Shared Beliefs in a Society: Social Psychological Analysis

by Daniel Bar-Tal

Overview

Bar-Tal (psychology, Tel Aviv U., Israel) describes two major concepts of the social psychological study of societies: shared belief on a societal level and societal ethos (loosely defined as being akin to the holistic concept of personality in an individual). After looking at the theoretical basis for the discussion, he explores shared belief in the realms of patriotism, national security, the delegitimization of marginal groups, and siege mentality. Most of the data upon which the analysis is based is drawn from opinion surveys in Israel and the United States. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761906582
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/06/2000
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 9.24(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Daniel Bar-Tal is Branco Weiss Professor of Research in Child Development and Education at the School of Education and past director of the Walter Lebach Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education, Tel Aviv University. Also he serves as a Coeditor in Chief of the Palestine Israel Journal, Director of the Walter Lebach Research Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education, Tel Aviv University and Co-director of the European Summer Institute in Political Psychology.

Table of Contents

Sharing Beliefs in Groups
A History of the Study of Shared Beliefs
Nature of Societal Beliefs
Formation, Dissemination, Maintenance and Change of Societal Beliefs
Societal Beliefs about Patriotism
Societal Beliefs about Security
Societal Beliefs about Siege
Societal Beliefs about Delgitimization
The Ethos of a Society
Societal Beliefs and Ethos
Contribution to Societal Psychology