Identity and Culture:Psychosocial Perspectives
Module Leader: Dr Angie Voela
Main aims:
This module introduces students to key concepts and debates in Psychosocial Studies through the discussion of a wide range of aspects of identity.
It draws on psychology, psychoanalysis and sociology in order to:
a. familiarise students with key concepts, vocabularies and thinkers;
b. theorise the distinctiveness of the psychosocial approach;
c. engage students in a systematic and theoretically informed study of identity as socially and psychologically constructed.
It concentrates on the issues and complexities involved in bringing together the social and the psyche without prioritising one or the other. It also sets the foundations for subsequent specialised modules taught in this programme.
Main Topics
BLOCK ONE: A history of PSS will be outlined and introduce students to various historical debates. This will ensure that students have some understanding of the development of the discipline and how this influences current debates.
BLOCK TWO: There are many schools within PSS such as psychoanalysis, social psychology, sociology and cultural studies. The second block will introduce the students to the various schools and will engage with the similarities and differences of the schools in order for a foundation to be gained in these debates.
BLOCK THREE: This block will introduce some of the philosophical issues which underpin PSS. Attention will be paid to understanding: a) emotion b) nature/nurture debates c) private/public divide
BLOCK FOUR: This block will use a case study, for example employment, to explore the issues raised in the previous blocks. It will provide a focus for understanding the inputs of the various schools, and for exploring the individual and society debates. It will also provide an opportunity to raise points about gender, class and ethnicity.
