The Psychology Of Society

Excerpt from The Psychology of Society Despite the obvious importance of a knowledge of the psychological factors operating in political and social affairs, the conscious application of psycho logical principles to social theory or rather the attempt to build up a social psychology is a recent growth. The movement may be said to begin in the latter half of the nineteenth century and is exceed ingly complex. No attempt can be made here to disentangle the various elements that contributed to the creation of an atmosphere favourable to the psychological point of View but the following phases may be distinguished. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"In the main, the method of the book is the method that has been called that of the "participant observer." The book should be used by the student, therefore, as a sort of laboratory manual, its generalizations to be tested so far as possible by the observation of social groups with which the student has had experience. Illustrative material will also be found, however, in written history, in anthropological books, and in works in sociology, especially in my elementary text, Sociology and Modern Social Problems. Such qualitative analysis of the determinants in group behavior is necessary before quantitative analysis can be fruitfully undertaken"--Préface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Unlike other texts for undergraduate sociological social psychology courses, this text presents the three distinct traditions (or "faces") in sociological social psychology (symbolic interactionism, social structure and personality, and group processes and structures) and emphasizes the different theoretical frameworks within which social psychological analyses are conducted within each research tradition. With this approach, the authors make clear the link between "face" of sociological social psychology, theory, and methodology. Thus, students gain an appreciably better understanding of the field of sociological social psychology; how and why social psychologists trained in sociology ask particular kinds of questions; the types of research they are involved in; and how their findings have been, or can be, applied to contemporary societal patterns and problems. Great writing makes this approach successful and interesting for students, resulting in a richer, more powerful course experience. A website offers instructors high quality support material, written by the authors, which you will appreciate and value."

Economic inequality has been of considerable interest to academics, citizens, and politicians worldwide for the past decade–and while economic inequality has attracted a considerable amount of research attention, it is only more recently that researchers have considered that economic inequality may have broader societal implications. However, while there is an increasingly clear picture of the varied ways in which economic inequality harms the fabric of society, there is a relatively poor understanding of the social psychological processes that are at work in unequal societies. This edited book aims to build on this emerging area of research by bringing together researchers who are at the forefront of this development and who can therefore provide timely insight to academics and practitioners who are grappling with the impact of economic inequality. This book will address questions relating to perceptions of inequality, mechanisms underlying effects of inequality, various consequences of inequality and the factors that contribute to the maintenance of inequality. The target audiences are students at advanced undergraduate or graduate level, as well as scholars and professionals in the field. The book fills a niche of both applied and practical relevance, strongly emphasizing theory and integration of different perspectives in social psychology. Given the broad interest in inequality within the social sciences, the book will be accessible to sociologists and political scientists as well as social, organizational, and developmental psychologists. The insights brought together in The Social Psychology of Inequality will contribute to a broader understanding of the far-reaching costs of inequality for the social health of a society and its citizens. "This edited volume brings together cutting-edge social psychological research addressing one of the most pressing issues of our times – economic inequality. Collectively, the chapters illuminate why inequality has negative effects on individuals and societies, when and for whom these negative effects are most likely to emerge, and the psychological mechanisms that maintain inequality. This comprehensive volume is an essential read for those interested in understanding and ameliorating inequality." -Brenda Major, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California “This invaluable volume demonstrates the indispensable and powerful contribution that social psychologists can make to our understanding of societal inequality. For those outside of social psychology it provides a unique and comprehensive overview of what social psychology has to offer, and for social psychologists it is exemplary in demonstrating how to make a systematic contribution to the understanding of a hotly debated real-world issue. Scholars and students alike and from various disciplines will gain much from reading this fascinating and inspiring social psychological journey.” -Maykel Verkuyten, Professor in Interdisciplinary Social Science, University of Utrecht “The Social Psychology of Inequality offers a superb and timely social-psychological analysis of the causes and consequence of increasing wealth and income gaps. With its refreshingly international authorship, this volume offers profound insights into the cognitive and social mechanisms that help maintain, but potentially also to overcome, an economy that is rigged in favor of the wealthy. A new and stimulating voice, illustrating science in the service of a fairer and more democratic society.” -Anne Maass, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Padova “This volume assembles an impressive list of leading international scholars to address a timely and important issue, the causes and consequences of economic inequality. The approach to the topic is social psychological, but the editors and chapters make valuable connections to related literatures on socio-structural influences in allied disciplines, such as economics, political science, and sociology. The Social Psychology of Inequality offers cutting-edge insights into the psychological dynamics of inequality and novel synthesis of structural- and individual-level influences and outcomes of inequality. It should attract a wide audience and will set the agenda for research on economic inequality well into the future.” -John F. Dovidio, Carl Iver Hovland Professor of Psychology and Public Health, Yale University

Social psychology is the scientific study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, and implied presence of others. In this definition, scientific refers to the empirical investigation using the scientific method, while the terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors refer to the psychological variables that can be measured in humans. Moreover, the notion that the presence of others may be imagined or implied suggests that humans are malleable to social influences even when alone, such as when watching videos or quietly appreciating art. In such situations, people can be influenced to follow internalized cultural norms. Social psychology deals with social influence, social perception, and social interaction. The research in this field deals with what shapes our attitudes and how we develop prejudice. The Handbook of Research on Applied Social Psychology in Multiculturalism explores social psychology within the context of multiculturalism and the way society deals with cultural diversity at national and community levels. It will cover major topics of social psychology such as group behavior, social perception, leadership, non-verbal behavior, conformity, aggression, and prejudice. This book will deal with social psychology with a direct focus on how different cultures can coexist peacefully by preserving, respecting, and even encouraging cultural diversity, along with a focus on the psychology that is hindering these efforts. This book is essential for researchers in social psychology and the social sciences, activists, psychologists, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how social psychology interacts with multiculturalism.

'An impressive attempt to reclaim Marxism for psychology, and to collect together some of the best recent work in this tradition.' Psychology in Society'Several of these essays could serve to introduce undergraduate students to important, but neglected, traditions.' Journal of the History of Behavioural Science