In this introductory seminar we will examine basic questions exploring the relationship between a sense of self, social identity, and political decision making. We will engage with questions such as the differences between a sense of self and identity, cross-cultural variations in the formation of the self, and the processes associated with the emergence of sexual, ethnic and social class identities during adolescence and emerging adulthood. We will explore these questions using empirical research from cultural, cognitive, and developmental psychology. We will complement discussion of psychological theories with evidence from anthropological and sociological studies. Students will conduct their own research on the relationship between identity formation and ideology throughout the term.