Social Psychology

Feelgood

Hi Folks,

I recently started a degree programme in I.T. and have a whole
module on Social Psychology. I'm sorry if this offends anyone though
I am having trouble understanding what the whole point of it is and
how it relates to Information Technology?.

We recently had some studying to do on Social Constructionism and
personality etc etc and I am failing to find value in it?. I'm sitting there
thinking, why am I reading this dribble when its taking valuable hours off
my short life....

Can anyone explain the bigger picture to me or maybe give me some sort
of incentive to find interest in this subject and maybe how in 5 years time
its gonna help me with a career in I.T?.

Any insight would be welcome!.

cazzy

Wht sort of things do you cover in the subject ?

Feelgood

cazzy wrote: »

Wht sort of things do you cover in the subject ?

Well mostly at the moment its like Social Constructionism, essentialism, personalities, scientific methods, role theory, social learning and social
identity theory etc etc!.

Not just the most exciting of stuff really, its even harder to try and write about it.

hotspur

I would advise you to forget about how it will make you a better IT drone and just try to approach it on its own terms. Not everyone is cut out to be an intellectual but maybe it will help if you realise that information and technology exists within a social environment with real human beings in it. Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology even have a degree called Psychology Applied to Information Technology.

You ought to have at least some grounding in these matters if you are ever going to be designing or implementing information technology solutions for human beings. You cannot abstract people from decisions involving technology. If you were designing information technology for use by pilots on planes for example you would have to have an understanding of the ergonomics related to it. You have to take account of human factors in designing and implementing technology.

Sociotechnical systems theory tells us that optimising only technology instead of the *interaction* of technological and social factors leads to sub-optimal organisational performance. Now how can you understand optimal interaction of technological and social factors if you only study the technology side of it?

Also can anyone really be that disinterested in how people and groups function? You care about how a computer works but not your own computer in your head?

Feelgood

hotspur wrote: »

Also can anyone really be that disinterested in how people and groups function? You care about how a computer works but not your own computer in your head?

Very nicely pointed out Hotspur, I understand what your getting at. I just don't really understand how someone has managed to compile say the likes of personality into a text book or college course?. Surely stuff like this cant be defined?.

Leon11

hotspur wrote: »

Not everyone is cut out to be an intellectual

How do you define intelligence?

2Scoops

hotspur wrote: »

I would advise you to forget about how it will make you a better IT drone and just try to approach it on its own terms. Not everyone is cut out to be an intellectual but maybe it will help if you realise that information and technology exists within a social environment with real human beings in it. Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology even have a degree called Psychology Applied to Information Technology.

You are correct but this smacks of poor execution on the part of the university. Important though psychology is to IT, getting a psychology (i.e. non-IT specialized) lecturer to to give an introductory class (i.e. not relevant) to a class of bored IT students is not the solution.

OP, grin and bear it. It's not like you have a choice.

mollybird

well that's funny as i had the same prob last year. im doing a BA in applied social care and we had a whole module on computeres and even had a lecture on computeres. now i swear my boyfriend didn't even know some of the stuff and he has an honour degree in engineering. i mean we had to know things about the inside of what acomp does!! social psychology is how people interact in different situations and in groups. but ya no need for you to know that like i didn't need to know about comps. what are the IT's think they are doing us? educating us backwards!!