Written Assignment 1. Explain how variables such as social inter actions, cognitive processes, environmental variables, cultural context, and biological factors shape what social psychology is all about and how it is practiced. Social Psychology is based on many components such as social interactions, cognitive processes, environmental variables, cultural context, and biological factors. Social psychology explains the nature of one’s behavior and is the key element that influence the way an individual think, feel and behave. Social interactions is the process in which individuals act towards or respond to other in any given situation.
The second way would be to try to understand what the influence is on a person’s perception and on their behavior when it comes to the behavior of a social group. The third and final way would be to try and to understand the different social groups as a behavioral entity and what if any are the relationships and what are the influences that one social group shall have on another social group. Furthermore social psychology is the study of the nature and of the causes of how a person behaves in a social matter. Describe the primary research strategies used in social psychology and give an example of each. The first would be descriptive research.
Sociology is a scientific discipline which studies the complexity of human society in a social context. This discipline uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis. It examines how people interact with one another and in groups; size of group may range from small social settings (a community) to society in a global context (for example the United Nations). Sociology investigates the social causes and consequences of aspects such as romantic love, racial and gender identity, family conflict, deviant behaviour, aging, and religious faith. At the societal level, sociology examines and explains matters like crime and law, poverty and wealth, prejudice and discrimination, schools and education, business firms, urban community, and social movements.
People can be seen socially in distinct points of view with a wide variety of speculated ideas through the use of Sociology’s theoretical perspectives. These theoretical perspectives contain three primary sociological views: Symbolic Interactionism, Functionalism, and Conflict Theory. Together, these perspectives offer us an elucidation about the social differences of humans all over the world. Within this paper, these three perspectives will be purposefully explained and analyzed to provide a better understanding of how and why Sociological views vary. Symbolic Interactionism is one of the major theoretical perspectives of Sociology.
This essay will explain how social comparison theory can elucidate and describe standard human actions and behaviors in typical workplace situations. Comparing ourselves to others in the workplace can give us a way to covertly discern what is expected of us. Social comparison theory was first explained in 1954 by a social psychologist by the name of Leon Festinger. He claimed, “other people who are similar to an individual are especially useful to that individual in generating accurate evaluations of his or her abilities and opinions” (Suls, 2002, p. 159). Since 1954, two models, the proxy model and the triadic model, have been added to the social comparison theory.
Behaviorist: The study of a subject through examination and analysis of objectively observable events. This is to be in contrast to the mental state of the subject. Humanist: Studying of social structures of entire societies including language and culture. Concentrating on human activities and abilities. Cognitive: Mental processes and skills are analyzed with this perspective.
Topic: Compare and contrast the Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on society. Refer to the work of relevant theorists to explain your answer. Sociology is the scientific study of societies and human social behavior (Sullivan 2000). Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. The theory of functionalism and conflict theory differ in several ways.
Evaluation and discussion of symbolic interaction, conception and formation of the self from a sociological perspective are pivotal points mentioned. Both sociologists are in conjunction regarding the use of the “me” and “I” concept as discussed in this assignment. Goffman established theoretical approaches of communication, institutional analysis, and fundamentally noted the presentation of the self in everyday life- how we display ourselves to others (and at the same time decide which parts are visible and which are invisible) (Calhoun et al., 2007). George Herbert Mead , renowned in the sociological world as the progenitor of the symbolic interactionist school, which develops his thoughts on the social nature of the act and its relation to the human self and society, he is noted as one of the most original thinkers in twentieth-century in American philosophy (Turner, 2006). Mead’s attempted to show how the human self-arises in the process of social interaction, especially by way of linguistic communication (“symbolic interaction”).
The interactionist perspective focuses on the idea of understanding society. Sociologists study the different ways people use to interact and study the society as a whole afterwards. This perspective is mainly supported by macrosociology although some later sociologists have preferred using the micro level of social behavior. Interactionists believe in the importance of interactionism within this approach. They classify the symbolic interactions of people into non-verbal communication.
Observations allow sociologists to study certain behaviours and communities that cannot be investigated through other research methods. Also, they help sociologists to arrive at an empirically based, factual analysis of how societies work through deductive and