Assignment: Intercultural Competence and Civic Engagement Project

Assignment: Intercultural Competence and Civic Engagement Project

PROJECT 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 will support 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.

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PROJECT QUESTIONS

1. Define your ingroup. What is the issue? What is your ingroup’s position on this issue? (5pts)

2. Culture of the Ingroup (40 points)

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. (30 points) 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?