Showing papers on "Social psychology (sociology) published in 2015"

Evolutionary Social Psychology

Abstract: We have argued that the evolutionary perspective to social psychology is not untestable, not reductionist, not a theory about rigid genetic determinism, not a justification for the status quo, and not incompatible with sociocultural or cognitive analyses. What it is, instead, is a set of ideas that have proved quite useful in generating novel hypotheses, and parsimoniously connecting findings from very different domains ranging from mate choice and family relationships to aggression and intergroup relations. Adopting an evolutionary perspective can help us appreciate not only the common threads that bind the people in our culture to those in other cultures, but also, beyond that, to the other species with which we share the earth. Taking this broad perspective, however, also makes us aware of the vast reaches of our own ignorance. As yet, we know very little about how evolved psychological mechanisnis inside individuals develop, or how they influence, and are influenced by, the complex cultures that humans construct. Bringing light to these questions will require a fuller integration of all the different theoretical perspectives on human social behavior.

Mind, Self, and Society: The Definitive Edition

Abstract: George Herbert Mead is widely recognized as one of the most brilliantly original American pragmatists. Although he had a profound influence on the development of social philosophy, he published no books in his lifetime. This makes the lectures collected in Mind, Self, and Society all the more remarkable, as they offer a rare synthesis of his ideas. This collection gets to the heart of Mead's meditations on social psychology and social philosophy. Its penetrating, conversational tone transports the reader directly into Mead's classroom as he teases out the genesis of the self and the nature of the mind. The book captures his wry humor and shrewd reasoning, showing a man comfortable quoting Aristotle alongside Alice in Wonderland. Included in this edition are an insightful foreword from leading Mead scholar Hans Joas, a revealing set of textual notes by Daniel R. Huebner that detail the text's origins, and a comprehensive bibliography of Mead's other published writings. While Mead's lectures inspired countless students, much of his brilliance has been lost to time. This definitive edition ensures that Mead's ideas will carry on, inspiring a new generation of thinkers.

A Framework for Teachable Collaborative Problem Solving Skills

Abstract: In his book “Cognition in the Wild”, Hutchins (1995) invites his readers to scan their immediate environment for objects that were not produced through collaborative efforts of several people, and remarks that the only object in his personal environment that passed this test was a small pebble on his desk. In fact, it is remarkable how our daily lives are shaped by collaboration. Whether it is in schools, at the workplace, or in our free time, we are constantly embedded in environments that require us to make use of social skills in order to coordinate with other people. Given the pervasiveness of collaboration in everyday life, it is somewhat surprising that the development of social and collaborative skills is largely regarded as something that will occur naturally and does not require any further facilitation. In fact, groups often fail to make use of their potential (Schulz-Hardt, Brodbeck, Group performance and leadership. In: Hewstone M, Stroebe W, Jonas K (eds) Introduction to social psychology: a European perspective, 4th edn, pp 264–289. Blackwell, Oxford, 2008) and people differ in the extent to which they are capable of collaborating efficiently with others. Therefore, there is a growing awareness that collaborative skills require dedicated teaching efforts (Schoenfeld, Looking toward the 21st century: challenges of educational theory and practice. Edu Res 28:4–14, 1999). Collaborative problem solving has been identified as a particularly promising task that draws upon various social and cognitive skills, and that can be analysed in classroom environments where skills are both measurable and teachable.

An Underexamined Inequality: Cultural and Psychological Barriers to Men’s Engagement With Communal Roles

Abstract: Social psychological research has sought to understand and mitigate the psychological barriers that block women's interest, performance, and advancement in male-dominated, agentic roles (e.g., science, technology, engineering, and math). Research has not, however, correspondingly examined men's underrepresentation in communal roles, traditionally occupied by women (e.g., careers in health care, early childhood education, and domestic roles including child care). In this article, we seek to provide a roadmap for research on this underexamined inequality by (a) outlining the benefits of increasing men's representation in communal roles; (b) reviewing cultural, evolutionary, and historical perspectives on the asymmetry in status assigned to men's and women's roles; and (c) articulating the role of gender stereotypes in creating social and psychological barriers to men's interest and inclusion in communal roles. We argue that promoting equal opportunities for both women and men requires a better understanding of the psychological barriers to men's involvement in communal roles.

Lessons from social psychology on discrediting psychiatric stigma.

Abstract: Advocacy, government, and public-service groups rely on a variety of strategies to diminish the impact of stigma on persons with severe mental illness. These strategies include protest, education, and promoting contact between the general public and persons with these disorders. The authors argue th

Social psychology : the study of human interaction

Abstract: Social Psychology :The Study of Human Interaction , Social Psychology :The Study of Human Interaction , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران

A Large Scale Test of the Effect of Social Class on Prosocial Behavior

Abstract: Does being from a higher social class lead a person to engage in more or less prosocial behavior? Psychological research has recently provided support for a negative effect of social class on prosocial behavior. However, research outside the field of psychology has mainly found evidence for positive or u-shaped relations. In the present research, we therefore thoroughly examined the effect of social class on prosocial behavior. Moreover, we analyzed whether this effect was moderated by the kind of observed prosocial behavior, the observed country, and the measure of social class. Across eight studies with large and representative international samples, we predominantly found positive effects of social class on prosociality: Higher class individuals were more likely to make a charitable donation and contribute a higher percentage of their family income to charity (32,090 ≥ N ≥ 3,957; Studies 1–3), were more likely to volunteer (37,136 ≥N ≥ 3,964; Studies 4–6), were more helpful (N = 3,902; Study 7), and were more trusting and trustworthy in an economic game when interacting with a stranger (N = 1,421; Study 8) than lower social class individuals. Although the effects of social class varied somewhat across the kinds of prosocial behavior, countries, and measures of social class, under no condition did we find the negative effect that would have been expected on the basis of previous results reported in the psychological literature. Possible explanations for this divergence and implications are discussed.

The Problem of Behaviour Change: From Social Norms to an Ingroup Focus

Abstract: This research was supported by ANU internal funding in order to further develop theory andresearch on the social psychology of social and behaviour change, as well as funding from theAustralian Research Council (including an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded toEmina Subasic).

The work and family handbook: Multi-disciplinary perspectives and approaches

Abstract: Contents: R.M. Kanter, Foreword: Beyond the Myth of Separate Worlds. Part I: Families and Jobs in the 21st Century. M. Pitt-Catsouphes, E.E. Kossek, S. Sweet, Charting New Territory: Advancing Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives, Methods, and Approaches in the Study of Work and Family. A.S. Wharton, Understanding Diversity of Work in the 21st Century and Its Impact on the Work-Family Area of Study. S.R. Marks, Understanding Diversity of Families in the 21st Century and Its Impact on the Work-Family Area of Study. Part II: Disciplinary Approaches and Theoretical Perspectives. E.E. Kossek, S. Sweet, M. Pitt-Catsouphes, Introduction: The Insights Gained From Integrating Disciplines. E. Boris, C.H. Lewis, Caregiving and Wage-Earning: A Historical Perspective on Work and Family. E.L. Kelly, Work-Family Policies: The United States in International Perspective. M.F. Riche, Demographic Implications for Work-Family Research. A.M. Zvonkovic, M.L. Notter, C.L. Peters, Family Studies: Situating Everyday Family Life at Work, in Time, and Across Contexts. P. Richardson, The Anthropology of the Workplace and the Family. S. Sweet, P. Moen, Advancing a Career Focus on Work and the Family: Insights From the Life Course Perspective. R.C. Barnett, K.C. Gareis, Role Theory Perspectives on Work and Family. F.M. Deutsch, Experimental Social Psychology and the Study of Work and Family. N. Gerstel, N. Sarkisian, Sociological Perspectives on Families and Work: The Import of Gender, Class, and Race. R. Drago, L. Golden, The Role of Economics in Work-Family Research. C.A. Thompson, L.L. Beauvais, T.D. Allen, Work and Family From an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Perspective. M.C. Still, J.C. Williams, A Legal Perspective on Family Issues at Work. M. Pitt-Catsouphes, J.E. Swanberg, Connecting Social Work Perspectives to Work-Family Research and Practice. Part III: Methodological Approaches. S. Sweet, M. Pitt-Catsouphes, E.E. Kossek, Introduction: How Diverse Methodologies Inform Understandings of Work and Family Relations. C.N. Darrah, Ethnography and Working Families. E. Ochs, A.P. Graesch, A. Mittmann, T. Bradbury, R. Repetti, Video Ethnography and Ethnoarchaeological Tracking. J.T. Bond, E. Galinsky, Using Survey Research to Address Work-Life Issues. J. Smithson, Using Focus Groups to Study Work and Family. A.C. Crouter, A.E. Pirretti, Longitudinal Research on Work and Family Issues. B. Schneider, In the Moment: The Benefits of the Experience Sampling Method. S. Lewis, M. das Dores Guerreiro, J. Brannen, Case Studies in Work-Family Research. S.J. Lambert, Both Art and Science: Employing Organizational Documentation in Workplace-Based Research. M. Hyland, S.E. Jackson, A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective: Implications for Measuring Work-Family Outcomes. R. Swisher, Hierarchical Models for Work-Family and Life Course Research. S.M. MacDermid, A. Harvey, The Work-Family Conflict Construct: Methodological Implications. M.B. Neal, L.B. Hammer, D.L. Morgan, Using Mixed Methods in Research Related to Work and Family. Part IV: Advancing Policy and Organizational Change. M. Pitt-Catsouphes, E.E. Kossek, S. Sweet, Introduction: Cultivating Organizational Change and Advancing Public Policy. E.E. Kossek, A. Friede, The Business Case: Managerial Perspectives on Work and the Family. C.R. Feldblum, R. Appleberry, Legislatures, Agencies, Courts, and Advocates: How Laws Are Made, Interpreted, and Modified. L. Bailyn, A. Bookman, M. Harrington, T.A. Kochan, Work-Family Interventions and Experiments: Workplaces, Communities, and Society. B. Harrington, J.B. James, The Standards of Excellence in Work-Life Integration: From Changing Policies to Changing Organizations. B.W. Wolkinson, R. Ormiston, The Arbitration of Work and Family Conflicts. K. Christensen, Leadership In Action: A Work and Family Agenda for the Future.

The Cambridge handbook of social representations.

Abstract: A social representations approach offers an empirical utility for addressing myriad social concerns such as social order, ecological sustainability, national identity, racism, religious communities, the public understanding of science, health and social marketing. The core aspects of social representations theory have been debated over many years and some still remain widely misunderstood. This handbook provides an overview of these core aspects and brings together theoretical strands and developments in the theory, some of which have become pillars in the social sciences in their own right. Academics and students in the social sciences working with concepts and methods such as social identity, discursive psychology, positioning theory, semiotics, attitudes, risk perception and social values will find this an invaluable resource.

When Is It Better to Learn Together? Insights from Research on Collaborative Learning

Abstract: Although collaboration is often considered a beneficial learning strategy, research examining the claim suggests a much more complex picture. Critically, the question is not whether collaboration is beneficial to learning, but instead how and when collaboration improves outcomes. In this paper, we first discuss the mechanisms hypothesized to support and hinder group learning. We then review insights and illustrative findings from research in cognitive, social, and educational psychology. We conclude by proposing areas for future research to expand theories of collaboration while identifying important features for educators to consider when deciding when and how to include collaboration in instructional activities.

Consequences of Diversity for Social Cohesion and Prejudice: The Missing Dimension of Intergroup Contact

Abstract: A controversial claim that diversity has negative consequences for trust and other outcomes spawned a contentious debate in sociology and political science, but was hardly noted in social psychology. I summarize the debate, and argue that the efficacy of direct, face-to-face intergroup contact as a means of reducing prejudice is a stark omission, as I illustrate with evidence of the association between diversity, on the one hand, and trust, prejudice, and social capital on the other. I also consider two other contributions of contact theory to this issue, namely that contact with members of one group has an impact on attitudes toward members of other groups; and that contact should be studied via social networks. Despite the importance I attach to contact, I note two “enemies of contact,” resegregation in ostensibly desegregated settings, and negatively valenced contact. Finally, I point to the kind of research we should do, in order to increase the impact of our work on the public policy debate on this issue.

Personality and Social Psychology The role of social support in the acculturation and mental health of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers

Abstract: Oppedal, B. & Idsoe, T. (2015). The role of social support in the acculturation and mental health of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. There is a lack of knowledge about psychosocial resources that may sustain post-resettlement psychological adjustment among unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of social support from family abroad and friends on acculturation, discrimination, and mental health among these vulnerable children and youth. Questionnaire data were collected from a population-based multi-ethnic sample involving 895 unaccompanied minors resettled in municipalities in all regions of the country. They met in groups in their local communities. The informants were on average 18.6 years, and had an average length of stay in Norway of 3.5 years. The findings showed that the participants suffered from high levels of ongoing war related intrusive symptoms and depression. Still, at the same time they engaged in adaptation processes that are normative to youth with immigrant backgrounds, in terms of constructing supportive networks and developing culture competence. In accordance with the main effect hypothesis, social support had direct effects on depression and indirect effects by increasing culture competence that may aid the young refugees in dealing with discrimination. However, there were no effects of social support on symptoms of PTSD. The findings give direction to areas of interventions, beyond dealing with the sequel of the traumas the unaccompanied minors have been exposed to, not only for clinicians, but also social workers and school personnel.

School Bullying as a Collective Action: Stigma Processes and Identity Struggling

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the collective action of bullying and its stigma processes and influences on identities. In accordance with interactionism, identity is a social process, constructed and reconstructed in everyday social interactions. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in four school classes, investigating six bullying cases. Grounded theory methods were used to explore and analyse data. Co-constructing differentness was found to be a core process in bullying. Bullying often appeared to function like a self-serving and socially inclusive ritual in which the bullies co-constructed the ‘normal us’. Loss of belonging, self-deprecation and identity struggling followed closely upon the sense of becoming socially discredited. Victims were trapped in the collective action. The findings highlight the significance of addressing peer cultures and the social psychology of everyday school life in anti-bullying policies and practices.

Stereotype (In)Accuracy in Perceptions of Groups and Individuals

Abstract: Are stereotypes accurate or inaccurate? We summarize evidence that stereotype accuracy is one of the largest and most replicable findings in social psychology. We address controversies in this literature, including the long-standing and continuing but unjustified emphasis on stereotype inaccuracy, how to define and assess stereotype accuracy, and whether stereotypic (vs. individuating) information can be used rationally in person perception. We conclude with suggestions for building theory and for future directions of stereotype (in)accuracy research.

Power and social influence in relationships.

Abstract: As the philosopher Bertrand Russell observed, power plays a central role in everyday social interactions, and it serves as an organizing principle in the social and behavioral sciences (Reis, Collins, & Berscheid, 2000). Given its paramount importance, one might expect power would hold a privileged place in the field of social psychology and particularly in the study of relationships. Although there are major theoretical statements on what power is (e.g., French & Raven, 1959; Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) and how it should affect relationship dynamics (e.g., Huston, 1983), and there are isolated pockets of research on how power influences interpersonal outcomes (see the References), power has never been a hotbed of theoretical or empirical activity. One overarching goal of this chapter is to begin to change this state of affairs. There are several reasons why power has not become a central, organizing construct within either social psychology or the field of interpersonal relationships. First, the construct of power has multiple components, making it challenging to define and measure. This, in turn, has made it difficult to interpret the effects that the amount of power wielded by each partner has on important relationship or individual outcomes. Second, most prior studies of power in relationships have been descriptive and have relied on global assessments of power (e.g., “In general, how much power or influence do you have over your partner?”). Partners in established relationships, however, often have and may exert different amounts of power in different decision-making domains (e.g., financial, sexual, future plans), and global conceptualizations and measures of power do not assess—and often may not predict—domain-specific areas of power in relationships, especially in close and committed relationships. In addition, the degree to which people are accurately aware of the power dynamics in their relationships remains unclear. Overreliance on self-report measures may have masked some of the actual processes of power and influence in many relationships. Despite these challenges, understanding power and the influence strategies and tactics that individuals use to get what they want from their relationship partners is essential to understanding a host of important relationship dynamics and outcomes (Reis et al., 2000). Although power can be (and has been) defined in different ways, we provisionally define power as the ability of one individual in a relationship (the influence agent) to exert influence on another person (the target of influence) so that the influence agent obtains the specific outcomes he or she wants in a given situation while being able to resist influence attempts by the target. We define influence strategies as the higher level goals and interpersonal approaches that influence agents use to try to

Social Exchange (Theory)

Abstract: Although social exchange theory is not a formal theory, it may be the most important body of social psychological thinking for explaining social behavior as exchange with an understanding of interdependence and relationships and the set of norms governing contractual relationships, emphasizing as it does both trust and commitment. There is neither an assumption of self-profit maximization nor is individual behavior the focus of attention. This behaviorist perspective emphasizes situational factors, interaction, and reinforcement and learning, as well as subjective evaluation of rewards and costs, and the exchange of rewards. Originating in the nexus of economics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, and the concept of contract, social exchange thinking has become embedded in the marketing discipline, so much so that recent textbooks reproducing the convention do not mention it explicitly at all. Social exchange theory neither takes a utilitarian view of homo economicus nor does it assume risk-taking rationality in homo aleator by ignoring the social and the economic power distribution. Indeed, social exchange theory aims to explain what is not economic in social behavior. Keywords: social behavior; exchange; relationship; interdependence; reward

Groups and morality

Abstract: Across social and personality psychology, there is renewed interest in morality. Consistent with these fields’ general emphasis on subjective psychological processes, recent work tends to view any thought, feeling, or behavior that includes a notion of right and wrong as moral (for a review, see Haidt & Kesebir, 2010). This makes moral psychology an unusually diverse topic. Therefore, this chapter reviews a wide swath of relevant work, on topics ranging from personality, self-perception, and self-esteem; to social cooperation, trust, and interdependence; to stereotypes, prejudice, and group identity. Although social and personality psychologists examine individuals’ use of specific notions of right and wrong—based on such concepts as justice, trustworthiness, warmth, cooperation, and harm— they tend to avoid the question of whether individuals’ subjective notions of right and wrong are actually moral in an objective sense (Blasi, 1990). In this respect, psychology diverges sharply from a philosophical or ethical approach, which typically compares individuals’ subjective notions of morality to a conception of morality that is defined objectively by principle or shared practice (Blasi, 1990; for discussions in philosophy, see MacIntyre, 1984; Rawls, 1971). Given that morality is not defined objectively in social and personality psychology, we must attend closely to which notions of right and wrong researchers consider to be in the moral domain. As explained in the following section, some notions of morality, such as trustworthiness and justice, are more compatible with an objective sense of the concept, given their basis in principles or shared practices. Perhaps because social psychology defines moral thought, feeling, and behavior as that which individuals subjectively consider right or wrong, the focus has been on individuals in general (for reviews, see Haidt & Kesebir, 2010; Monin & Jordan, 2009; Pagliaro, 2012). Thus, the morality of particular individuals has been relatively neglected by social psychologists. The first section discusses the roots of the individual approach to morality in social psychology. It also reviews distinct approaches to moral personality and honor, which focus on individuals’ particular moral self-views. Although moral personality may appear to have little to do with groups, individual ideas about morality rely on some reference to what a moral person is like (for a general discussion, see Harre, 1993). And, whatever their particularities, individuals are moral or immoral in their families, in their neighborhoods, in their workplaces, and in their countries. Thus, even individual morality operates within groups. For these reasons, and others that will be discussed, understanding groups and morality is essential to understanding morality in general. Thus, the second section reviews four of the central ways in which groups are important to morality. The third section reviews the ways in which perceived morality is important to examinations of stereotypes and prejudice toward out-groups. The fourth section

Status Construction Theory

Abstract: Status construction theory describes how structural conditions in society frame and constrain social encounters among people from socially different groups (e.g., racial, ethnic, or gender groups), so that these encounters foster the development of shared status beliefs about the social difference. Status beliefs are cultural beliefs that people in one category of a social difference (e.g., whites) are more socially esteemed and considered generally more competent than people in a contrasting category of the difference (people of color). The key structural condition that causes encounters to induce status beliefs is the unequal distribution between the groups of a factor like material resources or technology that allows actors from one group to become more influential in cross-difference encounters than actors from the other group. When status beliefs about a social difference become widely shared in a population, they have widespread consequences for inequality among socially different individuals and groups. Keywords: gender; inequality; race and ethnicity; social psychology; sociology of groups

The Social psychology of HIV infection

Abstract: In the early 1980s we witnessed the birth of one of the most complex and perplexing social problems faced by modern society -- the epidemic of infection with HIV, which causes AIDS. Currently, there is no proven vaccine to prevent HIV infection, and curative therapies for those infected are still in the experimental stages. With no biomedical solutions on the near horizon, society must turn to the social and behavioral sciences for guidance in dealing with the epidemic. Two major classes of social problems have arisen from the epidemic: how to stem the tide of HIV infection, and how to care for the increasing numbers of persons with AIDS (PWAs). Because of the urgency in dealing with these social problems, many solutions that have been attempted thus far were hastily concocted and had little basis in research or accepted theory. This volume's goal is not to evaluate previous attempts to answer these social problems, but to provide theoretical analyses of some of the basic social psychological processes that underlie the problems. The authors are mainstream psychologists who have developed theoretically-driven AIDS-related research. Social psychological theories are developed and refined to meet the demands of burgeoning issues. Without the guidance of theories, lives and resources are lost in the chaos of "trying to do something" about the epidemic. Useful as a supplemental text for graduate-level courses in health, social, and applied social psychology. Also of interest to those involved in public health, epidemiology, and behavioral medicine.

Samuel Stouffer and Relative Deprivation

Abstract: This paper first offers a tribute to Samuel Stouffer (1900–1960), a major contributor to social psychology. He helped to establish probability surveys as a useful method for social science, led three major studies at midcentury, and introduced important new concepts and statistical methods. Thus, both conceptually and methodologically, he shaped modern social psychology. Second, the paper revitalizes Stouffer’s most famous concept—relative deprivation. A new meta-analysis demonstrates that relative deprivation predicts a wide range of important outcomes, so long as it measures resentment with data from individuals and is paired with dependent variables of similar scope. Unfortunately, sociology largely abandoned the concept because it failed to meet the overstated early claims made for it in the collective protest domain. The history of this use and disuse of relative deprivation is summarized and critiqued.

An online shopping behavior model integrating personality traits, perceived risk, and technology acceptance

Abstract: The popularity of electronic commerce is growing rapidly. However, previous studies regarding shopping online are rather fragmented in nature, and do not integrate their work into a comprehensive research framework to consider simultaneously the issues of motivation, risk, and trust. We conducted a meta-analysis to integrate the findings of previous researchers and to provide a more complete framework of online shopping behavior, based on the models of personality traits, perceived risk, and technology acceptance. We investigated the mediating effects of attitude and trust, and the direct and indirect effects on the 3 models showed different outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to establish the relationships among the influential factors of personality traits, perceived risk, and technology acceptance with regard to online shopping intention.

Transforming Social Representations : A social psychology of common sense and science

Abstract: Common sense, by definition, is familiar to us all. Science, for some of us, is more remote, yet it is not always clear what the connections are between these two ways of seeing the world. In this title, originally published in 1993, the author explores several related themes in social psychology to elucidate the way we understand the social construction of knowledge and the means by which we change social reality. From the perspective of a critique of social representations theory, the author argues that this necessitates a change of viewpoint from the individualistic and mechanistic assumptions of Cartesian science to the social and evolutionary perspective of a Hegelian framework. This not only emphasizes the cultural and historical dimensions of social phenomena but also illuminates the social and dynamic nature of individuals. As a consequence, the discipline of social psychology must itself be transformed, recognizing the active participation of scientists in the social construction of scientific knowledge. This title will be of interest to those working in social psychology, history and philosophy of science, and sociology.

Shared Identity Is Key to Effective Communication

Abstract: The ability to communicate with others is one of the most important human social functions, yet communication is not always investigated from a social perspective. This research examined the role that shared social identity plays in communication effectiveness using a minimal group paradigm. In two experiments, participants constructed a model using instructions that were said to be created by an ingroup or an outgroup member. Participants made models of objectively better quality when working from communications ostensibly created by an ingroup member (Experiments 1 and 2). However, this effect was attenuated when participants were made aware of a shared superordinate identity that included both the ingroup and the outgroup (Experiment 2). These findings point to the importance of shared social identity for effective communication and provide novel insights into the social psychology of communication.

Realizing the Promise of Social Psychology in Improving Public Health

Abstract: The theories, phenomena, empirical findings, and methodological approaches that characterize contemporary social psychology hold much promise for addressing enduring problems in public health. Indeed, social psychologists played a major role in the development of the discipline of health psychology during the 1970s and 1980s. The health domain allows for the testing, refinement, and application of many interesting and important research questions in social psychology, and offers the discipline a chance to enhance its reach and visibility. Nevertheless, in a review of recent articles in two major social-psychological journals (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology), we found that only 3.2% of 467 studies explored health-related topics. In this article, we identify opportunities for research at the interface of social psychology and health, delineate barriers, and offer strategies that can address these barriers as the discipline continues to evolve.

Angry Abolitionists & The Rhetoric of Slavery: Minding the Moral Emotions in Social Movements

Abstract: Although emotion is increasingly central in theories of social change, the sociology of social movements and emotion continues to have a mix-and-stir quality. Through a microanalysis of abolitionist discourse, this dissertation observes how the two are systematically intertwined by status claimsmaking processes. To better explore the affective dynamics of protest rhetoric through which ‘social movements move,’ I construct a new synthetic theory of status as a moral-emotional resource, dependent upon cultural imaginaries and negotiated through rhetorical implicatures. Status-oriented moral emotions— including the egocentric and altruistic types of anger examined in this case study—can be aroused, altered, and rechanneled toward reform causes via dramaturgical claimsmaking. Moving beyond the predominance of logocentric accounts of immediatist abolitionism, I incorporate ethos and pathos to refer to the status implicatures of protest rhetoric (corresponding to ethos) and the provocative effects of these status implicatures (corresponding to pathos). As performed by prominent movement leaders, both means of status claimsmaking conditioned abolitionist charisma and reconditioned audience attitudes toward slavery. The ethos-pathos orientation of speakers though varied by race and gender, suggesting that ‘charisma’ itself is a privilege structured by status hierarchies and relative risks of sanctioning. In spite of racialization and subordination within abolitionism, black activists persisted in protest through creative rhetorics, such as implicit symbolic surgery upon status-beliefs and summoning emotional energy from heterodoxic status imaginaries. The proposed framework accounts better for abolitionism’s internal and external emotional dynamics, which were not always anteceded by discernible discursive shifts. Social movement theory therefore should be more mindful of the statusoriented moral emotions as well as how protest rhetoric mines them for social change.

Manifesto for a critical realist relational sociology

Abstract: In recent years, many different versions of relational sociology have appeared. In this paper, I present a critical realist version developed since 1983, which is also called ‘relational theory of society’ (CRRS). It shares with the other relational sociologies the idea of avoiding both methodological individualism and holism. The main differences lie in the way social relations are defined, the kind of reality that is attributed to them, how they configure social formations, and the way in which their changes are conceived (morphogenesis and emergence). In particular, this approach is suitable to understand how the morphogenesis of society comes about through social relations, which are the connectors that mediate between agency and social structure. The generative mechanism that feeds social morphogenesis resides in the dynamic (that is, in their ways of operating) of the social relations networks that alter the social molecule constituting structures already in place. Social morphogenesis is a form of ...