Hank Goldstein wrote:
>
> I am thinking about assigning a visit to a hate-group web site for my
> Intro. Psych. students later this semester, prior to discussing social
> psych. (conformity, prejudice, etc.). Have any of you tried something like
> this? Any thoughts about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of giving such an
> assignment? Risks? Benefits? Thanks for any reactions you care to share.
This can certainly be a valuable exercise if students are prepared for what they will
find on these sites. While we would like to believe that these sites will be
relatively unsophisticated, that is usually not the case. Many take advantage of all
the lastest multimedia and graphics - in terms of web design, they are often very well
done. Others, particularly Holocaust denial/revisionist sites attempt to look very
scholarly - often in journal format. In both cases, an unprepared student might
assume that the information is valid because the medium so effectively presents the
information.
The two sites, I recommend are:
Hatewatch: http://www.hatewatch.org
The Hate Directory: http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~rfrankli/hatedir.htm
Both of these keep updated links to various hate sites by category. Thus, one knows
if they are linking to a Holocaust revisionist site, white supremist site, anti-gay
site, etc.
In addition, they provide information concerning hate on the web, suggestions for what
someone can do to combat hate, chat groups, information concerning internships, etc.
Thus, the hate information is not simply presented in a vacuum.
Best wishes,
linda
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linda m. woolf, ph.d.
associate professor - psychology
Web Page: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's (and woman's) best friend. . . .
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx
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Webster University
470 East Lockwood
St. Louis, Missouri 63119
