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To: TEACHSOC@maple.lemoyne.edu
From: TR Young <TR.Young@uvm.edu>
Subject: Social Psychology
Cc: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu
The idea that symbolic interaction theory ala Mead, Cooley
Blumer et al pre-empts social psychology is most unwelcome
to me.

If one looks only at the traditional social psych textbooks
in which a safe and depoliticized interaction/constructionist
point of view is presented, one would naturally presume that
there is one and only one god and that the name of that god
is symbolic interactional theory.

But, for some time, there have been competing, more powerful
social psychologies...not excluding my own 'reading' of
symbolic interactional theory in 'The Dramaturgical Society,'
Transaction Books, 1991.

For those who would like enliven a officially sponsored social
psychology, one might want to explore:

Cultural marxism, a fine social psychology which looks
at:
        alienation
        ideological hegemony
        false consciousness
        ruling ideas and the ruling class
        social location and personal views
        as well as authoritarian personalities
        class consciousness and
        revolutionary ideas...to mention just a few
        topics central to progressive sociologists.

Critical Theory which looks at the way media shape/pre-shape
attitudes, images, understandings, opinions and the dialectics
of self and society; racism, sexism, elitism and social
position.

Postmodern social psychology and its concern for the politics and
poetics of the knowledge process as well as the human agendas which
shape/mis-shape it.  The politics have to do with standards
imposed in art, music, literature and science itself.

Affirmative postmodern social psychology is concerned with
empowering those who 'voice' is excluded from the knowledge/
political process as well as deconstructing those established
standards/truth claims/theories.

The last meetings of the Stone Symposium went a long way to
expand social psychology to include postmodern sensibility...still
there is much to do if the listings presented so far are indicative.

                                                TR Young
TR Young
The Red Feather Institute
8085 Essex, Weidman, Mi.,
  48893  [517] 644 3089