A Quest for Culture in the Campus Community

Abstract

This paper has been used in a Social Psychology course to help students understand the concept of idioculture, a group culture with shared knowledge, beliefs, sentiments, and behaviors. After a class discussion on symbolism as a necessary component of interaction, students consider a variety of symbols, how they’re interpreted, and what they communicate...

Download this resource to see full details. Download this resource to see full details.

Details

Subject Area(s):

Social Psychology

Resource Type(s):

Assignment

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

This assignment is used early in the semester of a Social Psychology course (Self & Society) after we talk about the Symbolic Interactionist perspective. We discuss the role of symbols and language for communication and building community, specifically idioculture (group culture with shared knowledge, beliefs, sentiments, and behaviors. I present...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the roles of symbols in creating and sustaining culture.
2. Demonstrate application of course concepts of symbolism and idioculture to a specific environment and social institution.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students write an essay on how shared knowledge and meaning are communicated through symbols and the role of such symbols in their campus culture.
2. Students observe objects and collect information about their history and meaning within a specific community and explain how these objects contribute to maintaining an idioculture.