Social Psychology And Discourse

A unique and creative textbook that introduces the 'discursive turn' to a new generation of students, Social Psychology and Discourse summarizes and evaluates the current state-of-the-art in social psychology. Using the explanatory framework found in typical texts, it provides unparallel coverage on Discourse Analytic Psychology in a format that is immediately familiar to undergraduate readers.



A timely overview of the breadth and depth of discourse research, ideal for undergraduates and also a great resource for postgraduate research students embarking on a discursive project

No other text offers the same range of coverage - from the core topics of social cognition, attitudes, prejudice and relationships to lesser known areas such as small group phenomena

Includes a host of student-friendly features such as chapter outlines, key terms, a glossary, activity questions, classic studies and further reading

Dr Andy McKinlay is a senior lecturer in social psychology at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Chris McVittie is a senior lecturer in social psychology at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

Preface.
1. Introduction.
What is social psychology?.
The nature of social psychology.
Related disciplines.
Social psychology as a science.
Social psychology: Its methods and data.
Qualitative data.
What is discourse?.
The nature of discourse.
Conversation analysis (CA).
Discourse analysis (DA).
Critical discourse analysis (CDA).
Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA).
Discursive psychology (DP).
Rhetorical psychology.
Narrative analysis.
Other forms of qualitative study.
A note on ethics.
About this book.
Appendix: A note on transcription.
2. Self and Identity.
Identities in context.
Conversational identities.
Identities in culture.
National identities.
Nations and time.
Nations and place.
Other community identities.
Social groups.
Gendered identities.
Masculine identities.
Feminine identities.
Ethnic groups.
Virtual identities.
Resisting identities.
Selves in action.
3. Groups.
The impact of groups.
Groups and social representations.
Groups, self and others.
Group cohesion.
Group structure.
Homogeneity and heterogeneity.
Roles within the group.
Group function.
Group norms.
Group tasks.
4. Attraction and Relationships.
Attraction.
Achieving attraction.
Sexual attraction and desire.
Partnership and marriage.
Marriage.
Partnerships.
Being single.
Parenthood.
Parenting in families.
Parenting and society.
Family relationships.
Collaborative competence.
Family dynamics.
Caring in families.
Peers and friends.
Collaboration among peers.
Teasing and exclusion.
Troubles and breaking up.
Neighbour disputes.
Family and relationship troubles.
5. Social Cognition.
Knowledge of others and mental states.
Knowing and mental models.
Not knowing and the sequential structure of conversation.
Knowing and not knowing: Beyond cognitive states.
Social memory.
Impression management.
Attributions.
Categorisation.
6. Attitudes and Persuasion.
Attitudes.
Attitude and control.
Constructing attitudes and evaluative practices.
Persuasion.
Persuasion and ideology.
Mundane persuasion in everyday talk.
7. Prejudice.
Prejudice and discourse.
Race.
Constructing the ‘other’.
Managing the self.
Racist talk in context.
What the papers say.
Sex.
Sexism.
Heterosexism.
8. Dispute and Aggression.
Disputes in talk.
Agreeing to disagree: The usefulness of disagreement.
Disagreement and dispute: Power and participant’s orientations.
Accounting for aggression.
Aggressors’ accounts.
Others’ accounts.
Disguising aggression.
Denials.
Making aggression invisible.
9. Social Psychology, Law and Order.
Police investigations.
Police interviews.
Police calls.
Lawyers in the Courtroom.
The role of the lawyer in cross examination.
The role of the lawyer in direct examination.
Witnesses in the courtroom.
Witness testimony.
The ‘expert’ witness.
The role of the judge.
Treatment of offenders.
10. Social Psychology and Health.
What is health?.
The ideology of health.
Being ill.
Health and gender.
Professional expertise.
Coping and support.
Coping as an individual.
Support groups.
Professional / patient encounters.
Assessments.
Formulations.
Diagnoses.
Health behaviours and change.
Health and individual behaviour.
Health in the community.
11. Social Psychology and Organisations.
Talk and organizations.
Institutional talk.
Organisations and culture.
Behaviour at work.
Working relationships.
Working activities.
Leadership and decision-making.
Employment and non-employment.
Career choices.
Employment difficulties.
Organisations and society.
Organisations and change.
Dealing with clients / customers.
Learning about organizations.
12. Debates Within the Discursive Tradition.
The ‘external context’ debate.
Conversation analysis.
Critical discourse analysis.
External contexts.
The ‘membership categorization analysis’ debate.
Membership categorization analysis and ‘sequential’ conversation analysis.
Membership categorization analysis and warranting claims.
The ‘social constructionism’ debate.
Covert realism.
Disappearance of the person.
Reflexivity.
13. Social Psychology in the 21st Century.
Arguments for research independence.
Philosophical differences between discursive and experimental research.
Methodological differences between discursive and experimental research.
Arguments for research integration.
Rethinking philosophical differences.
Rethinking methodological differences.
The future of social psychology.
Glossary.
References.
Author Index.
Subject Index