Main content
Course: 9th grade reading & vocabulary > Unit 2
Lesson 1: Building knowledgeWelcome to the Social Psychology unit!
Throughout history, right up to the present day, humans have done terrible things to one another. Often, these actions take the form of a powerful group oppressing others. Is every single person in an oppressive group evil? We can guess that they're probably not—all people commit good and bad actions at different times.
So what motivates people to carry out acts of harm against others? How do oppressive and authoritarian societies come about in the first place; why do their members participate in the oppression; and how do they justify those acts of oppression to themselves? These are the questions we'll be digging into in this unit.
In this unit, you will:
- Learn about psychological experiments that focus on group behaviors and compliance with authority
- Read stories set in oppressive worlds, with characters who choose both to uphold and to resist oppression
- Think about what makes people choose to follow the crowd or an authority figure
By:
- Watching videos that explain different approaches and strategies for reading
- Reading and answering questions about literary and informational texts
- Expanding your academic vocabulary
In order to answer the essential question: What can cause a person to act against their beliefs?
Want to join the conversation?
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.(67 votes)
Same! I really just want to learn about the human mind and what gets people thinking the way they do! I find it truly fascinating and Interesting. I do think that some really in depth documentaries on YouTube are really good as well. I think some schools offer the course but maybe it’s online?(1 vote)
9th grade is hard(22 votes)- You can learn anything david out(33 votes)
can their have a psychology course cause i'm getting confuse on what to go on and what to do.(17 votes)
Are they going to post videos?
i am kinda not getting this(2 votes)
The entire reading section of Khan Academy is a very new development. I'm sure that as the subject develops, videos will be added. At the start of a new subject, it's easier for the KA team to write articles than create videos. Just be patient awhile, they'll be out eventually.(24 votes)
- I would like to understand why do people let others get to them? Why should anyone let anyone control one another into doing wrong.(8 votes)
There's a saying: he who angers you controls you.
And it's true.
The greatest things people regret usually come after a flight of passion (be it romance, drunkenness, or fury), in which their emotions bypass their rational brain and they don't (or can't) think before they act.
Mature people are the ones in control of their emotions, and therefore in control of themselves.
Fear is another aspect of this, a less controllable one.
There is the fear of not fitting in, the fear of threats, the fear of consequences. You have to decide on your core beliefs; how far you are willing to bend before you refuse. Is it worth giving up your morals/beliefs out of a fear of rejection? Of insecurity? Of injury to yourself? What about the people you love being affected?
It's interesting to ponder these questions-- there are a lot of reasons why someone would allow someone else to order them to do wrong.
Hope this helped!(8 votes)
- Honestly, I believe there is no one answer. Many things can cause a person to act against their beliefs. Peer pressure, expectations, low morale, etc.(10 votes)
Is this a new unit, or something like that? How long ago was it released?(5 votes)- All the Khan Academy ELA courses are the newest additions to Khan. I think they were released right before this summer. They're still in their beta stage and new units are being added to them constantly.(9 votes)
- Alot of times kids try to fit in and try to look cool.and many times they are not herd at home so they act out of character around others(8 votes)
- theses real stories tell us alot for today in the fuyure(7 votes)
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.
So... I really think they need to have a separate Psychology course for the academy. I really enjoyed those science fiction & dystopian narratives I really hope they do more of them and expand this unit with narratives.(6 votes)
