Critical Social Inquiry 0286 - Critical Psychology

Many people are drawn to the field of psychology because of a desire to both understand themselves and help alleviate the suffering of others as way of working towards social justice. Yet psychology, along with its myriad forms of inquiry and intervention, is inextricably bound up with social and political arrangements. Critical psychology interrogates psychological knowledge and its production by examining the social, historical and political contexts from which it arose and the way it is currently situated. This course will survey the field of psychology from this critical perspective, asking questions about psychological methods, practices, and philosophical assumptions with the intent of understanding psychology as a potent and invisible sociopolitical force. By asking questions about how psychological knowledge impacts how we come to understand ourselves, our relationships, and what it means to be human, we will examine how these understandings support or challenge existing arrangements of power and privilege.

Independent Work Writing and Research Prerequisite: prior college level psychology course. Required lab on Wednesdays from 2:30-3:20