Jane Dickie arrived at Hope College in 1972 (a new Ph.D., young mother
of a three year old) to teach Developmental Psychology. Thirty-five plus
years, one more child and two grandchildren later, Jane REALLY understands
development, for it is in practical applications and real life that
the theories and
research come alive. For this reason, all of her classes (Developmental
Psychology, Psychology of Women, Research Lab, Introduction to Women’s
Studies, Women’s Studies Internships) have practical and applied
components. She thoroughly believes that the combined life experiences
in the classroom are fertile soil for creating learning communities,
so her classes tend to involve students in interaction. Her research
has grown
out of lived experiences, student questions, psychological research
and theory. Key areas include, the relationship between parent-child
relationships and children’s concepts of God, women’s communities
and their impact on adult development, relationships between generations
of women,
and children’s gendered sense of self. Besides her psychology department
connection, she teaches women's studies courses. Her
great joy is living on her 20-acre farm with horses, goats, and chickens
and traveling and living internationally with her life partner, Larry.
