lecture 15 - Social Reps

PSYC203: Social Representations Theory

Week 19

Instructor: Dr. Chris WaltonUniversity: Lancaster University

Crises in Social Psychology

Crisis Overview:

• The first significant crisis of confidence in social psychology emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

• There were widespread concerns regarding reductionism, which oversimplified social psychology by focusing excessively on individual psychological processes while neglecting the broader social context.

• Critiques also targeted the field's reliance on experimental methods, which often overlooked historical and cultural influences that shape social behavior and societal dynamics.

• The relevance of social psychology was questioned, particularly in Europe, where the discipline was seen as disconnected from pressing social issues and concerns affecting communities.

The Essence of Individualism

• Floyd Allport (1924):

  • Proposed that social psychology cannot fundamentally contradict individual psychology since individual behaviors and social behaviors are inherently linked.

European Response to Social Psychology Crisis

Key Figures:

• Notable figures responding to this crisis included Serge Moscovici and Henri Tajfel.

• They played pivotal roles in the founding of the European Association of Social Psychology (EASP), aiming to strengthen the field's foundations and its relevance to European contexts.

• Collaborators in these efforts included Gustave Jahoda, Mauk Mulder, and Jozef Nuttin,

Theoretical Contributions:

• Moscovici:

  • Developed Social Representations Theory, which explores how language and culture influence societal perceptions of objects, events, and meanings.

• Tajfel:

  • Formulated Social Identity Theory (SIT), emphasizing the impact of group norms, intergroup relationships, and membership on behaviors and self-concept.

Emergence of Discursive Social Psychology

• Influential literature by Jonathan Potter and Margaret Wetherell titled "Discourse and Social Psychology: Beyond Attitudes and Behaviour" (1987) emerged, advocating for a discourse-based approach to understanding social behaviors and attitudes and emphasizing the role of language and context.

Aims of Lecture

• The lecture aims to outline foundational concepts of Social Representations Theory (SRT), including:

  • Historical and theoretical background.

  • Core concepts and processes inherent in SRT.

  • Relationship of SRT to other approaches within social psychology.

  • Limitations, critiques, and broader implications of the theory.

Serge Moscovici and Social Representations Theory (SRT)

Concept:

• Social Representations Theory examines the cultural processes that organize knowledge within societies and the nature of inter-individual relationships.

• It emphasizes how social movements form and how they create shared social realities, norms, and values, impacting how societal phenomena are perceived collectively.

• Moscovici famously stated, "The proper domain of our discipline is the study of cultural processes..." (Moscovici, 1972).

Core Aspects of Social Representations Theory

• SRT shifts the analytical focus from individual cognition to cultural interactions and processes.

• It prioritizes the role of language, symbols, and media as foundational tools for generating and disseminating values, beliefs, and societal norms.

• The theory establishes reciprocal relationships between individuals and the cultures they inhabit, wherein individuals are seen as both products of and contributors to their cultural contexts.

The Role of Language in SRT

• According to Moscovici (2001), language is crucial to understanding social representation, as it acts as a medium through which cultural meanings and social thoughts are conveyed.

• He argues that social representations are intrinsically linked to discursive thinking and are formed through linguistic practices.

Historical Background

• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917):

  • His work laid the foundation for understanding collective consciousness, focusing on shared norms and beliefs.

  • He established a clear distinction between individual and collective thought, emphasizing the sociology of knowledge.

Redefinition by Serge Moscovici

• Moscovici redefined the concept of Social Representations as "the contents of everyday thinking..." (Moscovici, 1988).

• He argued that these representations bring coherence to societal beliefs and behaviors, emphasizing their presence both in individual cognition and within societal contexts.

Characteristics of Social Representations

• Features:

  • Social representations are held individually yet shared across various social groups, facilitating communal understanding.

  • They are linguistically and symbolically represented, often forming part of cultural narratives.

  • They are contingent upon historical and cultural contexts, reflecting the dynamic nature of societal changes.

  • They can be prescriptive and coercive, shaping norms of autonomy and accountability amongst individuals.

Generation of Social Representations

Core Processes:

• Anchoring: Relating new or unfamiliar objects and concepts to established prototypes through linguistic means, thereby making them comprehensible to individuals.

• Objectification: The process of turning abstract concepts or ideas into concrete realities, often through the use of metaphors.

• Examples: Social Representations of Nationalism

  • Illustrative visual representations found in Brexit campaign materials, depicting cultural narratives, values, and perceptions surrounding national identity and belonging.

Concepts of Science within Social Representations

Moscovici's Dual Realities:

• Reified Universe:

  • This represents the scientific validation of knowledge, often achieved through rigorous hypothesis testing and empirical approaches.

• Consensual Universe:

  • Represents common lay understanding shaped by social representations, which are influenced by societal conversations and cultural narratives.

• Moscovici discusses how scientific concepts permeate social representations through processes such as personification, figuration, and ontologization.

Social Representations of COVID-19 Mask-Wearing

• The societal views and representations regarding compliance with mask mandates illustrate how social representations evolve and influence public behavior during health crises.

• Case studies highlight varying beliefs and practices arising from different social, cultural, and political contexts concerning mask-wearing.

Case Study: Health and Illness Representations

• Findings by Herzlich (1973) identified three dominant health representations that reflect both societal context and individual health perceptions, illustrating the dynamic interactions between culture and health.

• Case Study: Indian Perspectives on Health:

  • Research by Dixit, Mishra, and Sharma (2008) explored various meanings of health and illness derived from the socio-cultural contexts within the Bondo tribe in India, highlighting the intersection of local beliefs and health practices.

Social Representations of Madness in Italy

• De Rosa (1987) conducted a detailed analysis of drawings to illustrate the varied perceptions of madness among different socio-economic groups, showcasing how cultural and social factors inform understanding of mental health.

Broader Implications of Social Representations

• The understanding of mental illness is deeply linked to individual behavior, societal stigma, and the diverse cultural interpretations that greatly influence treatment choices and perspectives.

Integrating Concepts

• Social representations interact with schemas and attitudes, which encompass cognitive, affective, and behavioral elements.

• This interplay underscores the complexity of human behavior and belief systems within social contexts.

Criticisms of Social Representations Theory

• Voelklein & Howarth (2005) identified significant critiques of SRT, including:

  • Theoretical ambiguities that complicate its application.

  • Accusations of social determinism, suggesting that the theory overly emphasizes social contexts without sufficient regard for individual agency.

  • Cognitive reductionism, as the theory sometimes simplifies complex cognitive processes.

  • Lack of critical engagement from researchers that may hinder the evolution of SRT as a dynamic field within psychology.

Commentary on Social Representations Theory

• Insights into the complexity and evolution of understanding social representations highlight the dialectical assumptions underlying social behavior and individual agency.

• There is an ongoing examination of misunderstandings about the theory and its practical implications in both academic research and applied social psychology settings.