The field of psychology is connected to the principles of social justice in a variety ways depending on the approach and perspective you are looking from. Cognitive psychology is the study in which information from the environment is modified, made meaningful, stored, retrieved, used, and communicated to others through mental processes (Bernstein, Penner, Clarke Stweart, Roy, Pyschology 6th Edition). Developmental psychology is focused with the course and cause of developmental changes over a person’s lifetime. When looking through the cognitive lens and thinking of social justice, we can relate how people think about social justice through their cognitive processes and how they interact with their environment. When looking through the developmental lens, some people form certain behaviors such as discrimination and prejudice behaviors towards others. People form different perspectives based on human cognition, schemas, and propositions. These 3 aspects together help people understand the world.
When redlining was occurring, it became socially acceptable for white people to live next to white people, African Americans next to African Americans, Latinos next to Latinos and so forth. People then started to question whether they should live close to those who looked like them or stray away and find housing where they truly desired to live. People then formed schemas such as , it is expected for white people to live next to white people, African Americans next to African Americans, Latinos next to Latinos, Asians next to Asians etc. People then formed perceptions that had to do with Superiority vs. Inferiority. This thinking that one race was superior than others became common for some people to think. If young kids were growing up around this time when redlining was happening, they developed and grew up with these perspectives based on where they lived and what their color of their skin was. Although redlining no longer exists, there are people who still and will always have this type of thinking of other “races”.
The field of psychology is important to the human race because it helps us understand how humans function in a variety of ways, whether it is on a developmental, cognitive, social, or even biological level. In order to positively change the world, one must recognize and become knowledgeable about how people function through a psychological perspective. Through my AP experience I have learned about different approaches and ways in which people can be studied and not only studied, but helped in different ways as well. I can now recognize a type of behavior a person exhibits and may have some idea on why the individual acts the way they act, think the way they do etc. I can look at people through different lens which is an important thing to be able to do. AP psychology has opened up a new pair of eyes for me in terms of how I view people in society on a deeper level.
When redlining was occurring, it became socially acceptable for white people to live next to white people, African Americans next to African Americans, Latinos next to Latinos and so forth. People then started to question whether they should live close to those who looked like them or stray away and find housing where they truly desired to live. People then formed schemas such as , it is expected for white people to live next to white people, African Americans next to African Americans, Latinos next to Latinos, Asians next to Asians etc. People then formed perceptions that had to do with Superiority vs. Inferiority. This thinking that one race was superior than others became common for some people to think. If young kids were growing up around this time when redlining was happening, they developed and grew up with these perspectives based on where they lived and what their color of their skin was. Although redlining no longer exists, there are people who still and will always have this type of thinking of other “races”.
The field of psychology is important to the human race because it helps us understand how humans function in a variety of ways, whether it is on a developmental, cognitive, social, or even biological level. In order to positively change the world, one must recognize and become knowledgeable about how people function through a psychological perspective. Through my AP experience I have learned about different approaches and ways in which people can be studied and not only studied, but helped in different ways as well. I can now recognize a type of behavior a person exhibits and may have some idea on why the individual acts the way they act, think the way they do etc. I can look at people through different lens which is an important thing to be able to do. AP psychology has opened up a new pair of eyes for me in terms of how I view people in society on a deeper level.