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IMPACT AND CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN PRESENT ERA Dr. Manoj Kumar
Associate Professor – Sociology,
Ramabai Ambedkar Government Degree College, Gajraula, Amroha, U.P. India Abstract - Social psychology is as old as Homo sapiens on this planet. Throughout its recorded history, the social nature of humans has fascinated scholars, artists, and social reformers. Your work has a great impact on understanding how people interact with others and lead a social life. Writing, artifacts, music, poetry, all contributed to this effort. What fascinated scholars is evidence of both the universality and uniqueness of social behavior in different cultures. People of all cultures have lived together as families, communities and nations, but may not have learned to live together in peace. Human nature always remains essentially the same. Many of the questions posed by ancient social psychology seem to be the same as those posed by modern social psychology. But the rapid social, economic and political changes that are sweeping the oceans and continents pose many new questions to social psychologists. Many new theories and methods have been developed to decipher the general principles of social interaction.
Keyword: Social psychology, western psychology and Indian psychology, etc..
1 WHAT IS SOCIAL IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY?
Every science has a field of content that is the core to identify it. The field of social psychology is usually defined as the field of science dealing with human interactions. H. Interactions between humans and humans, and between humans and society. It aims to find the general law of social behavior. Social psychologists are trained to explain the relationship between humans and society using conceptual analysis and scientific methodological tools. Obviously, there may be some social psychology, depending on the meaning of the term
"social".
Staat (1983) hypothesized that social concepts refer to both the social environment and social behavior. In a sense, the social environment extends the analogy of the physical environment to the social environment. It refers to social groups, organizations, structures, norms, obligations, support, etc. that provide a context in which a person can execute.
Social behavior refers to emotions, attitudes, activities, and motivations that are relevant to the social environment.
Surveys of such social behavior are usually done at the individual level. More precisely, a study of individuals within the group. This emphasis on individual behavior was emphasized by the growing influence of the United States on social psychology, especially the popularity of experimental approaches. Graumann (1986) called it "social" individualization.
Reduction of social variables to the
individual level. Another way to look at the individualization of society is to treat it as an individual and subordinate processes to it at the individual level.
Therefore, if psychology is defined as the science of behavior (not humanity), social psychology can be defined as the science of social behavior. Social studies use the same methodologies used at the individual level.
Apart from this generalized concept of "social", the meaning of this term has taken on different shades in different schools of social psychology.
Activist schools emphasize the directly observable aspects of "social" that fit into complex stimulus-response systems.
Simply put, social indicators mean whether or not another person is present when the behavior of the individual under study occurs, and how many others are present. Allport's Study on Social Ease (1920) and Latane and Loan's study on the bystander effect (1968) are examples of social definitions of the types and numbers of other people whose presence has caused behavioral changes. Socially defined in this way refers to an interactive subsystem between individuals in society (their norms, values, etc.). Cognitive psychologists see individuals as information processing systems and society as a cognitive representation of the society in which they live. Her focus is on social cognition. H. Recognition and interpretation of social events. This approach focuses on cognitive structures,
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103 which are considered to be important predictors of social behavior, rather than the actual "social world" in which people live. Cultural psychologists define society as a psychological representation of the cultural and social institutions of their society in humans. This view deviates from the historical and cultural views of society and regards social behavior as rooted in the history of society.
2 THE INDIAN HERITAGE
India's rich tradition of analyzing and interpreting social relationships dates back to more than 1500 BC. It can be proved in BC and many in the Vedic and post-Vedic literature. This treasure trove is an abundant source of information for discovering the concepts and theories that have guided social life without interruption today. What all these scientific studies have in common is that the analysis of social behavior, including the entire human being, makes no distinction between psychology, philosophy, and religion. It covered all areas of life and all stages of human development.
There is a concept of Dharma in the center. Dharma was first mentioned in Rigveda and later in Gortam's Dharmashastra (shared by most Indians around 600 BC and has continued to be a remarkable continuation. Dharma is the way of thinking, recognition, of experience. It had a great influence on the classification. Kakar (1979) states that the social meaning, Dharma, is an inherent force that connects individuals and society, and goes one step further,
"connecting individuals and society." "It is power." (P.6) Dharma is believed to be dependent on four factors: (a) Desh (country, region), (b) Kara (history), (c) Shrama (c) Work, profession), (d) Guna (biological and spiritual traits). The concept of Dharma is part of the broader Hindu theory. Within the life cycle and stages of development (Ashrama Dharma), it is of society. Receive a process and mechanism of social integration to create a harmonious relationship within. Most social systems require Dharma to be justified, rather than contractual agreements or obligations as in the West.
Dharma breach is believed to be the root cause of all social unrest and conflict. In many respects, the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics provide a complete
dissertation on the symbiotic relationship between humans, society, and the supernatural. These are the best sources of information for studying Hindu social life for centuries.
Another important aspect of Indian tradition is the cosmic and material self, man and nature, and the inseparability of man and society. In this thinking scheme, the self is regarded as an integral part of the reality of the pervasive universe. It is believed that humans, animals and plants all share the same cosmic energy and are bound by the same cosmological principle. There is a universal law that all living things and non-living things work in harmony with a natural rhythm. "One individual function fuses with the other individual function, leading to the collective internal equilibrium of living bound organisms"
(Heimann, 1964, p. 42). Establishing the perfect balance between nature and society is considered to be the ultimate goal of life. It is argued that only an organic and holistic approach can grasp the complexity of human existence, and as a result, attempts to fragment it are resisted.
3 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WEST In the West, it was the work of Plato and Aristotle that provided the basis for the study of social behavior. Like Indian tradition, national crafts and national theory were part of the study of the relationship between men and society.
Indeed, social psychology has been a major discipline of political philosophy for almost two and a half years since the Republic of Plato (Allport, 1968). Plato's work represents the complete philosophy of human existence, the principles of social life, and the individual soul.
Reasonable wisdom was the ultimate human ideal of Greece. Aristotle advocated Plato's rationalism, but he was a realist and his philosophy was based on observation and analysis. As Paranjpe (1984) pointed out, "the superiority of the analytical approach in Greek thought is reflected in the invention of Aristotle's logic and the promotion of mathematics to a nearly sacred position in Greek thought." (P.19). Greek and Roman views and humans and societies were secular in nature and rooted in scholarly skepticism and materialism.
104 After that, the Greek concept of reason did not fit well with the Christian belief system. Concerns about correct and moral behavior were inconsistent with logical analysis and abstraction.
Christianity strongly believed in revelation and human hegemony on earth, and had an overwhelming influence on the social life of Europe during the Enlightenment.
Despite the medieval Thomas Akinas' efforts to integrate the best of Aristotle's philosophy and Christian thought, the two streams ran in parallel. The difference between rational and irrational elements in the two traditions was too great to reconcile. It was not until the 17th century that a serious conflict between reason and irrationality arose, and the authority of the church to control the system of science was questioned. The rise of Cartesian formulation of mind- body problems and the development of scientific methods ultimately led to the dawn of modern social psychology.
3.1 Emergence of a New Discipline The beginnings of modern social psychology began in the era of new thinking that dominated Europe in the 18th century. There was an advocacy of empirical theory as the basis for the gradual emergence of science from theological bondage and knowledge generation. Social psychology was the product of this new era in which society struggled to adapt to the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution throughout Europe.
Allport recognizes the benefits of developing a new science in social psychology to the French philosopher Auguste Comte. Allport (1954) declares that "if it was possible to appoint a single conscious founder of social psychology as science, then we would have to appoint Conte for this honor." (P.7). Ironically, psychology at the time was so rational, introspective, and subjective that Conte never used the term "psychology" in his science. He was afraid that maintaining his name would slow the growth of positive science. So he coined the term
"morality", the highest true final science, a science that is firmly established in both biology and social and cultural research.
Conte argued that morality should follow the positivist methodology of the natural sciences and its generalization should be based on empirical data.
Conte, morality will depend on solid biology and solid sociology. When Lamoral deals with the position of an individual in culture and society, it constitutes social psychology. His book Positive Polity (1852) Comte deals with eternal questions. From the contest).
Humans are more than the cultural accumulation that sociology deals with.
Lamoral should refer to both the abstract science of individuality and the realms of morality and ethics. It has a clear way to create a scientific basis for human morality. However, Tale's interest in his early discoveries in sociology remained strong. He believed that the existence of language, culture, or social systems preceded and could never be reduced to personal life.
Positivism was a true pursuit of science aimed at bringing about a new order and rebirth of society against the backdrop of the turmoil caused by the rapid industrialization of society. He argued that positivism alone could provide a means to avoid the violent revolution that results from
"misunderstandings" and to reduce the general social disruption to the moral movement of humanity's way. The design of Tale for a new positivist society was a strange mixture of industrial capitalism and medieval European society. Indeed, Tale was a classic example in which the main function of the social sciences became the production of idealism (Samelson, 1974).
4 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN INDIA What constitutes traditional Western social psychology can be renamed to modern social psychology in India. As mentioned earlier, traditional (or ancient) social psychology is primarily a derivative of the Dharmashastra, Altashastra, Mahabarat, Prana and other scriptures.
The concepts and principles of social psychology inherent in these texts not only reflect Indian society, but are also models of social behavior that were banned until the early 20th century.
Historically, Indian sociology and anthropology have a much longer history than social psychology. For the British, India was a completely different society, a mysterious world of sadhu, snake messengers, and the supernatural. "The unique system of caste, religion, tribal and local communities, rituals, beliefs
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105 and traditions was astounding for the British. There were no similarities in the experience of Western society" (Dalal, 1996, p.210). ). They were often confused when they made mistakes when interacting with people without knowing their social background. The 1857 rebellion was primarily due to this ignorance of the British, who were unable to understand the consequences of violating cultural norms. For the colonial government to function properly, it was essential for them to learn about Indian customs and traditions. Britain supported the study of sociology and anthropology, and by the turn of the century these fields were well established among Indian scholars (Dhanangre, 1985). Social psychological studies did not have this advantage and were largely ignored by colonial rulers.
What we know today as social psychology began with the establishment of the first Faculty of Psychology at the University of Calcutta. N.N. Sengupta, the first president of the department, graduated from Harvard University with Hugo Munsternberg (a student of William Wundt). His basic training was experimental psychology, but he was very interested in the study of Indian society.
When N. N. Sengupta moved to the University of Lucknow and wrote a book on social psychology with the prominent sociologist Radhakamal Mukherjee in 1928.
However, this wonderful priority of cooperation between sociological and psychological scientists was not upheld in most of the subsequent works of social psychology in India. Rather, it turned out to be an exception to the rule. There was little systematic academic exchange between sociology and psychology in the year of its founding and beyond. As a result, social psychology could not be a bridge between the two sister disciplines.
Social psychology in sociological traditions has been well established in India through research and participatory observation methods that focus on the relationship between Indian social institutions and social role-specific behaviors. The analysis of primary and secondary data was entirely based on the traditions of Marx, Durkheim, Mannheim and other European sociologists. Social psychologists with a psychological background worked primarily on the basis
of American tradition, with an emphasis on systematic sophistication.
Psychologists dealt with Indian customs, traditions and social institutions in only a few cases (eg P.N. Prabhu's book: "Hindu Social Organization", 1954). The distance between the two disciplines further widened as Indian psychologists made every effort to establish psychology as a scientific discipline. They were strongly influenced by their work in the west.
5 CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Indian socio-psychological studies have primarily dealt with real-life descriptions with the help of available (Western) conceptual categories that have little to do with cultural roots. Rethinking has begun in the last few years, increasing sensitivity to cultural contexts. There are many examples of this welcome change, which not only broadened the range of variables, but also enriched our discourse by giving insider insights into Indian society.
Attempts have been made to investigate the limitations of terms and their behavior in various cultural contexts. By leveraging undeveloped cultural resources, both symbolic and behavioral psychology (which is actually used) are expected to be able to find solutions to Indian problems from an Indian perspective. The hallmark of this perspective is not the dichotomy or separation of these two aspects of social life, but the interdependence of individuals and society.
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