LectureConflict and Conflict resolutionUlrich Wagner & AndreasHomburgThursday, 9-11

1. Session: Definitions, levels of explanation, reductionism

Gegenstand der ersten Sitzung:

1. Organisatorische Fragen

2. Der Gegenstandsbereich der Sozialpsychologie. In diesem Zusammenhang werdenpsychologische und soziologische Anstze der Sozialpsychologie angesprochen, imZusammenhang mit soziologischen Anstzen insbesondere der Symbolische Interaktionismus und der Labeling Approach, die auf die Bedeutung sozialer Inter-aktionen fr das Verstndnis unserer Welt verweisen.

3. Sozialpsychologische Analysen sollten unterschiedliche Erklrungsebenen bercksichtigen, dies wird am Beispiel der Anstze von Doise(1986) und Pettigrew(1991) demonstriert.

4. Die Bercksichtung unterschiedlicher Erklrungsebenen macht Analysefehler deutlich, insbesondere solche Fehler, die als reduktionistisch bezeichnet werden.

Wagner & Homburg: Conflict and conflict resolution1. Session: Definitions, levels of explanation, reductionism

Berntson, G.G. &Cacioppo, J.T. (2000). Psychobiology andsocial psychology: Past, present and future. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 3-15.

Doise, W. (1986). Levels of explanation in social psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hewstone, M. &Stroebe, W. (2001). Introduction to social psychology. Oxford: Blackwell.

Lewontin, R.C., Rose, S. & Kamin, L.J. (1984). Not in ourgenese. Biology, ideology, and human nature. New York: Pantheon Books. (deutsch: Psychologie-Verlags Union, 1988)

Mertens, W. (1983). Symbolischer Interaktionismus. In D. Frey & S. Greif (Hrsg.), Sozialpsychologie. Ein Handbuch in Schlsselbegriffen(S. 81-87). Mnchen: Urban & Scharzenberg.

Pettigrew, T. F. (1991). Advancing racial justice. Past lessons for future use. In H. J.Knopke, R. J. Norrell& R. W. Rogers (Eds.), Opening doors: Perspectives on race relations in contemporary America. Tuscaloosa Al: The University of Alabama Press.

Pettigrew, T.F. (1996). How to think like a social scientist. New York: Harper Collins.

Rosenberg, M. & Turner, R.H. (1981). Social psychology. New York: Basic Books:

Stryker, S. (1981). Symbolicinteractionism: Themes and variations. In M. Rosenberg & R.H Turner, o.a.

Tajfel, H. (1981). Human groups and social categories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Definitions of social psychology I

"Social psychology is defined by theories which at the moment are characterized as social psychological theories."

Was in der Sozialpsychologie betrieben wird, ist durch Theorien definierbar, die derzeit als sozialpsychologische Theorien bezeichnet werden.

Irle, M. (1975) Lehrbuch der Sozialpsychologie. Gttingen: Hogrefe, S. 16

Social Psychology

Psychological tradition Sociological tradition

PioneersLewin, Asch, Festinger, Schachter Mead, Goffman, Homans, Bales

TopicsSocial cognitionAttributionAttitudesEmotions EmotionsInterpersonal communication Symbolicinteractionism/labelingAffiliation, prosocialbehavior AttractionAggressionGroup processesSocial influenceIntergrouprelations Intergrouprelations

SocializationIdentitySocial structure

cf. Hewstone & Stroebe(2001) cf. Rosenberg & Turner (1981) .

Symbolic interactionism:

Intervening between situations andadjustiveresponses are definitions of the situations. ... Objects become stimuli as they function in the contexts of acts and become to be defined as relevant to completing the act; they acquire meaning in the course of activity. Communication involves conversions of gestures .. (Stryker, 1981)

Meaning is a matter of communication, meaning is ascribed by gestures (cf. alsoMertens, 1983).

Definitions of social psychology II

... social psychology is the scientific field that studies the manner in which thebehavior, feelings, or thoughts of one individual are influenced or determined by thebehaviorand/or characteristics of others.

Baron, R.A. & Byrne, D. (1981), Social psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, p. 7

"... social psychology can and must include in its theoretical and research preoccupations a direct concern with the relationship between human psychological functioning and the large-scale social processes and events which shape this function and are shaped by it."

Tajfel, H. (1981). Human groups and social categories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 7

Levels of analysis in social psychology(cf. Doise, 1986)

Examples

ideological belief-in-a-just-world, e.g.Milgrams obedience studies

positional/ inter-group explanationswhich bring indifferencesin social positionwhich exist prior to theinteraction, e.g. interactionsbetween ethnic groupmembers

inter-personal e.g. Kelleys attribution theory

intra-personal consistencetheory, ELM

biology, physiology

Levels of Analysis in Social Psychology(cf.Pettigrew, 1996)

ExamplesMacroSocio-structural level: laws of immigrationInstitutions, organisations, etc. residential status

MesoSituational level: everyday Face-to-face interactions interactions (social psychology domain) between ethnic

group members

MicroIndividual level: racist attitudesPersonality, biology

Levels of Analysis in Social Psychology(cf.Pettigrew, 1996)

ExamplesMacroSocio-structural level: sex rolesInstitutions, organisations, etc.

MesoSituational level: top down sex roleFace-to-face interactions explanations socialization(ocial psychology domain)

Micro individualIndividual level: sex rolePersonality, biology behavior

Levels of Analysis in Social Psychology(cf.Pettigrew, 1996)

ExamplesMacroSocio-structural level: Institutions, organisations, etc. school laws

Meso violenceSituational level: bottom up in schoolsFace-to-face interactions explanations (social psychology domain) group processes

Micro authoritarianismIndividual level:Personality, biology

Levels of Analysis in Social Psychology(cf.Pettigrew, 1996)

ExamplesMacroSocio-structural level: Institutions, organisations, etc. genocide

MesoSituational level: bottom upFace-to-face interactions explanations (social psychology domain)

Reductionism

MicroIndividual level: perpetratorsPersonality, biology authoritarianism

Reductionism:

Explanation of complex entities by elementswhichconstitute the whole.

Biological reductionism:

Explanation of complex social processesthrough biological and physiologicalhumanprocesses.

Biological determinism:

Explanation of complex social processes alonebybiological and physiologicalhuman processes.