Contribution of discursive approach in social psychology - Essay Example

?Running Head: DISCURSIVE APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGY Contribution of Discursive Approach in Social Psychology Full School Critical social psychology is defined as a term to describe a collection of approaches such as social constructionist, postmodernist, and narrative approaches to social psychology. One of the approaches includes the discursive approach, which have significant contributions to social psychology. The discursive approach has so far contributed largely to the social psychology in aspects of investigating and discussing the issues and attitudes of groups of people such as racism and nationalism in a social setting. In discursive approach, a thematical study is done to understand the interaction of people whose prejudicial attitudes portray racism and nationalism. Contribution of Discursive Approach in Social Psychology Introduction Rogers (2011) introduces the term Critical social psychology and defined it as a term to describe a collection of approaches that contest experimental social psychology. These include social constructionist, postmodernist, discursive, and narrative approaches to social psychology. Its main elements are a rejection of scientific method as the means to gain knowledge, a claim that social psychology is always an ideological endeavor, and a view of the social world that contends it is constructed through people’s meaning-making not something ‘out there’ waiting to be discovered. In this context, the discursive approach as branching out from critical social psychology will be the main focus of discussion, as it have made significant contributions to social psychology. Importance of Discursive Approach in Social Psychology Discursive psychology is a generic term applied to approaches that assume social reality constructed by subjective and intersubjective ‘effort after meaning,’ where discourse is seen as the main means by which people construct, communicate, and interpret meaning (Rogers, 2011, p. 310). To understand the discursive approach better, you may study its epistemology as a post–positive approach introduced in the recent times. The main motive of the discursive approach is that it can be used as a tool to assess some elements of integration system or in human interactions. Although great theories such as neo–functionalism and fundamentalism plays a significant role in understanding integration issues, the discursive approach also plays a role as an alternative to sort out or to analyze other social issues. The discursive approach is an important approach because it works as a communicative tool for not only for Europeans but also for entire human race. Moreover it should be understood that the discursive approach like the use of language in conversations, interactions, explains the way we socialize, communicate, or interact with other human beings—may it be in-group or out-group. In addition, this context will discuss more about the contribution of discursive approaches to social psychology and the attitudes of people toward their own nationality and their prejudicial attitudes to those people who are different from a given race (Rogers, 2011). Social psychology and its relevance to racism and nationalism Social psychology as we discussed, is the study of the thoughts, emotions, and expression of people in a society by the influence of other human beings (Myers, 2005). When people interact in a society, the interaction of people has the potentiality to reciprocate thoughts and feelings among each other. When there is a reciprocation of feelings among each other in a society, then there occurs action and reactions. So to study this interactive pattern there is an immediate need of social psychologists. The social psychologist studies the environment of the people reacting and measures the thoughts, feeling and behavior of people to understand what triggers chaos and violence in society. It is important to note that social psychology is not just about looking at social influences. Social perception and social interaction are also vital to understanding social behavior (Cherry, 2012). In explaining social psychology, the study of prejudicial attitudes like racism and nationalism is addressed as an integral part of it. Racism is a belief that a particular race or community posses special characteristics which is unique to only them. Nationalism on the other hand, believes that a particular country holds special characteristics or traits. In this way, racism and nationalism is a negative expression from a group of people against another group which is subjugated and held backward. Racism and nationalism is the feeling and thought of general public towards each other. It categorizes people into stereotypes and moves further to create unique status to each community, race and nation. Here the discursive approach plays a major role in order to aid communicating process in social setting (Myers, 2005, p. 334). Discursive approach, racism and nationalism Discursive approach is critical on social, cognitive, and individualistic account that perceives racism as an internal psychological condition located in every group or individual. Racism is understood as an individual’s prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behavior toward people of a given race, or institutional practices (even if not motivated by prejudice), that subordinate people of a given race (Rogers, 2011). Furthermore, discursive approach understands racism and nationalism as both communicative and interactive process. Moreover this practice of racism and nationalism exists in various discourses and institutional practices of the society. Reynolds, 2001 claims that discursive psychology introduces a very different approach to the study of traditional social psychological constructs such as social categorization and stereotyping.” Discursive psychologists does not believe that social cognition, social stereotype and social categories as something fixed in the head of individuals (Reynolds, 2001, p. 100). Craigehead, (2004) views racism as interactive and communicative and as located within the language practices and discourses of a society.” The discursive approach denotes that the consistent everyday practices of individuals in informal and formal talks give way to the birth of dominance, power and recognition and simultaneously exploitation become legitimated and reproduced. Thus, analytical point of view of discursive psychology is the manner in which the discursive resources and arguments of rhetorical nature are combined together to form different social, racial and naturalist structure and identities (Craigehead, 2004, p. 790). In addition, stereotyping and categorization are not considered as internal cognitive processes, but a discursive activity that are explained with flexibility in relation to a particular social context. Relatively, the discursive approach helps the social psychologist to study the social interaction of people of different races and nations and the cognitive process involved in it. The discursive approach helps the social psychologist in understanding the dialogues and prejudiced talks and its reflection on the mental processing of a person. The social psychologist has the obligation of understanding the cognitive processing of human beings with regard to racisms and nationalism and what leads to its negative and positive reaction among different societies and communities. The discursive approach measures the psychological functionality of the people involved in the prejudiced social environment (Myers, 2005, p. 334). Further Explanation of Epistemological issues on racism and nationalism The foundation of the discursive approach to racism and nationalism has been the various ways in which the society interacted on the cognitive level about prejudiced ideas. It focuses on various ways in which people talk and react about the issue of racism on a social and national setting. In addition, epistemological means the “theory of knowledge” related to discursive approach in racist and nationalism concept. When it is the matter of discussing an epistemological issue, the categorization concept of racism and nationalism appears to be vague. The epistemological concept does not allow the explanation of the positive and negative effect of prejudice, bias, and categorization. For instance, epistemology directs towards, the expression of face, behavior, attitude and repercussion among people while socially interacting not the interpretation of the positive and negative effects of attitudes and expressions while interacting (Myers, 2005). Another epistemological issue is the theoretical framework on which the discursive approach is based. The outcome of the social psychological study centered on racism and nationalism highly depends on the theoretical framework of the discursive approach. A discursive approach allows interpreting different issue related to the cognitive processing of prejudiced talks and behavior in a person. There are pros and cons of discursive approach which considers different social issues related to racism and nationalism, but fail to organize them in the needed manner. The main concern of the discursive approach is the why and the how of various issues related to racism and nationalism and the discussion of how they could be diverted into an alternative manner (Myers, 2005, p. 395). Conclusion The discursive approach has so far contributed largely to the social psychology in aspects of investigating and discussing the issues and attitudes of groups of people such as racism and nationalism in a social setting. In discursive approach, a thematical study is done to understand the interaction of people who believe in racism and nationalism. The social psychologist uses the discursive approach to assess the cognitive processes occurring in an individual while the latter acts as a racist or nationalist. Discursive approach such as language, verbal and non- verbal gestures helps social psychologist analyze the (prejudicial) attitudes, behavior, and emotions of a person or group of persons while interacting in a social setting (society, community, etc.) The real purpose why the social psychologist uses discursive approach is to understand the phenomenon of social interaction among people on a deeper or wider context. References Cherry, K. (2012). What is Social Psychology. Retrieved August 04, 2012, from http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/f/socialpsych.htm Craigehead, E. (2004). The corsino encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 790. Myers, D. G. (2005). Social psychology. Holland, Michigan: McGraw-Hill, p. 334-400. Reynolds, K. J. (2001). Understanding prejudice, racism, and social conflict. London: Sage Publication Ltd. Rogers, W. S. (2011). Social psychology. Two Penn Plaza, New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More