Resilience Development

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course delves into the evolving concept of resilience, moving beyond the traditional view of it as a fixed trait. We will explore resilience as a dynamic process and outcome that is multifaceted and develops over time through biological and environmental processes. During the course, we will place special emphasis on resilience in the context of neighborhood-level adversities such as poverty and community violence. Students will critically examine how resilience is defined and measured, and the inconsistencies in these definitions across different studies and developmental periods. The course will also cover protective factors that enhance youth resilience and discuss how these factors influence developmental trajectories of resilience. Additionally, we will introduce the emerging field of the biological pathways of resilience by investigating how underlying physiological and genetic factors contribute to resilience development. Through our exploration in this course, students will gain insights into resilience in adverse environments and the implications for supporting youth across development.