The relationship of psychology to anthropology is clarified when considering sub-fields, such as social psychology. Just as the discipline of anthropology seeks to describe humans at any time in any place, social psychology has a similar role.
If you’re curious about the nature of this particular sub-field of psychology and how it can be applied within the larger pursuit of an education in health and human services, this article will assist you.
Below, we’ll describe the attributes of the field and explore how it fits into a broader range of applicable psychology.
The Individual, Agency, and Action
In anthropology, the term Agency is used to describe motivation or will—whether of an individual or a larger social group. Similarly, this realm of psychology seeks to understand individual behaviors within the matrix of human sociality—the social group and all it’s facets.
The field examines the multivalent personae a single individual may assume based on the given participants or contexts in which action is required. For example, it studies how we express the same opinion in different social groups. We may frame our thoughts in different language, with completely unique tonality and bodily posture in the context of family, close peers, or professional superiors.
However, this sub-field of psychology seeks a finer scrutiny than simply examining the general “what.” It breaks down the content of the social messages we send when interacting with others, with the aim of exploring the “how” and “why,” as well. These signaling domains may include:
• Concept of Self and variations within differing modes of socialization
• Social influences
• Aggression and enactment of hostility
• Prejudice and discrimination formation and application
• Attitudes and Stereotypes within both small group and larger cultural spheres.
• Interpersonal and group processes, hierarchical self-organization
• Social influence and cognition
• Attribution theory—how we use information to understand the behavior of others.
The discipline offers insight into how social movements form, how behavior, opinion, and even concepts of self may alter under the pressure of the group.
Broader Applications and Implications
While it has its oldest roots in Aristotelian philosophy, more recently, the concept of group mind or social coercion was developed. During what might be termed as the later Germanic Enlightenment of the 19th century, Hegel introduced the formalized concept of the group mind—how a collective of individuals may act differently from isolated humans. This is a critical aspect of the field, and permits the investigation of countless, crucial themes in today’s sociopolitical landscape.
But while foundational thought runs centuries into the past, the seminal works of this branch of Psychology appeared only in the early 20th century. Immediately prior to WWI and in the decades between the two world wars, social theory was developed to understand how people operate within a social context. It was perhaps an attempt to understand why people retain unreliable opinions, how they act upon those thoughts, and where the current of greater social action will carry them. It wasn’t until 1924 that the link between social relationships and behavior was formally acknowledged.
While it could be said that all sub-fields of the discipline are important, whether considering clinical, abnormal, or research psychology, this is perhaps one of the more salient and practically applicable. General psychology can explain what you see when you observe behavior. Behavioral psychology will help you understand the finer workings of individual actions within limits. However, social psychology examines both the group and the individual, linking the action and reaction in a readily observable social context.
