Social psychology and politics

Why are social psychologists interested in politics, and how can they help us understand things like social movements, protest and activism? This free course, Social psychology and politics, moves away from a state-centric study of politics and, using insights from social psychology, explores the role of identity, personality and culture for political action. The course introduces a critical perspective considering how psychologists themselves can be activists and interrogating the norms of ‘good citizenship’ in Western societies.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

Understand why social psychologists are interested in politics

Understand the role of personality, groups and sociocultural context in political action

Understand what is meant by ‘scholar activism’.