The Social Self
PSYC 326
Fall 2018 not offered
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This course is on the social self, or better put, our social selves. It will examine how (and why) people influence one another and how this shapes perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes. We will study the ways in which we negotiate our multiple identities in our interactions with others, as well as how our identities are a function of differing social environments. |
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| Credit: 1.25 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS PSYC |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (PSYC) |
Major Readings:
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 117(3), 497-529.
Campbell, W. K., Bosson, J. K., Goheen, T. W., Lakey, C. E., & Kernis, M. H. (2007). Do narcissists dislike themselves "deep down inside?". PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 18(3), 227-229.
Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). The costly pursuit of self esteem. PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 130(3), 392-414.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW, 98(2), 224-253.
Moran, J. M., Macrae, C. N., Heatherton, T. F., Wyland, C. L., & Kelley, W. M. (2006). Neuroanatomical evidence for distinct cognitive and affective components of self. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE, 18(9), 1586-1594.
Swann, W. B., Jr! . (2004). The trouble with change: Self-verification and allegiance to the self. In R. M. Kowalski, & M. R. Leary (Eds.), The interface of social and clinical psychology: Key readings. (pp. 349-356) PSYCHOLOGY PRESS, New York, NY.
Tesser, A. (2000). On the confluence of self-esteem maintenance mechanisms. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW, 4(4), 290-299.
Wang, Q. (2001). Culture effects on adults' earliest childhood recollection and self-description: Implications for the relation between memory and the self. JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 81(2), 220-233.
Wilson, T. D., & Dunn, E. W. (2004). Self-knowledge: Its limits, value and potential for improvement. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY, 55, 493-518.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Students will engage in weekly volunteering activities at one of the residencies of Gilead community services, inc.(http://gileadcs.org/) in Middletown, CT. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two hours of service at Gilead per week. Student will be matched with residents at Gilead based on the recommendations of staff members at Gilead. Student will likely involve in one of the two forms of partnerships with the residents at Gilead: 1. One to two students pair with individual residents and build one-on-one (or two-on-one) friendship. 2. Two to three students partner with a certain residential house (which include four to six residents) and build friendly communities. These forms of partnership fit with one of existing programs at Gilead: The Buddy Program.
During their weekly service, students are expected to provide companionship to their paired residents in one or more of, but not limited to, the following forms: 1. Exchange life stories with the Gilead residents to deepen social interactions. This exchange could be semi-formal interviews or casual conversations. 2. Plan and organize activities which are of mutual interest such going to a movie, attending a sports event, attending a lecture, going out for coffee, going to an art exhibition, a trip to a farmer¿s market etc. 3. Engage the Gilead residents in enriching activities including, but not limited to, playing music or chess together, offering a story-writing group or reading group, etc. Students will engage in these activities under the supervision of staff members at Gilead. Some of these activities may take place on Wesleyan campus which provide Gilead residents opportunities to learn about college students¿ experience and lives.
Students are expected to engage in service work at Gilead and are also expected to reflect on their volunteering experience. Students will be required to write reflection papers to connect their volunteering experience with their weekly readings. Through closely interacting with the clients at Gilead on a one-on-one basis, students will learn about how one¿s self-knowledge is developed, shaped, and can be changed via life events and social interactions. They will participate weekly discussions in the class and will lead discussion at least once during the semester. Students will write a final paper in the form of literature review or research proposal. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
The Social Self is a seminar/service learning course where students will be provided with an overview of the recent theoretical, methodological, and practical development of one the classic sub-areas of social psychology: The Self. Course content will be organized around research articles which offer in-depth understanding of the nature of self. These articles will include the cutting-edge research findings or review of findings focused on three primary aspects of self: the cognitive self(e.g., self-knowledge, self-image), the affective self(e.g., self-esteem, self-compassion), and the executive self(e.g., self-regulation, self-control). Students are encouraged to critically analyze research findings, apply concepts and theories to make real-life connections, while reflecting upon personal experience and social issues.
Students will engage in weekly volunteering activities at one of the residencies of Gilead community services, inc.(http://gileadcs.org/) in Middletown, CT. Gilead provides health care and recovery support services in the home and community to improve mental health, physical well-being, independence, and community integration for the individuals who are in the recovery stage from mental illness. Students are expected to engage in service work at Gilead and are also expected to reflect on their volunteering experience. It is important for students to combine what they learn in class with what they learn from the community-based work to achieve effective learning. |
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