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Human Nature and Genocide:
A case study in critical social psychology.

PSYCH 4559

What is this course about?
Imagine participating in an experiment in which you are asked to shock a fellow participant who answers questions incorrectly[1]. You are to shock the participant at increasing rates for every answer they get wrong. Eventually, you are required to shock them at a level capable of killing them. How far would you go? What factors are important in understanding how far you would go?  Can evidence from such an experiment provide enough insight into why you may, or may not, be capable of committing acts of genocide?

This is a course in critical social psychology using the case study of human nature and genocide. The goal is to critically analyze experimental social psychology by applying it to the study of human nature and genocide.  We will do this by studying classical social psychology paradigms and experiments. We will also engage with theories such as evolutionary psychology, psychoanalyses, Marxism, and critical theory—allowing us to compare and contrast various ways of studying human behavior.

In order to aid us in this journey, we will ask questions such as:

• What role does human nature play in genocide?
• Can human nature be discovered by the scientific method?
• Is human nature today the same as it was 15,000 years ago? Or, could genocide have happened 15,000 years ago?
• What is the interaction between human nature and socio-economic structures as it relates to genocide?

What will you learn?
By the end of the course you will learn to think like a critical social psychologist!

1. You will become a more efficient, empowered, and skeptical consumer of experimental evidence.
2. You will learn to analyze and critique, distinguish between reductionist and emergence explanation, separate proximal and ultimate causal mechanisms, and assess the strengths and limitations of different forms of evidence.
3. Develop a deeper understanding of human interactions, and engage with peers from psychology and other disciplines (for example sociologists, anthropologists…) regarding human interactions.
4. Develop the skills needed to be a self-directing learner of human interactions. 
5. Engage in a critical dialogue on the complexities of human nature and genocide.

How will you get there?
NOT WITH QUIZZES AND TESTS!  We will take advantage of the small seminar format in this course by engaging with the material in collaborative and exciting ways.  We will have a variety of different learning tools and activities including:

1. Reading scholarly articles from a variety of fields and perspectives, and analyzing them with your peers on online discussion boards.
2. Interactive lectures in which you and your peers will help facilitate the learning.
3. Teaching and learning from your peers through in-class presentations.
4. In-class discussions, debates, and other learning activities grounded in research literature—practicing critical psychology means being able to question and evaluate all information and knowledge, no matter what the source is (including ME)!

Additionally, I’m available via email, office hours, or individually-scheduled meetings to discuss your learning, and/or any other concerns you have about the class or the topics.

How will you know you’ve learned all this?

Reading discussion questions: Being able to digest and engage with research literature takes practice.  It also helps to discuss what you’ve read with others.  Therefore, before each class you will have to submit two discussion questions and a critical statement reflecting the reading for that upcoming class.  These will be submitted online in forums that are moderated by me.  These questions should aid us in discussions, and cannot be answered as a yes or no.  The critical statement can be something that engages with the reading or with a statement made by your peers on the forums.  I will help by providing guiding questions and a more detailed rubric.

Presentation in Pairs: There is no better way to learn to think like a critical social psychologist than to practice being one!  You will have an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained in this class by critically studying a case study.  You will pair with another student and present to the class and lead the class in a discussion on a case study that is assigned to your group. By the time we start the case studies, we will cover the tools necessary to understand and dissect these case studies for the purposes of this class.  More information will be provided in the rubric.     

Critical writing report: One of the best ways to master new analytics skills is by writing.  Writing allows us to explore and articulate our thoughts and arguments. This assignment consists of two parts: (1) By the end of the semester, you will submit a report that compares and contrasts at least six peer reviewed journal articles on a particular topic. Three of these articles have to be from experimental social psychology, and the rest can be from any social science or humanities perspective.   You will provide me with a summary of the main argument, the methodology, and the evidence for each article. (2) In addition, you will write a paper (3 to 5 pages) comparing and contrasting the main points in these articles and conclude with your own analysis.  Please consult the assignment rubric for details.

Leading a discussion (5%): When studying complex topics, one quickly discovers that no one perspective can have a monopoly on the whole topic.  A discussion is a great way to uncover different perspectives and different questions about a topic. In a pair, you will be responsible for leading a 30-minute discussion.  The topic of the discussion will be the papers assigned for that class.  You can take advantage of the questions and comments posted on the forum, but you will initiate and guide the discussion. NOTE: This is different from the Presentation In Pairs that is mentioned above. In the Presentation-In-Pairs assignment each team is given a different topic, which they will then present to the class. In Leading a discussion, everyone reads the articles you’ll be facilitating the discussion on. Your responsibility is not in covering new material, just facilitating the material everyone is required to read.

Engagement: Throughout the semester we will have in class and out of class activities. One such activity will be a photo project on capturing human nature in a photo.  Another will be a concept map of our collective knowledge on various topics.  Stay tuned for more details! 

How will you be evaluated?

Why am I teaching this class?
I am endlessly fascinated by the human experience, and the human brain that is central to that experience.  I am also deeply troubled by the pain and suffering that is part of the human experience.  My preoccupation, in and out of the academia, is understanding human suffering and its causes in order to be more effective in helping to dismantle it.  Through this process, I have come to appreciate the insights provided by social psychology, but I am convinced that studying complex human phenomenon is far more exciting and fulfilling, and far more accurate when done through an interdisciplinary manner. This course is a way for me to introduce you to interdisciplinary analysis of human behavior.

Required Text:
Final Solutions: Human Nature, Capitalism and Genocide. We will be going through the whole texts.  This book is challenging, but we will work through it together.
Please refer to the schedule for the other required texts. 

Learning Needs and Support:
Please let me know if you need any additional learning resources.  I’m willing to work with you and the appropriate office to accommodate your needs.

UVA Honor code policy:  As with any class here at UVA, the honor code will be strictly enforced.  Violations should be brought to the instructor's attention who will deliberate on the necessary next steps. Cheating or plagiarizing on an assignment will result in a grade of “0” for that assignment.  For all assignments, please type out the honor code on a separate sheet of paper and turn in with the completed assignment.  

“On my honor as a student, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment/exam.”

Week 1: Setting the stage for the semester, covering some (not so) familiar ground

Week 2: Covering unfamiliar grounds of studying the person in the situation