social psychology

"A memoir of one young man's coming of age on a cross-country trek, told through the stories of the people of all ages, races, and inclinations he meets along the highways of America"--Amazon.com.

Explores the phenomenom of social contagion by examining the conditions under which five Palo Alto, California, high school students died by suicide in a six month period by stepping in front of an oncoming train; unlocks the mystery of how ideas spread and why they take hold; and offers thoughts on our responsibility to one another.

Presents opposing arguments on the topic of public shaming as discipline. Discusses shaming in the digital age, shaming children, the media's relationship to public shaming, and public shaming as criminal punishment. Includes an index, list of relevant organizations, and resources for further information and discussion.

"Examines why popularity plays such a key role in our development and, ultimately, how it still influences our happiness and success today. In many ways -- some even beyond our conscious awareness -- those old dynamics of our youth continue to play out in every business meeting, every social gathering, in our personal relationships, and even how we raise our children. Our popularity even affects our DNA, our health, and our mortality in fascinating ways we never previously realized. More than childhood intelligence, family background, or prior psychological issues, research indicates that it's how popular we were in our early years that predicts how successful and how happy we grow up to be... Realistically, we can't ignore our natural human social impulses to be included and well-regarded by others, but we can learn how to manage those impulses in beneficial and gratifying ways."--Amazon.com.

At the age of 23, Andrew Forsthoefel had just graduated from Middlebury College in 2011. Unsure of what to do next, he decided to walk across America, just listening to everyone he met along the way. And as he listened, he discovered Americans' humanity, commonality, and the questions everyone shared. His only companions were his backpack, an audio recorder, copies of Whitman and Rilke and a sign that said "Walking to Listen." He was beset by fear, lonliness, and doubt and blessed by the incredible kindness of strangers.

"Sociology, the study of human behavior in social groups, is a relatively recent discipline within the social sciences, which examine human behavior, culture, and society using scientific methodology in both research and analysis. This resource explains the rise of the social sciences, in particular sociology, charting the history of the discipline and its founders. The key principles and fundamental theories are examined in detail, and the contemporary status of sociology and today’s major players are noted. Readers will also learn the importance of methodology in sociology and all social sciences.".

Examines the nature of personal power and argues that it is given, not taken, by others in our lives, and maintained via giving it away through compassion and selflessness. Offers twenty "Power Principles" for retaining power, using it for good, how to avoid abusing it, and how to help those around us gain power.

An investigation of how and why, from the 18th century to the present day, American resistance to the ruling elites has vanished, examining such topics as the rise of American capitalism, visionary attempts to protect the democratic commonwealth, the surrender to contemporary delusional fables of freedom, and the politics of fear.

Integrates insights gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and applied economics to draw surprising conclusions about the true caauses of happiness and the means we have to effect it.

Presents an introduction to the fundamental concepts of social psychology, providing an analysis of the mechanisms that help humans coexist in society and adjust to their environment.