The Psychology of Inequality, Conflict and Social Change
| Module title | The Psychology of Inequality, Conflict and Social Change |
|---|---|
| Module code | PSY3458 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Morgana Lizzio-Wilson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 35 |
|---|
Module description
We are living in a time of rapid social change. Although group inequalities and discrimination still persist, public awareness of and discussions about these issues have increased thanks to the advent and efforts of social movements. Movements like #MeToo, Occupy Wall Street, and Fridays For Future have been integral in highlighting injustice, providing affected people and communities with a platform to discuss their experiences, and persuading bystanders (i.e., people not currently involved in the cause) to act to promote change.
Unfortunately, social change is not linear or straightforward. It can take years, even decades, to mobilise and successfully instigate change, if at all. And even when these changes gain popular attention and start to take effect, they are often met with opposition from members of historically advantaged groups who seek to protect the status quo and affirm their status and privilege. How can we understand people’s willingness to support and engage in collective efforts to bring about social change? In this module, we will draw upon social, political, and feminist psychological methods, theories, and findings to develop an evidence-based understanding of intergroup inequalities and social change. Together, we will explore four key questions:
- Where do intergroup inequality and discrimination come from?
- When and why do people recognise and fight back against inequality?
- When and why do people (particularly members of historically advantaged groups) resist social change?
- When is advocacy (in)effective in garnering support for a cause?
Module aims - intentions of the module
The core aim of this module is provide you with an evidence-based understanding of intergroup inequalities and social change. Our aim will be to understand and critically analyse the group and systemic processes which contribute to the formation and maintenance of intergroup inequality and, crucially, how these same processes can be leveraged to create progressive change.
Through attending the weekly seminars and participating in class discussions and exercises, interactive demonstrations, group presentations, you will develop your ability to:
- Think rationally and develop reasoned arguments, approach and solve problems in a rigorous and systematic way (linking theory to methods, developing your own ideas with confidence, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems)
- Manage structure (identifying key demands of the task, setting clearly defined goals, responding flexibly to changing priorities)
- Develop time management skills (managing time effectively individually and within a group)
- Collaborate (respecting the views and values of others, taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work, maintaining group cohesiveness and purpose)
- Communicate effectively
- Enhance your ability to formulate research questions and hypotheses, and
Present to an audience of your peers (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats, persuading others of the importance and relevance of your views, responding positively and effectively to questions)
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe in detail the practical utility of social psychological theories in understanding the facilitators of and barriers to social change
- 2. Think critically, creatively, and independently, and fully appreciate the complexities of real-world social issues and social change
- 3. Understand and apply theories to the development of practical strategies for tackling social issues and aiding change management
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Acquire detailed, systematic and comprehensive knowledge within the discipline, with in-depth specialisation at the forefront of the discipline in certain areas, and demonstrate advanced critical understanding of this knowledge and of the limits and provisional nature of this knowledge
- 5. Review and critically evaluate published work at an advanced level and identify the strengths and weaknesses of this work, and at an advanced level structure this literature to present logical, coherent and sustained arguments to support conclusions at an advanced level
- 6. Address systematically complex problems at an advanced level which may be framed within unpredictable contexts, think critically, creatively and independently, and fully appreciate the complexities of the issues
- 7. Understand and apply essential principles in designing novel research, and critically evaluate and analyse empirical evidence, and assess the reliability of empirical evidence using a range of defined techniques at an advanced level
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Solve problems (linking theory to practice, developing your own ideas with confidence, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems)
- 9. Identify key demands of the task, setting clearly defined goals, responding flexibly to changing priorities
- 10. Manage time effectively individually and within a group
- 11. Collaborate successfully, respecting the views and values of others, taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work, maintaining group cohesiveness and purpose
- 12. Present ideas effectively in multiple formats with an awareness of the audience, persuading others of the importance and relevance of your views, responding positively and effectively to questions
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
Topic 1: How members of marginalised groups cope with and fight back against inequality
- How social movements emerge around a common cause or issue
- How politicised identities and beliefs form
Topic 2: How members of advantaged groups (e.g., men, White people, cisgendered people) come to support and/or resist social change
- Understanding advantaged group members’ resistance to change (including the emergence of conservative social movements, such as men’s rights activism, unite the right)
- How we can persuade members of advantaged groups to support social change
- When members of advantaged groups or ‘allies’ are more vs less effective in promoting change
Topic 3: How advocacy can promote and undermine social change
- How different types of tactics or strategies are evaluated by the general public
- When conventional (e.g., protests, law reform) and more radical forms of activism (e.g., sit-ins) are effective in instigating social change
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 33 | Seminars and in-class activities (11 x 3 hours) |
| Guided Independent Study | 57 | Preparation/reading for weekly seminars Preparing for small group activities |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Further research and reading in preparation for research proposal |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Further research and preparation for final exam |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small-group discussions/activities within seminars | 11 seminars | All | Oral, within plenary sessions |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 60 | 3 hours | All | Feedback on request |
| Research proposal | 40 | 2000 words | All | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination (60%) 3 hours | Examination | All | August ref/def |
| Research proposal (40%) 2000 words | Research proposal | All | August ref/def |
Re-assessment notes
Two assessments are required for this module. Where you have been referred/deferred in the examination you will have the opportunity to take a second examination in the August/September re-assessment period. Where you have been referred/deferred in the essay you will be required to resubmit the essay. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%; deferred marks are not capped.
Please also refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: https://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
There is no core text for the seminar. Readings will consist mainly of (published) journal articles. Specific reading is provided for each topic.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Videos, and newspaper and magazine articles that seem pertinent to the weekly discussions are used.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | PSY2203 Social Psychology II (or equivalent), PSY2206 Methods and Statistics in Psychology II |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 16/02/2023 |
| Last revision date | 14/12/2023 |
