(R)Evolutionary Teaching: Evolutionary Psychology in the Literature Classroom

Written by a professor and her former student, this article describes a senior-level class that studied early British literature from the perspective of evolutionary psychology in Spring 2009. Both writers conclude that the experience was a positive one for students and a healthy challenge for all involved. The interdisciplinary work of the course provided an opportunity to “teach the conflicts” and to prepare students for the potential conflicts they faced in graduate programs as they applied the controversial theory of evolutionary psychology.