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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014 -
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Psychology

Undergraduate Course: Marxist Psychology (PSYL10092)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaPsychology Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionIn 2005, Radio 4 listeners voted Karl Marx "Britain's favourite philosopher". Marxism has been an influential philosophy in science for the last 150 years (see, for instance, Levins and Lewontin's (1985) "The dialectical biologist"). Marxists see the world as a single totality based in movement and change, and emphasize the interconnectedness, complexity and specificity of that world. They prioritize the role of activity and practice, and the social construction of individual cognition. The human brain is the most complex, densely connected, physically integrated known entity; if we are going to understand particular parts of the brain, or particular functions of the brain, we had better have a clear philosophical understanding of abstraction - this course will provide it.

We will look at theoretical positions and empirical research directly influenced by Marxism, studying the contribution of particular psychologists, exploring particular issues, reconstructing particular debates, and studying philosophical dimensions of psychological theorizing and modelling. We will predominantly be concerned with the psychology of language and higher cognition, but the intellectual conclusions will apply broadly across Psychology and to areas in which the philosophical and ideological assumptions are less explicit.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Psychology Methodology 1 (PSYL10034) AND Psychology Methodology 2 (PSYL10035)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesDegree major in Psychology and passes in Psychology courses at least to the equivalent of Junior Honours level in Edinburgh. Prior agreement with the 4th Year Honours Course Organiser
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Block 1 (Sem 1), Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 88 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Block 1 (Sem 1), Part-year visiting students only (VV1) Learn enabled:  No Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 88 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
(a) Acquire a working literacy in general philosophical terms useful for psychologists.
(b) Acquire a basic understanding of Marxist theory relevant to understanding natural
phenomena, cognition, and the social construction of the individual.
(c) Acquire a biographical understanding of one or more prominent psychologists in the Marxist tradition.
(d) Develop critical powers concerning the philosophical assumptions present in research.
Assessment Information
Students will take a psychological phenomenon of their own choosing and, during the
course, produce (a) a short (e.g. 10-20 articles) annotated bibliography of research papers on that topic, (b) a 2000-word exploration of the assumptions embedded in that research (relevant to the dialectical approach developed in the course), (c) a 1000-word discussion of how that research topic might be advanced.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Richard Shillcock
Tel: (0131 6)50 4425
Email: R.Shillcock@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Fiona Graham
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: F.Graham@ed.ac.uk
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