Political Psychology

A Social Psychological Approach

Christopher J. Hewer, Evanthia Lyons, Christopher J. Hewer, Evanthia Lyons

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781118982372
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

A research-based guide to political psychology that is filled with critical arguments from noted experts

Political Psychology is solidly grounded in empirical research and critical arguments. The text puts the emphasis on alternative approaches to psychological enquiry that challenge our traditional assumptions about the world. With contributions from an international panel of experts, the text contains a meaningful exchange of ideas that draw on the disciplines of social psychology, sociology, history, media studies and philosophy. This important text offers a broader understanding of the different intellectual positions that academics may take towards political psychology.

Comprehensive in scope Political Psychology provides a historical context to the subject and offers a critical history of common research methods. The contributors offer insight on political thought in psychology, the politics of psychological language, narrating as political action, political decision-making and much more. This important text:

• Offers contributions from a panel of international experts on the topic
• Includes a review of some political ideas associated with the work of Karl Marx, Erich Fromm, R.D. Laing, Michel Foucault and others
• Presents information on prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination in the context of mass migration
• Reviews a wide range of relevant topics such as identity, social exclusion and foreign policy and more
• Contains questions for group debate and discussion at the end of each chapter

Written for academics and students of political psychology, Political Psychology is a comprehensive resource that includes contributions from experts in a variety of fields and disciplines.

1
Some Historical and Philosophical Considerations

CHRISTOPHER J. HEWER

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CHAPTER OUTLINE

• WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER
• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
• THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES
• INTERSECTING HISTORIES: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM
• THE ISSUE OF GOVERNANCE
• TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
• THE SOCIAL AND MORAL ORDER
• THE SEARCH FOR SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING
• PSYCHOLOGY: A NEW WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD
• THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY ON SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
• LOCATING THE ROOT OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• SOCIAL COGNITION
• A SOCIETAL APPROACH TO POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY
• SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM
• THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY
• SUMMARY
• GLOSSARY
• FURTHER READING
• QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION

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WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER

Life is a social encounter and when people come together as individuals, families, or groups, it soon becomes apparent that everyone has a different idea about how matters should be organized. Some will argue that everyone should do what is best for the majority while others simply want what is best for themselves or those close to them. Others may be less guided by relationships and instead seek the most efficient, systematic, and fair approach to decision‐making. As time goes by, other questions come to the fore. Who has access to resources, how much, and how often? Who has the authority to say what can and cannot be done, and what gives a person the right to dictate to others? These questions reflect the political nature of our existence and such questions arise in the home, office, local neighborhood, or, indeed, between peoples and nations.

Then there is the question of how we should understand the world and our position within it. For thousands of years, human culture has ventured beyond the material and observable aspects of our existence to explore and embrace supernatural concepts in the form of God, gods, demons, or other unseen forces. Indeed, today, the world is ideologically divided between those who claim that there exists a nonphysical life‐world beyond our senses and those who maintain that there is no such world. There are also many who are unable to decide. Given these circumstances, and the additional difficulties created by differences in language, history, and culture, there is huge potential for disagreement and division between individuals, groups, nations, and peoples.

We might conclude then that each polity has its own way of looking at the world and its own way of doing things. In psychology, the term “polity” is seldom mentioned, but it is important because it refers to people living under a particular regime (Gr. polītiteiā). Its root gives us two related Greek words—polītikos—from which we get politics—actions that proceed from a motive to enact policy, and polīte&c.macr;s—a citizen of a state. When we consider people grouped together, their motives to organize matters, and issues of belonging, the psychological implications become clear. Because we do not live in a political vacuum, every system—whether capitalistic, democratic, theocratic, or totalitarian—affects, influences, and perhaps even determines, the psychological state of the people. Therefore, if we wish to understand people, we need to take a closer look at the social, economic, and political systems that govern their lives. This analysis reflects one of the broader concerns of political psychology—“the behavior of individuals within a specific political system” (Huddy, Sears, & Levy, 2013a, p. 3). However, there is also a more general objective within political psychology; that is, to apply “what is known about human psychology to the study of politics” (Huddy et al., 2013a, p. 1).

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Social psychology has something to say about both areas of enquiry and featured in this textbook are psychological insights gained from research into topics such as intergroup conflict, prejudice and discrimination, migration, obedience to authority, crowds, militarism, political decision‐making, and peace psychology. Indeed, a lot of work in political psychology is social psychology, which broadly speaking, fosters an attempt to understand the social and psychological processes involved in social relations. However, social psychology takes many forms and in this textbook the emphasis is on language, social interaction, the person (not to be confused with personality), identity, and the social construction of reality. What is more, many of the chapters raise questions and challenge “taken for granted” knowledge about psychology, politics, and human nature. Indeed, the material encourages a discussion of epistemology and ontology.

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge. It addresses two main questions: how can we know the world (by what method?) and what can we know about the world (what are the limits and scope of knowledge?). Ontology refers to the assumptions we make about the nature of being (what we are), our existence (what makes us who we are), and reality (what we believe the world/universe to be). Different epistemologies and ontological beliefs will inevitably produce different ways of explaining human behavior and different ways of explaining the political world. Only through a full consideration of these issues (which includes our own assumptions and beliefs), can we produce sound academic analysis. For this specific purpose, there are questions for class discussion at the end of each chapter.

At this point, we might ask two questions: what can social psychology tell us about the social and political world? And can its insights shed light on and provide solutions to human problems? These questions direct our attention to some key issues in the history of humanity, and identity, governance, and conflict are at the forefront. First, let us consider some key developments in the history of humankind that continue to play an important role in contemporary politics: the development of religious identities.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES

The history of humanity shows that in the earliest forms of civilization, the worship of an unseen God or gods has been at the heart of culture. The remains of ancient temples located in various parts of the world are testimony to the worship of the many gods that dominated common thinking and practice. Ashtoreth, Baal, Molech, Artemis, Hermes, and Zeus are just a few of the many thousands of gods who had to be appeased. In the twenty‐first century, a large number of religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam continue to influence the worldview of billions of people and we might add that Atheism, with its fervent rejection of the existence of God or gods, is the preferred alternative for many. In terms of their influence on world politics, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been particularly significant and all three traditions trace their ancestry back to Abraham who lived around 2000 BCE.¹

INTERSECTING HISTORIES: JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM

The history of Abraham and the Jews is contained in the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—also known as the Pentateuch.² The Genesis account outlines the founding of ancient Israel, identifying Abraham’s son Isaac, and his son Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel—see Genesis 32 v 28) as the progenitors of the nation. Chapters 37–46 of Genesis describe the circumstances under which Jacob (Israel), his 12 sons, and their extended family eventually came to settle in Egypt. In time, this Hebrew speaking family grew into what we might call today “a large ethnic group,” and a new regime in Egypt oppressed them and treated them as slaves. The book of Exodus provides an account of their enslavement and release from captivity in Egypt in 1513 BCE under the leadership of Moses. Once liberated, a theocracy emerged—an administration with God as sovereign. Israel accepted a new divine law—the Ten Commandments with some 600 additional laws to govern all aspects of life—as well as a prescribed set of religious practices. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, Israel eventually conquered the land of Canaan to take hold of “the promised land.” The territory of this new nation would, however, be under constant threat for the next 15 centuries from a variety of tribes and nations, including Moab, Edom, Amalek, Midian, Philistia, Persia, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome. By the first century CE,³ the Jewish religious system became known as Judaism, although it was no longer solely based on the Torah.

Judaism’s relationship with Christianity is significant. For many centuries, prophets in Israel such as Isaiah, Zechariah, Malachi, Hosea, Micah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and various writers of the Psalms had provided the means for identifying a Messiah (Shiloh) who would liberate Israel. Although Jesus’ arrival in 29 CE fulfilled prohecy, he was nonetheless rejected by the Jews. The first five books of the New Testame...