Publisher's Synopsis
Our goal is to develop a comprehensive, integrated, up–to–date, and accessible main text for undergraduates that covers the entwined topics of self and identity from a psychological perspective. It will be primarily aimed at undergraduates at Levels 2 and 3, who have already gained some familiarity with psychology in general, as well as a passing acquaintance with some key topics dealt with (e.g., self–esteem). In particular, our text will be suitable as a main text either for a level–wide lecture unit at Level 2, or for a small–group seminar unit at Level 3. No suitable text yet exists; hence, ours will, for the time, enable the topics of self and identity to be taught in a coherent fashion at an undergraduate level. This is especially desirable, given that (a) the topics of self and identity comprise an array of subtopics required by the BPS for accredited undergraduate programs, and (b) the topics of self and identity intrinsically make extensive contact with many other key topics in psychology.
Self and Identity will seek to achieve a number of other goals. First, it will seek to do equal justice to both classic and cutting–edge theory and research. The field of self and identity is rapidly developing, so we will seek both to identify burgeoning trends and to place them in historical context. Second, we will seek to contextualize the psychology of self and identity by referring initially to how other fields, such as philosophy and sociology, construe the same subject matter. This will help students to understand the aims and outlook of scientific psychology better. Third, we will focus as much on bringing out arguments and issues as cataloguing facts and findings. This is appropriate given that the topic of self and identity necessarily raises broad and multifaceted issues that do not admit to simple empirical resolution. This is not to deny, of course, that scientific findings contribute substantially to the critical evaluation of theses about self and identity which will indeed be one of the key messages of our proposed text.
Organization
In keeping with the endorsement that the text would receive from the British Psychological Society, it will fully comply with the BPS syllabus, and would be primarily aimed at the UK market. However, the material covered in the text, being international in character, would equally render the text attractive to non–UK English–speaking students, including Europeans, Americans, and Antipodeans. The text will contain 12 chapters so as to map onto a typical Psychology unit in UK universities (which lasts between 10 and 12 weeks). Nine chapters, organized into three triads, will form the core of the book ([3, 4, 5] [6, 7, 8] [9, 10, 11]). The first triad will deal broadly with self–awareness, self–concept, and social identity; the second triad with self–esteem, motivation, and emotion; and the third triad with self–presentation, agency, and self–regulation. Thus, the structure will mimic the well–known tripartite distinction between thinking, feeling, and doing, and thereby provide a powerful framework for integrating diverse material on the self. Three further chapters will serve in a parenthetical capacity: two (1, 2) will set the stage for the rest of the book, and a final one (12) will both tie up all the preceding material and suggest how it might be applied.
The text will also feature many useful pedagogical features. First, it will contain abundant graphs, tables to present key data, and pictures and diagrams to illustrate important concepts. (To give a lively and engaging feel to the text, we are considering having an artist hand–draw all figures, without sacrificing technical accuracy. We are also considering including one cartoon per chapter.) Second, we will use larger text boxes, at a rate of about two or three per chapter, to describe pivotal studies in greater detail. In addition, we will use smaller textboxes to display key quotations from leading researchers (which we may directly solicit from them). Third, we will develop a user–friendly website to accompany the book. This will contain several types of supportive materials for both instructors and students, including the following: PowerPoint lecture slides; multiple–choice questions; sample essay questions with suggested answers; fun puzzles like crosswords and word–searches; links to external resources on self and identity; chapter addendums; profiles of leading self researchers; podcasts (e.g., lectures by the authors) and blogs (e.g., on new findings or development in the field of self and identity).
