PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
OVERVIEW
In psychology, we frequently use the terms ingroup and outgroup to identify groups that we belong to and groups that we do not belong to, respectively. These terms are widely used across different platforms to explain people's attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors related to current social, political, and cultural events: for example,immigration policies; political affiliation;reproductive rights;incarceration policies; global warming; drug legalization;religious beliefs; gender identity and equality; education rights; civil rights; and, even, which sports team one supports.
It is common to think about members who share one's ideologies as one's ingroup. Ingroup identities that are strong and meaningful influence our self-esteem. We perceive members of our ingroup as distinctive and individual. Whereas, one is inclined to think of outgroup members (e.g., opposing ideologies) as "all the same" (Tajfel & Turner, 1979).
Objectives for this Project
1. Identify a social, political, or cultural issue that is important to you. Be able to define, analyze, and discuss the relevance and significance of the issue in a logical and thoughtful way.
2. Recognize how culture influences one's worldview about issues.
3. Recognize that culture may influence people to feel, think, and behave differently.
4. Identify why and how one can be involved in addressing important issues at the local, regional, national, and global level.
5. Identify and discuss similarities and differences between groups with opposing ideologies.
6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological principles* that explain one's own and others' thoughts, feelings, and behavior related to the issue.
7. Demonstrate the ability to successfully interact with someone from a different "culture."
*For this project, you willsupport your views with psychological principles from at least two theoretical perspectives: social cognition; learning; motivation; emotions; perception; stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; human development; biological; humanism; and others.
PROJECT QUESTIONS
1. Define your ingroup. What is the issue? What is your ingroup's position on this issue?
2. Culture of the Ingroup
a. Define the culture of the people in your ingroup (shared beliefs, values, traditions/practices, norms).
b. How has the group's culture shaped your attitudes, thoughts, and behavior related to this issue?
c. What contributions has this group made (to other group members, the community, the city, state, country)?
d. Why is this group important to you? What types of things do you do (actions) to demonstrate your commitment and responsibility to the issue/position?
e. Why is it important to actively engage with the group?
3. Define the Outgroup. Take the same issue, and define the specific outgroup and its culture. This section will require research on your part. What motivates the outgroup to think, feel, and act the way that it does?
a. What is the group's position on the issue?
b. What is the culture of the outgroup and how does it influence how its members think about the issue?
c. Why is this group important to its group members?
d. What contributions has this group made?
4. Compare and Contrast Ingroup and Outgroup
Besides the obvious differences, why are their differences between the ingroup and outgroup? Apply what you have learned about psychology.
5. Imagine that you must spend a day with members of the outgroup you described above to address this important issue.
a. How do you think you would feel about the encounter? Why?
b. How would you adapt your attitudes, thoughts, and behavior to demonstrate that you were willing to understand and successfully interact with members of the outgroup.
c. What Mindset would you have as you prepare for this encounter? What heart set and skill set would you need to develop and/or apply for a successful encounter (see power point in eCampus)?
6. Actual Engagement
If you have engaged with members of the outgroup, describe the experience.
7. Intercultural Competence and Engagement with Communities:
a. As you completed this assignment, did your thoughts and attitudes about the ingroup and/or outgroup change? If yes, how?
b. Why is it important for people to understand each other's cultures/perspectives?
c. What have you learned from the research (and/or class discussion) that could be applied to help ingroup and outgroup members interact effectively to address this issue?
PROJECT GUIDELINES
- Your discussion should be clear, concise, and in-depth. Answers should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of your ingroup's culture and the outgroup's culture, and how psychological principles apply to the similarities and differences between the groups.
- Do not rush through the assignment. Take time to think carefully about a group that is important to you. Think equally carefully about the outgroup (the group that feels differently about the same issue). You can get ideas for issues with opposing sides from the following databases. Opposing Viewpoints
Points of View
SIRS Researcher
(If these links do not work, visit the MVC Library.)
- Research aspects of the outgroup: read reputable articles; visit credible websites; talk to people who belong to the outgroup.
- As you develop your report, reflect on any social or cultural barriers to interactions with members of the outgroup. According to psychological principles, why is that?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.