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Relevance to Psychology of Beliefs about Socialism: Some New Research Questions
Author(s) -
Lott Bernice
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
analyses of social issues and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.479
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1530-2415
pISSN - 1529-7489
DOI - 10.1111/asap.12092
Subject(s) - relevance (law) , socialism , context (archaeology) , capitalism , argument (complex analysis) , positive economics , epistemology , inequality , sociology , social science , psychology , political science , economics , medicine , philosophy , law , history , mathematical analysis , communism , mathematics , politics , archaeology
This article aims to stimulate discussion about the potential relevance of the concept of socialism for what we study and the questions we ask. The economic systems of capitalism and socialism are seldom considered subjects of interest in psychology. At this particular time, however, especially in the United States, the relevance of these systems for our theories and research on human behavior, health, and human welfare seem particularly relevant and potentially significant. I argue that discussions of socialism should be helpful in expanding the context of our concerns in psychology and the identification of important new variables. The growing crisis of inequality in the United States is the major impetus for this argument.