roman way from Ventimiglia to Turbia. Of this
station there is now no visible trace, such as the mounds of an
encampment, but this may be accounted for by the universal
trenching caused by the culture of the olive trees.
‘Well,’ inquired my companion, ‘now that you have had a good
look of the ruin, and taken its measurements, what is your opinion
about it? I have made up my mind, but I will be quite fair, and let
you speak first.’
This was putting me on my mettle. I took a little time to think. ‘My
first notion,’ I said, ‘on seeing the building was, that it was the relic
of some habitable structure; then the idea of baths crossed my
mind; but on looking closely at the façade, I am fully of opinion that
the building has been of a commemorative character; and I will
shew you why. That empty square space over the middle arch had,
no doubt, been originally filled with a slab bearing an inscription;
and it is quite as likely that in each alcove there had stood a figure in
marble; in the central one, possibly, a bust, and an appropriate
heathen deity on each side.’
‘Not badly guessed, so far,’ said Mr Moggridge: ‘now, I will tell you
what I think. This had been the mausoleum of some distinguished
Roman family, connected with the station of Lumone. The burial-
place had been the enclosure behind; and in front had been the
inscription. Such, in fact, is the opinion of several French antiquaries
who have written about the place. I believe, however, no one has
thought of the figures in front; but that conjecture, I allow, is very
feasible.’
We argued the point as to whether the mausoleum was that of a
family or an individual; but having no basis of facts whereon to
found our respective theories, the discussion settled nothing. I
suggested that the space behind the façade should be trenched, to
discover if there were any sepulchral remains; and that at anyrate
the whole ruin should be enclosed, and protected from further injury.
There is no photograph or drawing of the ruin, and I likewise hinted
that something of that kind was very desirable. I have attempted a
small sketch of it from memory, and put it at the conclusion of the
present volume.
Leaving this relic of antiquity, we continued our walk westward till,
getting clear of the woods, and still on the old Roman road, we
came in sight of Monaco and the very picturesque shores of the
Mediterranean in its neighbourhood. The ground was an open
uncultured steep. Far below on our left was the sea-shore, while on
the face of the hill above was the town of Roccabruna, which can be
reached by a steep pathway. Around us on the sloping bank, trees
and small flowering plants were growing in a state of nature. This
wild condition of affairs was highly relished by my companion. He
was on the outlook for a particular plant, which he described as
being never found except in the south. I drew his attention to a
modest-looking shrub about the size of a whin-bush, bearing very
small purple blossoms along the outer stems.
‘Why,’ said he, ‘that is a common plant here; it is rosemary—the
well-known rosemary of Shakspeare; and if we look about we shall
also find rue, another plant of poetic renown—there it is. You
remember what Ophelia says about rue: “There’s rue for you; and
here’s some for me.”’
‘Ophelia says something more than that: in tendering the rue to
Laertes, she says, “we may call it herb-grace o’ Sundays,” and what
is meant by that has been subject of subtle inquiry among critics; I
suppose, however, that rue was called herb-grace simply as figuring
by its sorrowful name the grace of repentance.’
The remark introduced a conversation on the practice of laying a
bunch of rue before persons on trial at Newgate—an impertinent
practical pun on their unfortunate position at the bar. While
discussing the subject, Mr Moggridge made a sudden rush to a plant
with small slender leaves, being the one he was in quest of, and
seemed to feel more happy in securing a specimen of it than if he
had fallen upon a mine of the precious metals. ‘I daresay it is a
valuable plant that you have got hold of,’ said I; ‘unfortunately, I am
not able to see anything remarkable about it; that, of course, is my
ignorance. I go in for admiring the rosemary, which is flowering
hereabouts in great profusion; so, “for remembrance,” I will take the
liberty of carrying off a sprig in my button-hole.’
Glancing down the steep, I observed a donkey climbing a pathway
under a load of sticks, with a lad behind driving it. ‘What a
wonderfully useful animal the ass is in this mountainous region,’ I
observed. ‘I don’t see how the people could get on without it. And
so patient, so docile is the creature, I am sometimes sorry for it.
Talking of that, I have heard the donkey-women address a few
words to the animal, as if to cheer it on, which I did not understand.
The words sounded like alla eesa. Can you tell me what they mean?’
‘Yes,’ was the reply. ‘The meaning is a pious exclamation of kindly
import from the Arabic, and is traced to the Saracens, who at one
time held possession of parts of the country along the coast. The
hill-dwellers certainly take the work out of their donkeys, but on the
whole treat them kindly; they are, in fact, their companions, their
friends, their dependence.’
Conversation now turned on the remarkable absence of wild
animals, particularly birds, along the whole Riviera. There was,
doubtless, no deficiency of butterflies, but this only confirmed the
notion, that insects injurious to plants had gained in numbers by the
vicious practice of shooting almost every kind of small bird.
Mr Moggridge confirmed me in this opinion. ‘Some of the tracts on
the higher hills,’ said he, ‘have been wholly stripped of their pine
forests by a destructive caterpillar, the Bombyx processiania; so
called because these caterpillars follow each other in long and very
strange processions. One goes in front as a leader, two follow close
behind, then three, and so on, all hard upon each other. As they are
marked brown and black, a procession of them looks like a triangular
piece of old carpet on the march with one of the corners foremost—
a very queer sort of thing, I assure you. Two or three years ago,
when on an expedition among the mountains, I came to the forest
of Braus, which was already half destroyed by these voracious
caterpillars. Many trees were merely withered stumps, others were
dying, and to all appearance the remainder would ere long perish. A
good way to get rid of these destructive caterpillars would be to
gather and set fire to their nests, which resemble bunches of fine
wool placed among the branches of the trees. I suggested to the
government that women and children should be employed to pick off
the nests, otherwise the country would be denuded; but I was
referred to the communal authorities, and they would do nothing. I
suppose the woods are all gone by this time. All this comes, of
course, from shooting the small birds which are appointed by Nature
to keep down the number of insects. There has been, I believe,
some formal edict of the French government against killing these
birds, but little or no attention is paid to it. The insects which prey
on plants have full swing. The time may come when, alarmed for the
consequences, the French, like the people of Philadelphia in the
United States, may have to import batches of live sparrows from
England.’
Taking the road back to Mentone, and leaving Mr Moggridge to
pursue some inquiries in the neighbourhood of Roccabruna, I had
not an opportunity of following up his remarks on the folly of killing
small birds. It is more than a folly. It is a gross public outrage. At
Mentone, persons are seen sallying out with guns slung by a belt
over their shoulders, on the watch for every stray sparrow, lark, or
robin. Shooting these small birds goes on with perfect impunity in
the streets and by-ways. The practice is not carried on in a mere
spirit of idleness or mischief. The little creatures are killed for the
sake of picking up a few miserable sous. The birds are disposed of to
shopkeepers, who hang them up in bunches for sale outside their
doors; and in due time they make their appearance cooked at the
tables-d’hôte: a menu with an Entrée des alouettes et des rouges-
gorges—in plain English, a dish of roasted larks and robin-
redbreasts! Greatly to the credit of the visitors residing last season
at the Hôtel Splendide, they protested against the barbarity, and the
remonstrance, as under, obtained publicity in the small local journal.
[B]

B. (Translation.) The undersigned, members of the colony of


strangers at Mentone, penetrated, as every one ought to be, with
the great wrong done to agriculture by the destruction of
insectivorous birds, and anxious to contribute on their part towards
the disappearance of a practice as hurtful as it is barbarous, make it
known as their wish that the keepers of hotels and pensions will
never again serve up this species of game at their tables-d’hôte.—
Journal de Menton, Nov. 27, 1869.

Besides being injurious to agriculture, the systematic slaughter of


insectivorous birds must tend to increase the number of mosquitoes.
I cannot say we were annoyed with these insects, for the season
was winter, and from any stray one that happened to be in the
apartments at night we were protected by fine gauze curtains
hanging in copious drapery around the beds. They become,
however, a serious trouble in spring and summer, more particularly
in the neighbourhood of trees. If it were for nothing more than
lessening the numbers of mosquitoes, the settled inhabitants should
interpose by some general movement to preserve the small birds
from indiscriminate destruction. If they do interpose, they may as
well, while in a lecturing mood, offer some hints to the municipal
authorities regarding their neglect in sundry other little matters;
some of them so obvious to the senses, that they do not need to be
particularised. When a town professes to lay itself out as an
attractive health-resort, it should not have been left to strangers to
make these remonstrances. The self-interest of the people, as well
as good taste, ought before this to have applied a corrective.
Before quitting the country, I visited Monaco, partly with a view to
see what I had heard sufficient talk about, the Casino of Monte
Carlo. The principality, shrunk to moderate dimensions, is now
visited almost exclusively on account of the Casino. Few trouble
themselves about the old walled town on the rocky peninsula,
though it is interesting from historical circumstances. Occupying a
pleasant situation on an elevated plateau east from the town, Monte
Carlo consists of the Casino, a hotel, and a few villas, shops, and
restaurants. The whole are intermingled with gardens, promenades,
and terraces. On the principal terrace grow some fine date palms.
The place has an air of splendour. Everything has been done to
render it attractive. Much money must have been spent by M.
Leblanc, the lessee of the Casino, which bears a considerable
resemblance to the similar establishment at Homburg. The edifice
comprehends several large and very highly-decorated apartments for
the gaming-tables, balls, and concerts. There is likewise a reading-
room, provided with a profusion of English, French, German,
American, and other newspapers, open freely to visitors from
morning to night. A band of musicians plays in the open grounds
twice a day. Les jeux are of the usual character—rouge et noir with
cards, and roulette. As the railway station is at the foot of the slope
immediately behind, the Casino can be reached many times a day in
a quarter of an hour from Mentone, and in less than an hour from
Nice. The resort is considerable, more particularly from Nice; every
train carrying a flock of persons of both sexes with an appetite for
gaming. Natives of the district are, I believe, forbidden to enter the
establishment, but this is a rule which could not be easily enforced. I
heard of cooks and waiters from the hotels in Mentone occasionally
winning or losing a five-franc piece.
It would be easy to enlarge on the gambling which, day by day,
Sunday included, goes on in this authorised temple of Pluto; but
with every disposition to say something condemnatory on the
subject, one is awkwardly reminded of the old injunction about first
taking the mote out of your own eye before trying your hand on the
eyes of others. On this matter of Monte Carlo, I feel as if my mouth
were shut by a knowledge of prevalent gaming practices at home—I
mean the wide-spread system of betting on horse-races, which is
nothing else than inveterate and disreputable gambling under the
cover of sport and fashionable usage.
Wandering about the sunny knolls near the Casino, I had pointed
out to me a pretty spot on the sea-shore, as the original site of the
shrine of Ste Dévote, the patron saint of the small sovereignty. I had
been lately reading the legend of this highly appreciated female
martyr, which I may condense into a few lines, for the amusement of
those who care for this class of stories.
Dévote was a young maiden of Corsica, who, for her faithful
adherence to Christianity, was cruelly put to death during the
frightful persecutions of Diocletian and Maximilian. Warned by a
vision, two priests, who had hid themselves in a cave, carried away
her body, and putting it on board a boat, set sail for the coast of
Africa. A storm, however, arose, and there appeared to be a danger
of being wrecked. In this emergency, when all was given up for lost,
the priests were again favoured by a vision; the spirit of the girl
announced that the storm would soon cease, and that a dove would
issue from her mouth, which they should follow with the boat till
they arrived at a certain spot on the Italian coast near Monaco. They
accordingly saw a dove come forth from the mouth of the corpse,
and they gladly followed it to the spot indicated. There the body was
interred on the 27th January, which day remains the festival of Ste
Dévote. The relics of the saint have been transferred from her
original shrine to the church in Monaco, and are carried in great
ceremony at the annual festival. It has long been a custom, on this
occasion, for the inhabitants of Monaco to prefer a request to the
prince, which, if they all agree upon, and is reasonable and
practicable, is graciously granted.
The implicit belief in the legend of Ste Dévote may be taken as a
fair specimen of the credulity still prevalent in the Riviera. At Monaco
and several other places, the passion of our Lord is dramatised in a
public procession every year on Good-Friday, when an immense
concourse of people attend.
Efforts, as I understand, have been made by some of the higher
order of clergy to put an end to these practices, which have
degenerated into little better than sacrilegious burlesque, but such
well-meant attempts have hitherto failed. The occasion is hailed as a
sort of ‘Holy Fair,’ of which the lower uninstructed classes are
immensely fond. To accommodate the fluctuating crowds,
Roccabruna holds its Good-Friday entertainment on the 5th August.
The maintenance of the revelries is said to be partly due to the
keepers of Débits de Vin, who find it to their account to encourage
them; and there are persons who cling to them for histrionic
reasons. One man is good at playing Pontius Pilate, another (the
villain of the piece) is clever at representing Judas Iscariot, a woman
is proud of being able to simulate the tenderly weeping Mary
Magdalene, and so on with other personages. There is sometimes a
difficulty in finding a person with sufficient self-command to endure
the contumelies heaped on the meek and suffering Saviour by the
Roman soldiers. A few years ago, at Roccabruna, one who undertook
to represent the sacred character was, as he thought, so maltreated
as to lose his temper, and using his fists in defence, broke out in
imprecations which greatly shocked the onlookers. From what I
heard, these pretended solemnities are losing hold on popular
feeling. At Mentone they are of a subdued character. Education and
intercourse with strangers are year by year lessening the general
respect for them. Let alone, I doubt not that, like the mummings of
the olden time in England, they will gradually disappear.
The concluding part of the season, as has been said, was spent by
us in Nice, where, as well as in Paris subsequently, I found
something to interest in the method of forming foot-pavements and
roadways of a species of artificial stone, which was introduced a few
years ago with perfect success into France. The material employed is
a bituminous limestone rock ground to powder; the powder is
heated, but not melted, in a caldron, after which it is laid evenly, as
a sort of hot mortar, on a bed of concrete; lastly, it is pressed
smooth with rollers, and is allowed a short time to cool and harden
previous to being used. In the case of foot-pavements, after
pressure, it is stamped with indentations to resemble sandstone.
When finished, it is smooth, beautiful in appearance, hard, and more
durable than any stone ordinarily employed. In Paris, it has latterly
come extensively into use for the roadways, and is only now
becoming known in London. The rock which furnishes this
remarkable material is a hard limestone dug from mines in the Val-
de-Travers, canton of Neufchâtel, Switzerland. The proportion of
bitumen in the rock is eleven to twelve per cent., just sufficient to
fuse the material when ground, and to take a firm consolidated form
by pressure; on which account, it is a very different thing from the
pitchy asphalt mixed with sand with which we are accustomed. Any
one who is acquainted with the newer streets in Paris will recollect
their smoothness, and the ease with which carriages are run upon
them. The wonder is, how the invention should have been so long in
making its way to England.

My little tale is told. I have endeavoured to offer a fair outline of


what may be experienced, and what seen, by a Wintering at Mentone
—extenuating nothing, overpraising nothing. More might have been
said regarding the climate without trenching on the province of the
physician; yet enough has been stated to shew invalids and health-
seekers in advanced years that, with care, very considerable benefit
may be experienced. It will have been seen that certain discomforts,
possibly extortions, may have to be submitted to. The dreariness of
exile in a place so unfortunately devoid of means for rational
amusement as Mentone, will in itself be hateful. The inadequacy of
various public arrangements may cause personal inconvenience and
dissatisfaction. But seriously considered, what is all that and much
more, when balanced against the probability of returning home with
a reinvigorated constitution? My latest sojourn, not free from
annoyances which are vanishing from memory, effected every
desired end. On losing the last glimpse of the Mediterranean, I felt
something like a pang of regret, though its noisy movements had at
times been troublesome. Its pleasant sunny shores had restored the
health that had been impaired on the banks of the Firth of Forth.
Edinburgh: Printed by W. and R. Chambers.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINTERING AT
MENTONE ***

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