Undergraduate Course: Prejudice and Social Change (PSYL10167)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will examine the psychology of prejudice and social change. The first part of the course will investigate theoretical explanations for prejudice (e.g., integrated threat theory; the dual process model of ideology and prejudice) and different forms of prejudice (e.g., racism, sexism). The second part of the course will discuss interventions to reduce prejudice and how social change occurs more broadly. |
| Course description |
In this course, we will explore the nature of prejudice before examining how prejudice can be reduced and the process through which social change occurs more broadly.
We will define prejudice, and its relationship to stereotyping and discrimination, before exploring a number of theoretical explanations for prejudice (e.g., integrated threat theory; the dual process model of ideology and prejudice). We will then discuss many different forms of prejudice, some of which have received a substantial amount of attention within the psychological literature (e.g., racism, sexism) and others forms of prejudice which are emerging bodies of research (e.g., prejudice towards overweight people, classism).
In the second half of the course we will turn our attention towards interventions which seek to reduce prejudice (e.g., intergroup contact) and then explore how social change occurs more broadly (e.g., through collective action).
The assessment is focused on knowledge and understanding, and developing writing skills, with a particular emphasis on critical evaluation and independent learning. Through the course, students will develop their critical evaluation skills, knowledge and understanding of core theories in social psychology, and communication skills through both verbal discussion and written assessments. There will be a focus on applying the knowledge learnt during the course to problems in the real-world.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should be studying Psychology as their degree major, and have completed at least 3 Psychology courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that upper level Psychology courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Mid: 1000 word essay (30%)
Final: 2000 word essay (70%) |
| Feedback |
Provided weekly in the form of brief discussion questions covered in class. Feedback from the mid-semester essay. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of theory and research on the topics of prejudice and social change.
- Identify ways in prejudice can be reduced and how social change occurs more broadly
- Summarise empirical literature, including methodology and results, and critically analyse the conclusions based on the research and broader literature
- Communicate effectively using both verbal and written skills
- Apply the content of the course to solving real-world problems
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Reading List
| Sibley, C., & Barlow, F. (Eds.). (2016). The Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Prejudice (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781316161579 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry, personal and intellectual autonomy: Students' research skills will be developed further, they will be encouraged to use the knowledge that they learn to think critically about the world around them, and consider ways in which social problems can be tackled.
Communication: Students will be given the opportunity to improve their verbal and written skills for an important topic that has implications for understanding the world around them.
Enquiry and lifelong learning, outlook and engagement: Students will explore content which has implications for, and can be applied to, the world around them both in a personal and professional context. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Helena Radke
Tel: (0131 6)50 3437
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Susan Scobie
Tel: (0131 6)51 5505
Email: |
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