Research in Social Psychology:
Uncovering 'Risks'
WMST 323-01

Tues, Thurs , 11:55 am - 1:20 pm (Period 10)
Lab: Tues, 1:30 - 4:15 pm
Library 3008 & Brackett-Clark, 3rd Floor

Prof. Mary M. Fox
Course Website: http://people.hws.edu/mfox Version update: June 12, 2006 3:15 PM

Required Texts - at HWS Bookstore:

Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

Lupton, D. (1999). Risk and sociocultural theory: New directions and perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Antonelli, P. (2005). Safe: Design takes on risk. New York, The Museum of Modern Art. Book available from Amazon.com. See online exhibit and listen to the audio program.

Esterberg, K. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social reserach. Boston, McGraw-Hill.

Potter, J., & Wetherell, M. (2005). Discourse and social psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Sage Publications.

Wetherall, M., Taylor, S., & Yates, S. (Eds.). (2001). Discourse as data: A guide for analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Ltd.

*References and Materials on Blackboard: Blackboard is active for the course. Readings will be found here when noted.

SPSS & Data Sets: SPSS and Data Sets to be loaded in Dropbox on Blackboard for the Lab.

Bibliography

1 - Jan 17 - Course Organization

2- Jan 19 - Introduction to Risk

Introduction in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk and sociocultural theory: New directions and perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp 1-10.
Ch 1 & 2 , Introduction, and Theorizing Risk in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

3 - Jan 24 - More on Theories of Risk

Read: Ch 1: Postmodern reflections on 'risk,' 'hazards,' and life choices by Nick J. Fox in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk and sociocultural theory: New directions and perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Using the MoMA website: Antonelli, P. (2005). Safe: Design takes on risk. New York, The Museum of Modern Art - online exhibit and listen to the audio program. Choose one object to represent each of the following areas of theory in Lupton, print picture of it and explain in class your reasons for choosing each work.

1) Technical - scientific: realist
2) Cultural / Symbolic
3) 'Risk Society'
4) Governmentality

Lab
 Introduction to Research Methods - A Gathering
 

Bring materials from any studies you have done: data sets for empirical studies, 'texts' for qualitative ones. You may also forward these materials to me as attachment, or place on my N drive.

In this lab you'll work in areas of your interests, especially as they apply to 'risk.' We'll begin to assemble 'risk' materials and research methods that treat your areas of interests.

Read:
Ch 1, Esterberg, K. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social reserach. Boston, McGraw-Hill.
4 - Jan 26 - Review of Risk Discourses & Approaches

Ch 1 & 2 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.
Ch 1, Esterberg, K. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social reserach. Boston, McGraw-Hill.

5 - Jan 31- Risk and Safety: The technical - scientific approach

Read:
*Introduction: Ropeik, D. and G. Gray (2002). Risk: A practical guide for deciding what's really safe and what's really dangerous in the world around you. Boston, MA, Houghton Mifflin.pp 1-20.

Lab
 Calculating Probablity: Core of the Technical - Scientific Approach to Risk

A short course in probability and statistical reasoning. Group work and mentoring.

Read:
Ch 12 in Heiman, G. W. (2001). Understanding research methods and statistics, an integrated introduction for psychology. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Ch 11, Gordis, L. (2004). Epidemiology (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. pp 177 - 189.

Absolute Risk and Relative Risk and the Odds Ratio

 
6 - Feb 2 - Probability - Risk & Safety
Discuss the methods and reasoning you used to calculate the answers to the Questions for Ch 11 - done in Lab 1/31.

Read:
*Ch 12, Gordis, L. (2004). Epidemiology (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. pp 191-198. (*on Blackboard) Work questions for Ch 12- in groups in class.

*Orkin, M. (2000). Intro, Ch 1, Ch 2. In M. Orkin (Ed.), What are the odds?: Chance in everyday life (pp. 1- 33). New York: W.H. Freeman & Co. (*on Blackboard). Read Orkin casually for discussion. These four chapters offer a statistician's view of everyday life events.

*Orkin, M. (2000). Ch 3 & Ch 4. In What are the odds?: Chance in everyday life (pp. 35 - 56). New York: W.H. Freeman & Co. (*on Blackboad).

The Probability Web: Caltech laboratory of emotion and social behavior.
Antoine Bechara, University of Southern California: Iowa Gambling Task. With Antonio Damasio, (Descartes' Error), Somatic Marker Hypothesis.

7 - Feb 7 - Perception of Risk - Technical - scientific

Read:
*Slovic, P. (2001). Perception of Risk, Ch 13. In P. Slovic (Ed.), The perception of risk (pp. 220-231). London: Earthscan Publications, Ltd. (*on Blackboard)

Lab
 Risk Perception- application to Geneva, NY
 
Read:
* Fischhoff, B., Slovic, P., Lichtenstein, S., Read, S., and Combs, B. (2001). How safe is safe enough? A psychometric study of attitudes toward technological risks and benefits. In P. Slovic (Ed.), The perception of risk (pp. 220-231). London: Earthscan Publications, Ltd.

Ch 11, Gordis, L. (2004). Epidemiology (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. pp 177 - 189.
  Put pdf files of your chosen articles into the drop box of Blackboard for the Lab. Or request a pdf file of your article from me.
  In-lab measurement exercises of our own risk perceptions and analyses using ourselves as subjects and as researchers.
Figs and Bowl © Diane Farris

8 - Feb 9 - Perception of Risk - Technical - scientific: Neuroscience and risk-taking

Kuhnen, C. M., & Knutson, B. (2005). The neural basis of financial risk-taking. Neuron, 47, 763-770.

Knutson, Brian: publications
Emotional understanding of reward and risk. Expected utility.http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~span/pubs.htm

Neural systems and uncertainty:
Hsu, M., Bhatt, M., Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., & Camerer, C. (2005). Neural systems responding to degrees of uncerntainty in human decision-making. Science, 310, 1680-1683.

Tsai, J. L., & Knutson, B. (2006). Cultural variation in affect valuation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(2), 288-307.

9 - Feb 14 - Cultural: Structuralism- I

Read:
*Ch 3 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.
*Ch 1, 2, 3, 4 in Douglas, M. (1992). Risk and blame: Essays in cultural theory. New York: Routledge. pp 3-82

Lab
 Initiating Research and Research ethics  
 
Read:
Ch 2, Ch 3 in Esterberg, K. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social reserach. Boston, McGraw-Hill.
  In-lab work with class data on risk.  

10 - Feb 16 - Cultural: Structuralism- II

Crook, S. (1999). Ordering risks. In D. Lupton (Ed.), Risk and sociocultural theory: New directions and perspectives (pp. 160-185). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
*Barrett, S. R. (1996). Anthropology: A student's guide to theory and method. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp 59-62; 142-149. Structuralism and Structural Functionalism are defined and described.

JMP (SAS) results for Slovic and Fishoff Factors with class data.

11 - Feb 21- 'Risk Society' -I

*Ch 4 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.
* Introduction and Preface in Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Toward a new modernity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp 1-16

Lab
 Analysis of Class Data  
 
Review:
Ch 2, Ch 3 in Esterberg, K. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social reserach. Boston, McGraw-Hill.
  JMP (SAS) results for Slovic and Fishoff Factors with class data.  

12 - Feb 23 - 'Risk Society' -II

*Ch 1 and Ch 4 Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Toward a new modernity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp 19-50, pp 103-126

13 - Feb 28 - Governmentality - I

*Ch 5 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

Lab
 Organization for investigations of risk discourses in selected areas of study:  
 
Women's Health - Contraception
Endocrine Disruptors
Education
International Relations / Conflicts
 

14 - March 2 - Governmentality - II
Take home mid -terms available in class.

Ch 6 - Risk, calculable and incalculable by Michael Dean in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk and sociocultural theory: New directions and perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp 131-159. Dean's discussion is summarized by D. Lupton in Ch 5 of Risk as a kind of theoretical map to his position. Note some of Dean's examples, and let's discuss them in class.

* Intro & Ch 1 in Sunstein, C. R. (2005). Laws of fear: Beyond the precautionary principle. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University. For discussion in class.

* Ch 2 & Ch 3 in Sunstein, C. R. (2005). Laws of fear: Beyond the precautionary principle. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

15 - March 7 - Subjectivity and Otherness in Risk - I

*Ch 6 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

16 - March 9 - Subjectivity and Otherness in Risk - II

*Ch 7 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

* Ch 8 in Lupton, D. (1999). Risk. New York: Routledge.

March 14- Spring Break - No Class

17 - March 21- Discussion of Mid-Terms
Midterms Due

18 - March 23 - Risk Discourses in selected areas of study

Endocrine Disruptors
Risks in the Assessment of the Potential for Ethnic Violence
Feminism and Theories of Risk
Risks in Literacy
At Risk: Discources of suicidality in gay youth

19, 20- March 28 & 30- Uncovering the Invisible Risk Leeching into Your Life: [Endocrine Disruptors (Phthalates) in Water Supplies] - C. Betts

21, 22- April 4 & 6 -Risk, Ethnic Violence and Stereotyping - S. Kudesia

23, 24- April 11 & 13 - The Application of Feminist Theories to Risk Theory - M. Mallory

25, 26- April 18 & 20 - Risk in US Contemporary Discussions of Literacy - E. Megroz

27, 28 - April 25, 27 - Risk, Gay Youth, and Suicide - D. Sutton

29- May 2 - Research Paper Due Date