Showing papers on "Social psychology (sociology) published in 1977"

Constructing Social Problems

Abstract: There is no adequate definition of social problems within sociology, and there is not and never has been a sociology of social problems. That observation is the point of departure of this book. The authors aim to provide such a definition and to prepare the ground for the empirical study of social problems. They are aware that their objective will strike many fellow sociologists as ambitious, perhaps even arrogant. Their work challenges sociologists who have, over a period of fifty years, written treatises on social problems, produced textbooks cataloguing the nature, distribution, and causes of these problems, and taught many sociology courses. It is only natural that the authors' work will be viewed as controversial in light of the large literature which has established a "sociology of" a wide range of social problems-the sociology of race relations, prostitution, poverty, crime, mental illness, and so forth. In the 1970s when the authors were preparing for a seminar on the sociology of social problems, their review of the "literature" revealed the absence of any systematic, coherent statement of theory or method in the study of social problems. For many years the subject was listed and offered by university departments of sociology as a "service course" to present undergraduates with what they should know about the various "social pathologies" that exist in their society. This conception of social problems for several decades has been reflected in the substance and quality of the literature dominated by textbooks. In 'Constructing Social Problems', the authors propose that social problems be conceived as the claims-making activities of individuals or groups regarding social conditions they consider unjust, immoral, or harmful and that should be addressed. This perspective, as the authors have formulated it, conceives of social problems as a process of interaction that produces social problems as social facts in society. The authors further propose that this process and the social facts it produces are the data to be researched for the sociology of social problems. This volume will be of interest to those concerned with the discipline of sociology, especially its current theoretical development and growth.

On the Self-Fulfilling Nature of Social Stereotypes.

Abstract: This paper explores the cognitive and behavioral consequencesof our impressions of other people in the context of social stereotypes. Social stereotypes are a special case of interpersonal perception. Though they are usually simple and overgenermlized, many social stereotypes concern highly visible and distinctive-personal characteristics, such_ as sex and race._ These pieces--cf information are usually the first to be noticed'in social interaction and can gain high priority for channeling subiequent information processing and interaction. As such, social stereotypes may be used to consider the cognitive and behavioral_consequences cf person perception. These stereotypes influence information processing that serves to bolster and roangthen them. ,Stereotype -based beliefs may serve as gronuds for predictions about the target's future behavior and may guide sand influence the perceiver's interactions with the target. In this way, social stereotypes may create their own reality/ by channeling interaction in ways that cause the stereotyped individual to behaviorally confirm perceiver's stereotype. The author deScribeS an experiment designed to test this behavioral confirmation hypothesis. Because of the implications of the self-fulfilling effects .of social stereotypes upon social interaction,-the study of stereotypes becomes important to social psychology.,(Authd GC)*

Marital status, life-strains and depression.

Abstract: Steiner, Ivan D. 1970 "Perceived freedom". Pp. 187-247 in Leonard Berkowitz (ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 5. New York: Academic Press. Steiner, Ivan D. and William L. Field 1960 "Role assignment and interpersonal influence." Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 61:239-45. Turner, Ralph H. 1956 "Role-taking, role standpoint, and reference-group behavior." American Journal of Sociology 61:316-28. 1961 "The problem of social dimension in personality." Pacific Sociological Review 4:57-62. 1962 "Role-taking: process versus conformity." Pp. 20-40 in Arnold M. Rose (ed.), Human Behavior and Social Processes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1968 "The self-conception in social interaction." Pp. 93-106 in Chad Gordon and Kenneth J. Gergen (eds.), The Self in Social Interaction. New York: Wiley. Weinstein, Eugene A. and Paul Deutschberger 1963 " Some dimensions of altercasting." Sociometry 26:454-66.

Social Roles, Social Control, and Biases in Social-Perception Processes

Abstract: To make accurate social judgments, an individual must both recognize and adequately correct for the self-presentation advantages or disadvantages conferred upon actors by their social roles. Two experiments examined social perceptions formed during an encounter in which one participant composed difficult general knowledge questions and another participant attempted to answer those questions. It was found, as predicted, that perceivers fail to make adequate allowance for the biasing effects of these "questioner" and "answerer" roles in judging the participants' general knowledge. Questioners, allowed to display their personal store of esoteric knowledge in composing questions, were consistently rated superior to their partners, who attempted to answer the questions. This bias was stronger for the answerers and the uninvolved observers than for the questioners. Some implications of these results for our understanding of the biased perceptions of the powerful and the powerless in society are noted. More general implications for an understanding of the shortcomings of the "intuitive psychologist" are also discussed.

The practical theorist: The life and work of Kurt Lewin.

Abstract: of Kurt Lewin. By Alfred J Marrow, PhD. Price, $8.50. Pp 228. Basic Books Inc Publishers, 404 Park Ave S, New York 10016, 1969. The publication of a book on the life and work of Kurt Lewin occasions the hope that his influence may begin to reach a general audience. As Alfred Marrow, Lewin's friend and biographer, points out, the large areas of endeavor in contemporary psychology that Lewin originated have spread far more broadly than his name. What also impresses the concerned observer is the absence of Lewin's spirit from a great deal that is termed group dynamics, field theoretical work, action research, sensitivity training, etc. Fascination with group process is not always accompanied by effort at conceptualization; esoteric diagrams and formulae of evident Lewinian ancestory often sadly lack Lewin's sense for life. Much of the current furor for social change seeks Lewin's impact without sharing his theoretical overview. A presentation of Lewin to the public is much to be desired. Yet even the reader who is predisposed to accept the statement from Tolman with which Marrow begins his preface, "Freud the clinician and Lewin the experimentalist\p=m-\theseare the two men whose names will stand out before all others in the history of our psychological era," may finish this book mystified as to the nature of Lewin's scientific achievement. He may

Sex roles and interpersonal behavior in task-oriented groups.

Abstract: In the past, sociologists have proposed that men and women approach situations in which they have to work with other people differently; that men are "task" or "instrumental" specialists, while women are "social" or "expressive" specialists. Subsequent advances in research on the social psychology of small groups, on families, and on personality has largely removed the theoretical and empirical supports for this proposition. On the other hand, researchers continue to observe sex differences in behavior in a variety of taskoriented situations. This paper suggests that sex roles may be seen as the result of status processes. Since men have higher status than women, men are expected to be more competent than women and it is expected that competitive or dominating behavior is legitimate for men but not for women. Empirical studies of sex roles as related to task appropriateness, group problem solving, conflict, dominating behavior and role expectations are reviewed in support of this theory.

Sex differences in social participation

Abstract: Twenty female and 38 male first-year college students maintained a daily record of their social interactions for 2 weeks early in the fall semester and for 2 weeks late in the spring semester. Over all interactions, females decreased time per day in interaction more than males did, primarily by reducing the length of interactions, and reported decreased satisfaction with these interactions. In interactions with three best same-sex friends, females also decreased length more than males did but maintained a higher level of satisfaction Number of interactions with same-sex best friend decreased markedly for females but not for males. The results were interpreted as showing that females socialize more intensely in the new environment than males and make use of the same-sex best friend to deal with the social stimulation. Differences between the sexes on interaction measures in the spring were minimal. Social psychology is often denned as the study of social interaction, and social psychologists do indeed study social interaction in a variety of ways. Strangely enough, however, social scientists in general are hard pressed to answer some of the most basic questions about social interaction: questions such as how much time during a day do people spend in social interaction? With how many different people do they interact? How long is the average interaction? How many people are involved in the typical social encounter, and what is its sexual composition? What differences exist among people in their reactions to their social lives? For each of these questions and the many others that could be asked, a second question immediately follows: In what ways, if any, do males and females differ in their social behavior? Using sex-based characteristics is a nearly universal way of describing

The three faces of social psychology.

Abstract: The current "crisis" of social psychology largely reflects the division of the field into three increasingly isolated domains or faces: (1) psychological social psychology, (2) symbolic interactionism, and (3) psychological sociology (or social structure and personality) A sociology of knowledge analysis suggests that the distinctive substantive and methodological concerns of each face reflect the intellectual and institutional contexts in which it developed Psychological social psychology has increasingly focused on individual psychological processes in relation to social stimuli using laboratory experiments; symbolic interactionism, on face-to-face interaction processes using naturalistic observations; and psychological sociology, on the relation of macrosocial structures and processes to individual psychology and behavior, most often using survey methods Brief critical discussion of the faces indicates that the strengths of each complement weaknesses in the others, highlighting a need for more interchange among them Psychological sociology receives special emphasis because it currently lacks the coherence and clear identity of the other faces, yet is essential to a well-rounded social psychology since it balances the increasingly microsocial emphases of the other faces Although diagnosis does not guarantee cure, this paper aims to promote modification of the very faces and trends it depicts The expansion of the Handbook of Social Psychology from one volume in 1935 to two volumes in 1954 and five volumes by 1968-69 reflects the rapid growth of the broad interdisciplinary field of social psy

Social Organization and Social Structure in Symbolic Interactionist Thought

Abstract: Through communication processes, people transform themselves and their environments and then respond to those transformations (Stone & Farberman 1970:v). This paraphrase, for the most part, defines the central thrust of the perspective of symbolic interactionism. It easily subsumes those topics traditionally associated with the perspective, such as interaction processes, socialization, the establishment and maintenance of meaning, systematic symbolization, as well as social roles, identities, and the reflexive self, which are products of human association. For the purposes of this review, however, the important point is that it does not exclude or deny the existence of phenomena such as social class, bureaucracy, social institutions, power structures, international relations, or social stratification, which are usually included in considerations of social organization and social structure. Nor has the perspective ever completely ignored social structural considerations, although it is probably fair to say that symbolic interactionists have not devoted the attention to those matters that functionalists or conflict theorists have. It has been a relatively benign neglect, however, pertaining more to the selection of topics and research problems rather than to the explanatory power of the perspective itself. Even here, though, the perspective's critics have underemphasized symbolic interactionism's contributions to the analysis of social organization. In this review, I attempt to document some of those contributions, and argue that there is nothing inherent in the perspective that precludes the analysis of social organization and social structure. Since there is a considerable range in both theory and practice in symbolic interactionism (Petras & Meltzer 1973), I do not pretend to speak for all who adhere to the perspective. Rather, my objectives are limited to merely presenting evidence of a social organizational approach in symbolic interactionism that is much better developed than commonly believed by sociologists.

Classroom Reward Structure: An Analytical and Practical Review

Abstract: At various times in the history of social psychology, interest has arisen in the reward structure of the classroom, particularly in the idea of using reward structures that place students in mutual dependence for rewards-cooperative reward structures. Some high points in the study of classroom reward structure were publications by Deutsch (1949a, 1948b), who presented a comprehensive theory of cooperation and competition, Miller and Hamblin (1963), and Johnson, D. W. and Johnson, R. T. (1974). Of these, only Johnson and Johnson reviewed the large body of research that has been done on cooperative, competitive, and individual reward structures, but their review was lacking in analysis of these findings. The present paper attempts to fill this gap by drawing theoretical and practical conclusions from the research on reward structures.

Societal reaction to deviants: the case of criminal defendants.

Abstract: Weick, K. E. and D. P. Gilfillan 1971 "Fate of arbitrary traditions in a laboratory microculture. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 17:179-91. Winer, B. J. 1962 Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. New York: McGraw-Hill. Woodward, C. V. 1957 The Strange Career of Jim Crow. New York: Oxford University Press. Zimmerman, D. H. and M. Pollner 1970 "The everyday world as a phenomenon." Pp. 33-65 in John Douglas (ed), Understanding Everyday Life. Chicago: Aldine.

Jewish Identity: A Social Psychological Perspective

Abstract: Employing insights from a broadly conceived social psychology, Simon N. Herman examines contemporary Jewish life in its totality as a constellation of interdependent factors. He sets forth criteria for the Jewish identity, analyzes the religious and national elements that interweave in it, the constancies and variations in that identity across the years and across countries, the impact on it of the Holocaust and the establishment of the state of Israel. An illuminating chapter is devoted to the question "Who is a Jew?" In his foreword to the fkst edition of this volume, Herbert Kelman of Harvard University described it as "a pioneering contribution to the study of ethnic/national identity." The second edition incorporates additional data derived from two recent studies conducted by the author. It includes a discussion of the direction of changes in the Jewish identity in the decade since publication of the first edition. Special attention is given to the Jewish reactions to the worldwide resurgence of anti-Semitism and to the turbulent events in and around Israel. A careful analysis is undertaken of the factors in the present situation that strengthen and weaken the Jewish identity.

Developments in "Two Social Psychologies": Toward an Appreciation of Mutual Relevance *

Abstract: Historically, the social psychologies developed by psychologists and by sociologists have paid relatively little attention to one another. Yet they have much to say of mutual relevance. Motivated by these observations, this paper reviews a selected set of comparatively recent developments and seeks to draw from these a picture of general trends. The developments reviewed include attribution theory, exchange theory and sociological behaviorism, identity theory, ethnomethodology, the "discovery" of experimenter demand, and the emergent disaffection with experimental social psychology. Commonalities and convergences within and between the two social psychologies are remarked, as is what appears to be the major summary development: the subjective has become respectable.

Principles of social psychology

Abstract: Now in its third edition, Kelly Shaver's Principles of Social Psychology has won praise from students and instructors alike for its challenging "no nonsense" approach to the field Thoroughly updated to reflect current research, the text retains the qualities that have become its hallmarks: a cognitive approach to the process of socialization, and an emphasis on the ideas that give the discipline continuity It offers undergraduate psychology students clear, conceptually integrated discussions of all of the major topics in social psychology Shaver's focus on the concepts of social psychology provides a framework for students to develop their own applications The principles of social behavior are presented in the text in the same way they develop in the individual moving from internal processes (social perception, self-recognition) to external issues (the environment, the law) that influence behavior Shaver weaves contemporary issues into his treatment of basic theories, using examples from everyday situations His supple writing engages students in the complexity of social behavior, and is one reason Principles of Social Psychology remains one of the most highly regarded texts in the field

The Ethogenic Approach: Theory and Practice

Abstract: Publisher Summary A central preoccupation of the ethogenic approach is to establish a fruitful connection between microsociology and social psychology and, in particular, to base social psychology on an adequate and explicit microsociology. It is vital to utilize the extremely good microsociology that has been developed by the symbolic interactionists and ethnomethodologists in the construction of a social psychology that takes its problems from that kind of microsociology and not from amateur or intuitive conceptions of the structure and meaning of social interactions. And as the main psychological technique in ethogenics is the analysis of the speech of participants in social life, the very detailed and often extremely subtle analyses of ordinary language made by the Oxford School of philosophers and others in the linguistic tradition can be employed in the course of which are revealed the theories implicit in ordinary speech. These two developments— the one in microsociology and the other in language analysis—contribute an enormous but previously untapped resource.

Social Psychology in the '90s

Abstract: History and systems of social behaviour Methods of studying social behaviour The self Understanding others Interpersonal communication The nature of attitudes Persuasion and attitude change Social influence and personal control Affiliation, attraction, and love Aggression and violence Pro-social behaviour Behaviour in groups Behaviour between groups Social behaviour in the physical environment.

Telecommunications as a Travel Substitute: Some Psychological, Organizational, and Social Aspects

Abstract: This work discusses, from the perspective of 1977, a possibility that video telecommunications and teleconferencing will, to some extent, replace physical travel in the future, especially in the business sector. In view of the importance to several areas of planning of the possibility that telecommunications could reduce the need for travel, it is surprising to find that such issues have not been widely researched. This article, therefore, is concerned with developing a social psychological perspective on the use of telecommunications as a travel substitute using the home office and video teleconferencing as focal points.

The End of Internalization: Adorno's Social Psychology

Abstract: Analytic psychology contains the realization that human beings affect one another, particularly in the process of child rearing, and therefore that what appear to be innate or natural properties of a person are actually the result of social interaction and human agency. In this sense, the psychoanalytic perspective represented a profound demystification comparable to Marx's analysis, which revealed the origins of commodity values in the human labor performed in social production. Despite this parallel, the task of synthesizing the work of Marx and Freud is more difficult than it may at first appear. When Adorno and Horkheimer began to systematically synthesize Freud's theory of society they were already dissatisfied by the efforts of Fromm and Reich to achieve this integration.

The Silent Prison of Shyness.

Abstract: : This paper presents an overview of the conceptions of shyness that have guided our initial empirical study of the causes, correlates and consequences of this pervasive and significnt personal and social problem. (Author)