What consciousness is on both the individual and group levels, how is is shaped and changed, how it can become revolutionary class consciousness–all these have been and remain critical questions for those organizing for change. This is how we will approach the subject of psychology in this department, but we also will not be limited by this focus. We are well aware that the matter is wide and deep, and many features of the history and scope of consciousness are still unfolding.

Sociality: Why Mead Matters

By Bibhash Sharma

EliteIAS

…George Herbert Mead’s theory can be linked with the Karl Marx concept of Alienation. Modern capitalist societies often produce fragmented identities where individuals become disconnected from authentic social relations. Social media validation culture, hyper-competition, and consumerist aspirations create psychological pressures that affect the formation of self.

In many Sociology Optional classrooms, students are encouraged to compare Mead’s interactionist approach with Marx’s structural analysis to understand how both subjective experiences and structural inequalities shape identity formation in contemporary India.

Mead’s Concept of Self : Mead’s most influential contribution lies in his theory of the self. He argued that the self is not innate; rather, it develops socially through interaction. Individuals become conscious of themselves only when they learn to see themselves from the perspective of others.

According to Mead, the self has two components: the “I” and the “Me.” The “Me” represents the organized attitudes of society internalized by the individual. It reflects social expectations, discipline, norms, and conformity. The “I,” on the other hand, represents spontaneity, creativity, and individual response. Thus, the self is a continuous dialogue between social control and personal freedom…. GO HERE

SELLING CIGARETTES, BACON AND EGGS,AND WARS: Edward Bernays: Part 1 and Part 2, Cigarettes and Sufferettes, and the Selling of Wars. The nephew of Freud, Bernays invented public relations as a tool for capitalism, not only to sell its goods, but also its wars and other policies. Less than 20 minutes. Great discussion starter on how hegemony is manufactured. Download his classic book, ‘Propaganda,’ HERE.

The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

Psychiatrist McGilchist debunks myths of split brain functioning and explains how the left and right hemispheres of the brain always work together, yet still have different specializations. He posits that their strengths (and physical size) have evolved with the demands of modern life, and that although the left hemisphere may be useful for more concrete tasks, the right brain is equally valuable.

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There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads

The ‘Century of the Self’ is a British television documentary film that focuses its attention on Sigmund Freud’s family, especially his daughter and nephew, who exerted a surprising amount of influence on the way corporations and governments throughout the 20th century have thought about, and dealt with people. 56 minutes.

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How Memory Works in Shaping the Self

A 2008 BBC Documentary in 5 parts

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Evolution of Mind and Brain

Dr. Anna Dornhaus, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, explains how each animal has specific learning abilities and lacks others according to its environment and evolutionary history. Understanding what different brains are used for can help us understand why they evolved. One hour.

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REBT: Psychoanalysis for the Masses

Albert Ellis, who created Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in 1955, revolutionized the field of self-help and personal development.  90-min video HERE

THE MASS PSYCHOLOGY OF FASCISM by Wilhelm Reich

Reich joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) upon moving his psychoanalytic practice to Berlin in 1930. The Mass Psychology of Fascism, however, was seen as being so critical of the Nazi regime (as well as the Communist regime in the Soviet Union) that Reich was considered to be a liability to the KPD and was kicked out of the party upon the book’s publication in 1933. The question at the heart of Reich’s book was this: Why did the masses turn to authoritarianism which is clearly against their interests? Reich set out to analyze “the economic and ideological structure of German society between 1928 and 1933” in this book. In it, he calls Stalinism “red fascism” and groups it in the same category as Nazism, which led to him being kicked out of the Communist Party. Despite the validity of this latter point and Reich’s descent into quackery and mental illness in his later years, this work still remains a classic, with deep insights on the subject of fascism. Download the entire book here

THE QUESTION OF THE SELF AND FOUCAULT: In his 1983 Berkeley lectures in English on “The Culture of the Self,” Foucault stated and restated the question in a variety of ways—“What are we in our actuality?,” “What are we today?”—and his investigations amount to “an alternative to the traditional philosophical questions: What is the world? What is man? What is truth? What is knowledge? How can we know something? Here are his answers in a five-part video series. ACCESS HERE.

50 Video Classes on Consciousness, starting with ‘The Emerging Science of Consciousness: Mind, Brain and the Human Experience’. Put together by the Nour Foundation. A remarkable collection going into every aspect of the intriguing topic.