Intergroup Relations

Catalog description

The primary purpose of this course is to offer students an overview of intergroup relations theory, research, and applications. Students in this course will become acquainted with the various theoretical perspectives that have been developed in order to understand the development, maintenance, and reduction of conflict between social groups. We will focus on: (1) the major psychological approaches intergroup relations (e.g., individual differences approaches, new ism approaches, social identity theory, group-conflict models); (2) how group identities and group attitudes become linked to one's self concept; (3) the link between human cognition and stereotyping; (4) psychological factors underlying discrimination and group hierarchy; (5) the structural/systemic factors underlying discrimination and disparities; and (6) the practical problem of improving intergroup relations. Pre-requisite note: For students who take PSYC 1100 as the pre-requisite, a minimum grade of a B is required.