Aims & Learning Objectives:
To introduce students to the psychological organisation of social, political, economic and ethical beliefs.
After completing the unit the students will:
* Be familiar with the theoretical models around the organisation of beliefs.
* Be aware of models of development and aetiology of beliefs.
* Understand how implicit models of psychological processes underpin commonsense conceptions of rationality and ethics.
* Be aware of the tensions between 'discourse' and 'ideology' models of explanation.
* Appreciate the problematic nature of links between beliefs and action.
Content:
Psychological models of ideology in the organisation of beliefs. Mainstream and emergent political-social beliefs -feminism, Green politics. Lay beliefs, e.g., about unemployment, poverty, ethics. Concepts of fairness and equity. Moral development. Elite beliefs - what constitutes 'legitimation'? Political propaganda and rhetoric. Social movements, social change and intergroup relations.
| |
Fax: +44 (0) 1225 386366