Course Description
The social factors that shape behavior and self-concept; theories such as behaviorism, symbolic interactionism, Freudian psychology, cognitive social psychology, and critical approaches. Topics include emotions, human development, and authenticity and sincerity in the postmodern age.
Athena Title
PERS & SOCL STRUCT
Prerequisite
SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1101H or SOCI 2600 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The main objective of this course is to develop in students an appreciation for the ways in which social factors influence and shape human behavior and self-concept. Students will exercise their sociological imaginations by examining the ways in which social and historical forces affect human beings and, in turn, are affected by them. One of the basic lessons to be learned from this course is that human behavior cannot be understood as simply a matter of personality or other internalized aspects of the individual. Human beings are social animals, which means that we are influenced by the world around us. This external world includes both the aspects of the immediate situation we find ourselves in – such as whether other people are present and the role relationships we have with these other people – but also more “structural” forces such as our economic situation and the culture of the social groups with which we identify. So, in sum, our goal is to examine these interesting linkages between our “selves” and the society to which we belong. Specifically, this course aims to (1) to gain an understanding of three distinctive approaches to social psychology, namely, psychological social psychology, symbolic interactionism, and the personality and social structure approach; (2) to recognize human identity as a social construct that is made coherent through the individual’s ongoing story, or narrative, of his or her life; and (3)to analyze some of the major human emotions (prejudice, love, and fear) through a personality and social structure approach.
Topical Outline
A. The Three Faces of Social Psychology 1. The origins of contemporary social psychology 2. The main differences between psychological and sociological social psychology 3. PSP’s twin pillars: Behaviorism and the Cognitive Tradition 4. The political spectrum of sociological social psychology: From conservative exchange theory to left-radical critical theory. B. The Social Sources of Identity 1. The social construction of identity. 2. Why are groups essential to identity? 3. Is the nature of group life changing, that is, are secondary groups becoming more significant in our daily lives than primary groups? C. Is the Self “Real?” 1. Socialization, Social Roles, and the Construction of the Self. 2. The Dramaturgical approach to social life 3. Sincerity and authenticity. 4. Does the concept of “self” refer to something real or is it merely a label for human self-consciousness? D. Strong Emotions: Hatred, Prejudice, and Love. 1. Why do people hate? Is hatred a psychological malfunction or a socially induced attitude? 2. How could war crimes, atrocities, and genocides take place? Are they possible today? 3. What are the social functions of love? 4. Is love inexplicable or can it be explained sociologically? E. Secularization, Rituals, and Collective Solidarity 1. Are cultural traditions and rituals taken seriously these days? 2. Is there a difference between the Nike Swoosh and the American flag? 3. Do we live in a secular culture and, if so, why do we still attend religious services? 4. Is religiosity a social variable? That is, does religiosity vary by age, generation, gender, social class, ethnicity, and region? F. Life Course Issues: Apathy, Boredom, and Human Development. 1. What is flow and is the experience limited to autotelic personalities? 2. What are the two moments of self-realization? 3. Does self-realization have social bases? That is, does it vary across time, place, and social groups? 4. Is apathy an increasing characteristic of our time?
Syllabus