Postgraduate Course: Critical Social Psychology (PSYL11064)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Should social psychology be a science and what does it mean to claim that it is? Should social psychologists do experiments? Why do we think scientific knowledge is ¿better¿? Is social psychology really social? Are there hidden values in research? Why does current social psychological theory focus on cognitive processes to explain social phenomena? What are the implications for our understanding of self? This course will address these questions and more! We will use ideas and arguments from other disciplines (such as studies of science, social constructionism, Foucault, and ¿the turn to language¿) to examine the basis and nature of social psychological knowledge, how it affects individuals¿ lives, the role of language, and assumptions about self that underpin psychological theory and research. Finally, we will ask whether social constructionism or discourse analysis can provide an alternative approach for social psychologists. If so, what kind of discourse analysis? We¿ll also ask whether we need a new ¿theory of self¿? What would a ¿non-cognitive¿ social psychology be like? Should social psychology be political? This course includes lectures, in-class and online discussions, and debates about key issues.
Feedback Events:
Throughout lectures there are group exercises and discussions which provide opportunities for feedback. The tutorials also provide the opportunity for feedback, and an essay plan will be included as a tutorial exercise |
| Course description |
Lectures
1 Introduction: crises in social psychology
2 Science, language and the (de)construction of social psychology
3 Foucault¿s legacy: knowledge, power and the creation of modern individualism
4 New practices for social psychology?: discourse, power and politics
5 Rethinking the subject of social psychology
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 1 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 14,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
180 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 3000 word assignment
Assignment Deadline: Thursday 20th November 2014, 12 noon
Maximum word length: 3000 words
Assignment Return Date: 12th December 2014 |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
You should be able to do at least three of the following:
- Describe and assess social psychology's claim to be a science, and evaluate its use of experiments
- Discuss social psychology's paradigm, conceptual and moral / political crises
- Apply arguments from science studies, Foucault's work, and 'the turn to language' to evaluate psychology's methods
- Describe psychology's contribution to the 'government of individuals'
- Describe and discuss different kinds of discourse analysis as alternative social psychological approaches
- Describe and assess efforts to reconceptualise self, cognition and other key social psychological concepts
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sue Widdicombe
Tel: (0131 6)50 3411
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Toni Noble
Tel: (0131 6)51 3188
Email: |
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