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Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:24:52 -0500
From: Jonathan Mueller <jfmueller@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: socialpsy-teach@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [socialpsy-teach] TSP Newsletter addendum - Baltimore edition
TSP folk,
Subscriber Linda Gulyn asked an excellent question, and it would not be
very timely to answer in the next Newsletter. So, here goes.
Linda asked how we might address the Baltimore situation in our classes.
Are there particular resources we could use?
I think the most interesting aspect of the situation is the framing of it.
For example, look what many have called it -- the Baltimore Riots. That
is how a lot of the news media has framed it also. But it could just as
well be framed as "Baltimore police brutality," or "Baltimore long-term
poverty and unemployment," or "Baltimore: Thug capitol of the world." How
does framing it as "Baltimore Riots" influence how we see it? It affects
how we remember it. The vividness effect/availability heuristic comes
into play. It affects how we interpret it. It affects how we justify or
don't justify it.
That suggests a classroom activity you could do with your students. Pass
out sheets with a brief description of what is happening in Baltimore, but
with different titles reflecting different frames. Then ask your students
to attribute responsibility or indicate degree of support for different
actions or groups. See if those with different titles/frames respond
differently to the exact same description. There is social psych research
very much like that, which I can't offhand remember. Can anyone point us
to such research?
When comparing it to the Ferguson, MO situation, it would be interesting
to talk about the similarities and differences. Although a lot of
attention was also given to the unrest and protests and riots there, a lot
of attention was also given to other issues. As a result, there might be
more pressure to change. Why more so there than in Baltimore? Take a look
at recent Newsletters for resources about Ferguson.
Remember how framing also affected how rioting and looting was viewed
after Hurricane Katrina? Some media framed looting by Whites as "finding"
food, while looting by Blacks was framed as ... looting. See
http://www.snopes.com/katrina/photos/looters.asp.
When considering the riots (or are they protests? What's the difference?)
in Baltimore, Linda suggested talking about frustration and aggression.
In rioting/looting/crowd situations it is also interesting to talk about
deindividuation, as Linda also suggested. As I've mentioned before, I
like to show a brief clip from the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. See here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaVuVu5KXuE.
There is plenty to discuss in terms of the power imbalance. For example,
have you seen the video of the mom who attacked her son for participating
in the protests and dragged him home? Some called her a hero, saying we
need more moms like her. Others said her actions were misguided. This is
just what those in power would want, discouraging protest out of fear.
And, of course, the fundamental attribution error and the ever-present
confirmation bias are easily connected.
Those are just a few of my thoughts and resources. If you have, how have
you talked about Baltimore in your classes? What else might be addressed?
What other questions/activities might we engage our students with?
Send any replies and I will pass them along to the group.
Jon
===============
Jon Mueller
Professor of Psychology
North Central College
30 N. Brainard St.
Naperville, IL 60540
voice: (630)-637-5329
fax: (630)-637-5121
jfmueller@xxxxxxxxxx
http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu
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