The causes of conflict, war, and terrorism and the resulting
psychological impact they have on society will be explored
in a course offered this fall at USM's Lewiston-Auburn College.
The course titled "Social Psychology of War and Terrorism"
is offered as an elective in the social and behavioral sciences
program. The course instructor, Elaine Makas, Ph.D., says
that the major objective of the class is to "apply basic
principles and models from social psychology to explore the
psychological causes and the psychological impact of war and
terrorism." Some of the topics will include an examination
of terrorist groups and the cognitive causes of war, the influence
of culture and the media, persuasion and aggression, group
influence (conformity, compliance, obedience, etc.), and conflict
resolution.
The course will also give students an opportunity to learn
and understand other cultures and their belief systems. Students
will complete written assignments and conduct in-class presentations
on such topics as media influence, recognizing bias, and how
to examine both sides of a conflict.
This class (SBS 399) will meet Mondays from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m.,
beginning September 12. Registration for this and other fall
semester courses is open through the first week of classes.
The complete fall semester course listing is available on-line
at www.usm.maine.edu/lac/schedules. Please call 753-6500 for
more information, or advising assistance.
