Colin Fraser – författare

To what extent--and why--do many people share similar views in socially significant domains such as politics, the economy, race, and gender? The editors' aim in this book is to explore both conceptual and substantive approaches to these questions.Part I of the book introduces the approach adopted, reviews recent developments in the subject, and endeavours to synthesize speculations from anthropology and from psychology. The four chapters of Part II each concentrate on a different set of concepts for the social psychological study of widespread beliefs. Part III is more empirical. It presents six contributions from social psychologists. Each considers a particular substantive area or series of studies, and indicates what empirical work in that area tells us about the social psychological bases of widespread beliefs.

This book offers an accessible and broadly conceived introduction to social psychology. Written in a lucid and lively style, it assumes no prior knowledge of the field, and is the ideal textbook to get students thinking about the subject. The volume covers the main issues of social psychology ? as well as many classic studies ? such as self and personality, interpersonal relations, language and communication, altruism and aggression, group processes, attitudes, and intergroup relations. What sets this book apart is its coverage of less orthodox topics which are often neglected in introductions of this kind. These areas include emotions, social and moral development, social representations, health and illness, employment and unemployment, and the implications of these fields for social policy. The result is an unusually rich and wide-ranging presentation of social psychology, drawing together a deliberately varied range of methodology and theory. The currently dominant cognitive and psychological approach to social psychology receives systematic consideration in a number of chapters, but its focus on individuals and face-to-face interaction is continually related to broader social concerns and contexts. This is achieved through the use of cross-cultural and historical comparisons, together with an awareness of the contributions that can be made by related social sciences. The authors aim to show that social psychology illuminates the whole of social life, including everyday issues faced by all of us.

This book offers an accessible and broadly conceived introduction to social psychology. Written in a lucid and lively style, it assumes no prior knowledge of the field, and is the ideal textbook to get students thinking about the subject. The volume covers the main issues of social psychology ? as well as many classic studies ? such as self and personality, interpersonal relations, language and communication, altruism and aggression, group processes, attitudes, and intergroup relations. What sets this book apart is its coverage of less orthodox topics which are often neglected in introductions of this kind. These areas include emotions, social and moral development, social representations, health and illness, employment and unemployment, and the implications of these fields for social policy. The result is an unusually rich and wide-ranging presentation of social psychology, drawing together a deliberately varied range of methodology and theory. The currently dominant cognitive and psychological approach to social psychology receives systematic consideration in a number of chapters, but its focus on individuals and face-to-face interaction is continually related to broader social concerns and contexts. This is achieved through the use of cross-cultural and historical comparisons, together with an awareness of the contributions that can be made by related social sciences. The authors aim to show that social psychology illuminates the whole of social life, including everyday issues faced by all of us.

Arguing that widespread changes in human attitude and behaviour patterns are central to ensuring a more secure and sustainable future on earth, this book focuses on communication processes in development. The authors show how communication can be used to mobilize societies, to facilitate democratic and participatory decision-making, and to help people acquire new knowledge and skills. Among the issues explored are: social mobilization worldwide for child immunization; communication as a means of facilitating rapid advances in family planning; and the use of video to enable peasant farmers to participate in their own development. The book should be of interest to those working in development, both as practitioners and theorists, and to those concerned with politics and society in the developing world.