Society exerts an enormous influence on our psychological development . When we are born, we are immediately immersed in the small group that makes up the family and little by little we are incorporated into other groups that transmit to us a culture and socially shared and accepted values. For that reason, it is impossible to understand the human mind and our behaviors apart from Social Psychology .
What does social psychology deal with?
Social Psychology is a branch of Psychology that studies human behavior in society . It analyzes the social processes and interpersonal relationships that influence people’s behavior and the formation of their personality.
Delve into the interactions between people , especially in the context of groups and social environments, to understand phenomena such as social roles, stereotypes and values, as well as collective consciousness and social identity or teamwork and leadership .
What is Social Psychology for?
Social Psychology attempts to understand the socio-psychological causes and motives that underlie human and crowd behavior . It seeks to reach laws and principles that govern coexistence to facilitate the quality of life of each individual and favor an optimal functioning of society.
Knowing the social factors that promote certain behaviors allows us to intervene in them to change the final behaviors. Therefore, Social Psychology is very useful at a structural level because it provides the scientific bases to pass laws that promote social welfare , promote social plans or build social support networks.
Social Psychology is also essential at a community level since it helps different institutions, organizations and groups, whether public or private, to deal with local conflicts or prevent potential problems by facilitating social dynamics that foster consensus in communities. You might be interested in more articles on our site.
H3: What does a social psychologist do?
The social psychologist can work in direct care, either individually or in groups , facilitating self-help groups, parent schools or intervention and awareness programs. Theirs is the task of detecting situations of lack of protection or social vulnerability , as well as diagnosing their scope and planning programs to minimize their impact and promote social integration. This professional is also essential for the design and implementation of prevention programs for problems of social origin such as addictions, violence or delinquency .
At the community level, the social psychologist promotes and improves formal and informal networks of social support , designing preventive programs aimed at raising awareness and activating the resources of the community itself. She is in charge of promoting community participation processes and empowering its members to make beneficial decisions for all members of the community.
The social psychologist may also engage in research studying risk and protective factors related to social interactions at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels. In addition, she can play training roles , especially to professionals who work with groups, such as teachers, social workers or leaders.
In fact, the social psychologist can also act as a mediator between different social groups or within them . He can mediate family or work, community, intercultural or prison conflicts. It stands as a neutral and impartial party to facilitate communication and maximize common ground in order to reach an agreement and prevent future conflicts.
In recent years, the social psychologist has also gained prominence in areas such as caring for the environment , since it can contribute to promoting ecologically responsible behavior, educating citizens on the importance of preserving the environment or advising those in charge of adapting the medium to the special needs of individuals and groups.
What to study to be a social psychologist?
If you want to be a social psychologist, you must first study Psychology . The Social Psychology subject of our in-person or online Degree in Psychology will help you understand the behavior of people in social environments and the influence of society.
Then you can take a master’s degree, depending on the area in which you want to specialize. There are programs focused exclusively on Social Intervention, others focus on Community Psychology, some on Organizational Psychology or you could even take a Master’s Degree in Child and Youth Psychology to work with children and adolescents in associations, foundations and schools.
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