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UPDATED 3/15/2006 1:17 PM
Department of Sociology
Spring 2006
Seminar in Social Psychology
SOCY 5531
Tuesdays 3:00- 5:50 Ketchum 33
Leslie Irvine
Ketchum 223
Office hours: Tuesday 2-3 (and by appointment)
Social Psychology is an interdiscipline situated between psychology, which examines inner lives and selves, and sociology, which examines the relationships between collectivities and organizations. Social psychologists examine how the self and the social interpenetrate, as well as how individuals influence one another. In other words, social psychology looks at the micro-macro link, also known as the relationship between structure and agency.
By setting out as its terrain the intersection of two disciplines, social psychology has the benefits of borrowing from both intellectual histories. Yet, because of the organizational structure of American universities, social psychologists tend to be in either psychology departments or sociology departments (although more often in the former). Thus, there is psychological social psychology, and sociological social psychology. This course recognizes the contributions of both traditions, but emphasizes the sociological view. Within sociological social psychology, there are two predominant approaches, loosely categorized as experimental and symbolic interactionist. This course will examine both approaches, but will place more emphasis on the latter.
Goals
of the Course
At the end of this semester, you should understand the major debates, theories, and concepts of social psychology. You are required to submit four short essays addressing questions that I provide. You are also required to write a final paper. The goal is to produce a paper that uses social psychological insights to advance your dissertation topic or some aspect of it. Ideally, you will finish this course with a paper that can be the foundation for a dissertation chapter and/or publication.
COURSE MATERIALS
Books to obtain:
NOTE: Only the Howard &
Hollander book is available at the campus bookstore.
Blumer, Herbert. 1969. Symbolic Interactionism.
Goffman, Erving.
1959. The Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life.
Hochschild, Arlie
Russell. 2003. The Managed Heart: The
Commercialization of Human Feeling (20th Anniversary edition).
Howard, Judith
A., and Jocelyn Hollander. 1997. Gendered
Situations, Gendered Selves: A Gender Lens on Social Psychology.
Irvine, Leslie.
1999. Codependent Forevermore: The
Invention of Self in a Twelve Step Group.
Mead, George
Herbert. 1934. Mind, Self & Society
from the Standpoint of a Behaviorist (Works of Mead, vol. 1).
Additional required readings
are on electronic reserve and on CDs that I will provide the first day of
class.
Course requirements
As mentioned above, you will write four short essays and one research paper. The final paper might require you to read ahead of the class in some area that we will cover later in the semester than will be useful for you. In other words, if you want to incorporate social psychological work on inequalities, which we’ll cover at the end of the course, you will need to read that material (and probably more) earlier in the semester. You are required to attend regularly. If you must miss two classes, you should meet with me to withdraw from the course. I expect you to participate in the discussions, which means that you must keep current with the reading. You must submit written work on time; the due dates appear in the course schedule. I will deduct one letter grade for each day that an essay or paper is late, and will not accept them more than two days after the due date. I will make exceptions to this policy if extenuating circumstances arise, such as a serious illness or a death in the family. If you find yourself in such a situation, please notify me as soon as possible so that we can work out alternative arrangements.
Essay guidelines and questions:
The essays should be two to three double-spaced pages in length, using 12 point font and 1 ¼ margins at the sides. Do not make a cover page for your essay. Simply put your name in the upper right-hand corner. You must staple all pages together. You may print on both sides of the page.
Essay 1, due Jan. 31: Choose one concept from psychological social psychology and apply it to a real-world situation or event. This could come from world or local news, from your teaching or research, or from a social interaction that you are involved in or observed. Describe the situation or event, attaching a news article if relevant, and explain how the concept applies. Make note of what the concept allows you to understand and highlight the concept’s shortcomings and pitfalls, if any.
Essay 2, due Mar. 14: Criticism of symbolic
interactionism finds fault in its insufficient attention to social structure.
Evaluate this claim using the readings in this class. Take a position agreeing
or disagreeing and use course materials to support your position.
Essay 3, due Apr. 4: Describe how Goffman’s work contributes to the sociology of emotions. Using a real-life emotional experience as an example, discuss what Goffman’s contribution to the sociology of emotions allows you to understand. Note any pitfalls in the perspective.
Essay 4, due May 2: Connect the topics of “talk” and “inequalities” using examples from social interaction you participated in or observed.
Grading
I will base grades on the quality of your participation in the seminar, the four essays, and the final paper. You can expect to receive comments on your writing as well as the content of your essays.
Course Schedule
Subject to change. I will announce changes in class and post them
online.
Week 1: Jan. 17 Introduction to the course
Week 2: Jan. 24 The State of the field & basic concepts
Read House; McMahon; Howard (“Social Cognition & Structure”); Aronson & Golden; McKimmie et al.;Stephan et al; Watters
Weeks 3 & 4: Jan. 31 & 7 Mead’s contributions and legacy
Wk. 3. Essay due. Read selected chapters from Mind, Self, & Society (Part I, sections 1-3; Part II, sections 1-5, 10 & 11; Part III, sections 1-12; Part IV, sections 1-6), Dodd et al.;
Wk. 4. Joas;
*Please do not cite these PDF versions, which were created solely for this class. If you refer to this material, please cite from the book.
Week 5: Feb. 14 Symbolic Interactionism
Read Blumer, chapters 1-5, 7 &10;
Week 6: Feb. 21 Symbolic Interactionism (cont’d)
Dingwall; Gusfield; Stryker (all); Stryker & Burke
Week 7 & 8; Feb 28 & Mar. 7 The Self, Identity, and Role Theories
Wk 7: Read Gecas; Turner (NOT JTurner); Derné; Kuhn
Wk. 8: Read Howard “Social Psych of Identity”
Week 9: Mar. 14 Goffman’s work and legacy
Essay due. Read Goffman’s Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, “Embarrassment,” and “Interaction Order;” Cahill
Week 10: Mar. 21 Sociology of Emotions
Read Hochschild The Managed Heart & “Emotion Rules.” Note: Please read “Appendix A” in The Managed Heart.
Optional: Kemper (both); Thoits
Week 11: Mar. 28 SPRING BREAK
Week 12: Apr. 4 Sociology of Emotions
Essay due. Read JTurner; Gottschalk;
Week 13 & 14 Apr. 11 & 18 The role of talk
Wk. 13: Read Mills; Scott & Lyman; Hewitt & Stokes; Stokes & Hewitt
Wk. 14: Read
Week 15 & 16 Apr. 25 & May 2 Inequalities
Wk 15: Read Howard & Hollander Gendered Situations, Gendered Selves and “Inequalities”
Wk 16 Essay due. Read Hunt et al.; Anderson & Snow; McWilliams & Howard
Monday May 8 Final papers due
Disability Policy
Students with documented disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities should see Professor Irvine during the first two weeks of class to discuss possible reasonable accommodations. For more information, consult The Office of Disability Services, Willard 322 (303-492-8671).
Discrimination and
Harassment
The
Useful websites
The Mead Project
http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~lward/Mead/pubs2/mindself/Mead_1934_toc.html
Don’t miss this one!!
A most excellent SI website created by students in the Spring 2003 Modern Theory Seminar. It includes a link to the Society for the Study for Symbolic Interaction (along with many other informative sites).
http://socsci.colorado.edu/SOC/SI/si-tableofcontents.htm
The definitive Psychological Social Psych website, created
by Scott Plous at