Sociology: Self and Society

Analysis of the roles of sociocultural and situational factors in individual behavior and experience and the social genesis, development, and functioning of human personality. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.

Prerequisites: 3 hours of Sociology Minimum Sophomore standing PACE students with permission and override

This course provides an introduction to social psychology, an interdisciplinary field which systematically examines how the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other people influences a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The focus of the course is on how groups – ranging from friendship circles to ethnic groups to entire societies – affect the life of an individual and how the individual affects the group. Thus, the course examines the reciprocal relationship between individual-level and group-level phenomena. We will begin by asking “What is Social Psychology?” and discuss the types of questions posed by social psychologists and the ways in which they study social life. The remainder of the course is divided into eight sections, each exploring a different aspect of social psychology – including socialization, self and self-presentation, social perception, social norms and deviant behavior, social influence, attitudes and behavior, collective behavior, and intergroup conflict. Some examples of questions that we will examine include: How do we develop our “self” and “identities”? How do we form impressions of ourselves and of others? How do we explain our own behaviors and that of others? What role do norms play in society and what happens when we break them? In what ways are our opinions and actions influenced by others? What is collective behavior and what does it look like? What causes conflict between groups and how can we lessen this conflict?

2 exams, weekly writing assignments, group presentation