James Christopher Head, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
678-839-0620
jchead@westga.edu
Melson Hall - Room 219
Office Hours
By appointment
James Christopher Head is an interdisciplinary scholar whose interests include the history of psychology, the philosophy of science, qualitative research, narrative analysis, and liberatory pedagogy. His recent research bridges the fields of psychology, sociology, and education and has been published in Critical Studies in Education (2019) and Journal of Education Policy (2019). His dissertation, The Narration of Conflicting Accountabilities in the Era of High-Stakes Teacher Evaluation, was awarded the designation of best qualitative dissertation of the year (2019) by Division 5 of the American Psychological Association. This work introduces a multi-contextual approach to narrative analysis, and in so doing, reflects his appreciation of what C. Wright Mills referred to as the connection between “public issues” and “private troubles.” His teaching practices facilitate students’ multi-contextual engagement and invite budding scholars to explore their interests – from the personal to the public – as they negotiate course content, instructional parameters, and professional aspirations. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP).
- B.A., History, Georgia State University, 2001
- M.A.T., Secondary Education, Georgia College & State University, 2004
- M.A., Psychology, University of West Georgia, 2012
- M. Phil., Psychology, CUNY Graduate Center, 2017
- Ph.D., Psychology, CUNY Graduate Center, 2018
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods)
- PSYC-4030 (Hist & Philosoph of Psychology)
- PSYC-4085 (Horizon Seminar: Life Stories)
- PSYC-4085C (Alienation in the Digital Age)
- PSYC-4085F (Life Stories)
- PSYC-4881 (Research Methodology Applctn.)
- PSYC-5085 (Psychology as Human Science)
- PSYC-6021 (Psychology as Human Science)
- PSYC-7810 (Humanizing Psych Research)
- PSYC-7810B (Narrative Psychology)
- PSYC-8006 (Adv Hum Science Methodologies)
- PSYC-8581 (Narratives of the Dying)
Spring 2022 Sections
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods) Section: 01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-4030 (Hist & Philosoph of Psychology) Section: 02 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-8006 (Adv Hum Science Methodologies) Section: 01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
Fall 2021 Sections
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods) Section: 01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-4085C (Alienation in the Digital Age) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
Spring 2021 Sections
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-4085F (Life Stories) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-4881 (Research Methodology Applctn.) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-6021 (Psychology as Human Science) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-7810B (Narrative Psychology) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-8581 (Psychedu Honesty & Integrity) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
Fall 2020 Sections
- PSYC-4030 (History&PhilosophyofPsychology) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-6021 (Psychology as Human Science) Section: E01 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
- PSYC-8581 (Narratives of the Dying) Section: E03 external Syllabus via Concourse External Resource
Spring 2020 Sections
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods) Section: 01
- PSYC-4030 (Hist & Philosoph of Psychology) Section: 01
- PSYC-4085 (Horizon Seminar: Life Stories) Section: 08
Fall 2019 Sections
- PSYC-4030 (History&PhilosophyofPsychology) Section: 01
- PSYC-6021 (Psychology as Human Science) Section: 01
Spring 2019 Sections
- PSYC-2220 (Qualitative Research Methods) Section: 01
- PSYC-4085 (Horizon Seminar: Life Stories) Section: 12
- PSYC-7810 (Narrative Psychology) Section: 06
Fall 2018 Sections
- PSYC-4030 (Hist & Philosoph of Psychology) Section: 01
- PSYC-5085 (Psychology as Human Science) Section: 03
- PSYC-7810 (Humanizing Psych Research) Section: 01
Head, J.C. (2019). “From the bottom-up: New York City teacher evaluation and the narration of mediated institutional assault.” Critical Studies in Education, 60 (1), 37-54.
Head, J.C., Pryiomka, K. (2019). Accounting for mediatization in the era of individualized consequential accountability. Journal of Education Policy.
Head, J.C., Quigua, F. & Clegg, J.W. (2019). The radical potentials of human experience: Maslow, Leary and the pre-history of qualitative inquiry. Qualitative Inquiry, 6 (1), 116-132.