Who am I?  How do I come to understand the people around me?  In
order to answer questions such as these, we must consider the ways in
which society shapes people and the interaction between people.  This
course is an overview of social psychology from a sociological
perspective.  Throughout the course we will focus on understanding
the different ways in which culture shapes individuals and what it
means to be a competent “social actor”.  This course will be valuable
to students who are interested in pursuing degrees in sociology and
psychology and to students from other disciplines because it offers
the opportunity to see social interaction in a new light.  In
addition, material covered in this class will help students to
uncover the ways in which society guides our identities, our
behavior, our hopes, and our fears.

Topics to be covered include the self, presentation of the self, and
social norms.  Class meetings will consist of a variety of lectures,
class discussions, and videos.  Because exams will be based upon
lecture materials and readings, your attendance at lectures is
expected.