The Social Psychology of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election: An Introduction

Abstract

This essay introduces Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy's collection of papers on the social psychology of the 2012 election, framing it in terms of two prior collections. The papers are described as reflecting four themes: President or Barack Obama's path from outsider to incumbent, the nation's shift toward increasingly racialized politics, contemporary perceptions of “Americanness,” and the role of moral values in political engagement.

College Teachers’ Involvement in the Promotion of Information Literacy

“…Teachers get involved by providing learning experiences that encourage students to become discriminating library users and skilled creators of new knowledge through instruction related to information literacy. Teachers get involved in teaching students critical thinking skills and problem-solving throughout the student's learning experience and this leads to the development of a learner able and motivated for life-long learning (Lanning, 2014). Thus, the information skills activities the teachers initiate in their respective classes serve to promote information literacy assessment, critical selection, and participatory discourse.…”

“…Information literacy encompasses knowledge of one's information concerns and needs and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize, and effectively create use, and communicate information to address issues or problems at hand. Studies have pointed out that it will make the student a better global citizen as one can participate in an informed and engaged manner in a democratic society and have a greater understanding of the world at large (Lanning, 2014). This skill of independent lifelong learning is achieved through information literacy wherein teachers educate the students on trustworthy and untrustworthy information and teach students how to identify and leverage source information when assessing multiple documents (Brante & Stromso, 2018).…”