Showing papers on "Social psychology (sociology) published in 1973"

The Strength of Weak Ties

Abstract: Contends that process analysis of interpersonal networks is a more useful bridge between micro and macro levels of sociological theory than is the analysis of data from large-scale studies, such as social mobility, community organization, and political structure. Suggests that it is through interpersonal networks that small-scale interactions translate into large-scale patterns which, in turn, feed back into small groups. The strength of interpersonal ties, a limited aspect of small-scale interaction, is chosen to show how the use of network analysis can relate this aspect to such varied macro phenomenon as diffusion, social mobility, political organization, and social cohesion. It is argued that the amount of overlap between two individuals' friendship networks varies directly with the strength of their tie to one another. In addition, the effect this principle has on diffusion of influence and information, mobility opportunity, and community organization is examined. Findings show that the personal experience of individuals is closely related to the large-scale aspects of social structure, well beyond the control of particular individuals. Weak ties are shown to be essential to individuals' opportunities and to their integration into communities. On the contrary, strong ties are shown to breed local cohesion and lead to overall fragmentation. (SFL)

Social Psychology as History

Abstract: An analysis of theory and research in social psychology reveals that while methods of research are scientific in character, theories of social behavior are primarily reflections of contemporary history. The dissemination of psychological knowledge modifies the patterns of behavior upon which the knowledge is based. It does so because of the prescriptive bias of psychological theorizing, the liberating effects of knowledge, and the resistance based on common values of freedom and individuality. In addition, theoretical premises are based primarily on acquired dispositions. As the culture changes, such dispositions are altered, and the premises are often invalidated. Several modifications in the scope and methods of social psychology are derived from this analysis.

Toward a Sociology of Social Problems: Social Conditions, Value-Judgments, And Social Problems

Abstract: Two major approaches to the study of social problems are examined: the functionalist statement by Merton, and the value-conflict view of Waller, and Fuller and Myers. The ambiguities of the relationship between the concepts “objective conditions” and “social problem” contained in the statements of these writers are identified and analyzed. Some preliminary suggestions are made to define the subject matter of the sociology of social problems as a specialized area of study.

Commitment: A Conceptual Structure and Empirical Application

Abstract: A conceptual structure for commitment is presented, specifying and clarifying the various meanings of the term as it has been used by sociologists and social psychologists. The possible importance of the concept for social psychology is illustrated by the interpretation of a number of social psychological experiments in terms of commitment processes. The utility of the concept of commitment for the analysis of courtship systems is discussed and the application of the concept of commitment on the level of social systems is illustrated by the use of the proposed conceptual structure in research on cohabitation on a university campus. THE CONCEPT Of commitment, although in common use among sociologists and social psychologists, has not been subject to the conceptual specification or empirical grounding which is necessary to transform it from an intuitively appealing idea into a viable scientific variable. However, theoretical discussions of commitment may be found in the works of a number of authors writing in the interactionist tradition, and in 1960 Howard S. Becker took the first major steps toward meaningful specification of the concept. It is the purpose of this paper to expand upon these first attempts, formally specify a conceptional structure for commitment, and suggest a number of research areas in which the concept might prove to be important. In particular, the concept of commitment has arisen frequently in discussions of courtship and marriage, but has not as yet been pinned down to the extent that it could be used effectively in research in that area. Data will be presented which illustrate the potential utility of the proposed conceptual framework for commitment in the analysis of courtship systems.

Social and Ethical Interpretations in Mental Development: A Study in Social Psychology

Abstract: James Mark Baldwin (1861-1934) was one of American psychology's seminal thinkers. His biosocial theory of mind, elaborated in "Mental Development in the Child and the Race" and in "Social and Ethical Interpretations in Mental Development", influenced thinkers as diverse as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Mead. His empirical research, republished with important philosophical papers in "Fragments in Philosophy and Science", helped create a standard for rigorous objective procedure and a functionalist attitude within the newly emerging science. His concept of organic selection, elaborated in papers brought together in "Development and Evolution" and further discussed in "Darwin and the Humanities", intoduced a mechanism into evolution theory whereby the effects of acquired adaptations could be taken into account within violating principles of natural selection. His approach to the development of individual minds in social relationship, summarized in "The Individual and Society", helped not only to found American social psychology but to give its uniquely individualistic cast. Finally, his genetic epistemology, given final form in "Genetic Theory of Reality", outlined a theory of mental operations culminating in aesthetic experience. Importantly, during the 1990s, Baldwin studies have undergone a small renaissance, especially as his relationship to Piaget and Vygotsky has been explored. This has created a market for Baldwin materials that this collection should help to fill. Selected here are the best editions of seven key writings, both landmark works and never reprinted essays.

Readings about the social animal

Abstract: This collection of articles explores contemporary ideas in social psychology, including detailed reports of experimental findings as well as more general articles summarizing studies on such topics as aggression and attraction The text has been organized to illustrate the major themes of "The Social Animal" and can be used as a companion to introductory psychological texts

Psychology of Industry

Abstract: The Social Psychology of Work. By Michael Argyle. Pp. xii + 291. (Allen Lane: London, October 1972.) £2.95.

Belief and Behavior as Determinants of Environmental Attitudes

Abstract: Attitudes of individuals and groups toward definable aspects of the environment and their stands on salient environmental issues have been matters of high concern for the broadening field of environmental studies. Of equal importance has been the concomitant investigation of variables associated with observed differences in attitudes. Thus, the usual threefold aim of such research has been to assess environmental attitudes that presently exist in the individuals and groups researched, to objectively describe differences between individual and group attitudes, and to look for variables that could explain observed differences in attitude. Much interesting and valuable data have been developed by research of the sort just described. For example, Sewell (1972) has investigated environmental attitudes of engineers and public health officials in western Canada. Observed differences in attitude were found to be associated with professional grouping, years in the profession, present rank and career mobility, and beliefs about man’s control over nature. Medalia (1964) has studied public attitudes toward air pollution in a community

Social identity : Perspectives and prospects:

Abstract: If somebody asked you: &dquo;Who are you?&dquo;, you would probably begin by giving your name, specify your position in society: &dquo;I am a student&dquo;, mention your nationality: &dquo;I am American&dquo;. Then thinking further about yourself, a number of personal characteristics would come to mind: intelligent, kind, considerate, undecided, etc. Your answers, explicit or implicit, would constitute what psychologists call the self-concept or identity. A person’s identity (or self-concept) refers to all the characteristics he may attribute to himself. At the onset it can be grasped, even intuitively, that a person’s perception includes both social and personal elements. The social elements of identity usually refer to social categories: e.g. to be a man or a woman, of a given nationality, religion, ethnic group, political affiliation; whereas attributes expressing personality traits, behavior characteristics, interests and values, represent personal identity elements. It is not difficult, therefore, to understand why it has been a basic assumption in the social sciences that the inner nature of the individual, including the perception he has of himself, is related to the particular place he occupies in society. The individual is first and foremost a &dquo;social subject&dquo;, and it is