Weber State University



Chapter 1 - Social Psychology: What is it?It is a social science that systematically studies people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior in social contexts. Just like other social sciences, systematic study is a key element.Social scientists do not rely on speculation – they systematically test theoriesSocial scientists do not develop theories to explain the behavior of a single individual – they develop theories to explain how and why different people will tend to behave in similar ways when facing similar situations or placed in similar rolesIt’s not Psychology.What do I mean by that?Sociological social psychologists study many of the same topics as psychological social psychologists – emotions, identity, attitudes – but they use theories and perspectives that tend to place emphasis on the role of society in social processes.Microsociology – the study of the effects of larger society on social psychological processesStudy impact of larger social factors on individuals and their interactionsStudy the role of the individual in the creation and maintenance of societySocial conditions provide a context for understanding interactions between individualsWe use our sociological imagination – def. p. 16 – the ability to see our personal lives in the context of the history, culture, and social structure of the larger society within which we liveGive Durkheim example – study of suicideUse three faces handout to talk about psychological social psychology and introduce students to various perspectives in sociological social psychologyGood example p. 10 – study self-esteemSociological social psychologists more likely to make comparisons between racial/ethnic groupsPsychological social psychologists more likely to study the thinking processes associated with self-esteemFigure 1.1 can be discussed herePerspectives in Sociological Social PsychologySymbolic InteractionismThe study of how people negotiate the meaning of social life during their interactions with other peopleMead credited with fathering perspectiveFrom an SI perspective, the important connection between society and our inner experiences lies in our interactions with other people – these interactions provide information about the world, that we then accept or modify for our own useSocial Structure and PersonalityFocuses on the influence of social structure on individualsSocial structure – def – persisting patterns of behavior and interaction between people or social positions – p. 14Elements of social structure – the way in which society is organizedStatuses – p. 19 – position you holdRoles - p. 19 – expectations of how you behave in a particular positionGroups – two or more peopleSocial Institutions – p. 19 – consists of patterns of interaction in which the behavior of a large group is guided by the same norms and roles – see Box 1.5 p. 20Group ProcessesStudy how basic social processes operate in group contextStudy how our interactions and positions within groups influence our meaning-making processes and other outcomesParticularly interested in processes that come into play when groups form – statuses for example, power for example, justice for example (fairness)P. 14 for summary tableSociological Toolkit – other things worth mentioning for studying human behaviorCulture – def. p. 20 – unique patterns of behavior and beliefsElements of Culture – p. 21 Box 1.6Language and SymbolsValues – guidelines for living (what’s good and what’s bad)Beliefs – what people believe to be trueNorms – rules guiding our behaviorFormalInformalSanctionsPositive & NegativeMaterial Culture – tangible artifacts of culture (cars, clothes, etc)Elements of culture help us interact because they help us interpret a social situation and decide how to react or behaveWe make choices within cultural limitationsPeople from different cultures react differently to symbols for instance because the elements of culture they are using to interpret the symbol is different than our own. Can anyone give an example of our use of the elements of culture to interpret a symbol that would be interpreted differently elsewhere?Is culture static or dynamic? ................
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