PSYC171

Description

Why do people kill and oppress each other? How is social inequality sustained? How can we explain racism, terrorism, and genocide? What enables people to work together to fight injustice and violence? This course is an introduction to social psychological theories and research that address these and many other related questions. The course is a survey lecture course that will provide a broad overview of the basic social psychological processes underlying violence and oppression (e.g., prejudice, group identities, threat, inequality dehumanization), the psychology of different forms of intergroup violence (racism, intractable conflict, genocide, terrorism), and psychological factors that promote or create an obstacle to liberation and social justice between groups (e.g., through collective action, solidarity, redress, and reconciliation). We will study these questions through the lens of many different conflicts and contexts around the world, including current social movements such as Black Lives Matter and recent events such as the war in Syria or genocide against the Rohingya. Activities in class, media depictions of current events, and blogging will be used to further deepen the knowledge we acquire on these topics through readings and class discussions. This course is designed not only for (future) Psychology majors but also for students working towards a concentration in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, Peace Studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, or anyone else who is interested in understanding why violence and injustice between different ethnic, racial, religious, and national groups occurs and what we can do about it. This course fulfills the Social/Clinical requirement of the Psychology major.