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2. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND PERFORMANCE: THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC CHOICE.
- Author
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Child, John
- Subjects
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SOCIAL psychology , *ORGANIZATIONAL structure , *PERFORMANCE standards , *ORGANIZATION , *ORGANIZATIONAL effectiveness , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
This paper critically examines available theoretical models which have been derived front statistically established patterns of association between contextual and organizational variables. These models offer an interpretation of organizational structure as a product of organizational structure as a product of primarily economic constraints which contextual variable are impose. It is argued that available models in fact attempt to explain organization at one remove by ignoring the essentially political process, whereby power-holders within organizations decide upon courses of strategic action. This `strategic choice' typically includes not only the establishment of structural forms but also the manipulation of environmental features and the choice of relevant performance standards. A theoretical re-orientation this kind away from functional imperatives and towards' a recognition of political action is developed and illustrated in the man body of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1972
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3. SOCIAL RELATIONS AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES AMONGST SHIPBUILDING WORKERS--A PRELIMINARY STATEMENT.
- Author
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One, Part
- Subjects
- *
INTERPERSONAL relations , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL interaction , *SOCIAL perception , *WORKING class , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
This paper examines the community situation of shipyard workers on Tyneside, certain aspects of their orientations to work and general social perspectives, and the relationship of these to each other and to the structure of social relations at work. In terms of their community situation shipyard workers would seem to come close to Lockwood's traditional proletarian type of worker. There is evidence to suggest, however, that these workers' social perspectives are not at all clearly traditional proletarian. The explanation for this is found, at least m part, m the much greater complexity of social relations at work than are accounted for in the model of traditional proletarianism. The paper suggests that existing typologies of the orientations and social perspectives of workers need to be refined by more detailed studies of the structural and relational aspects of both work and community situations. The paper concludes with a brief examination of changes in both industry and community and the likely effect of these on the social perspectives of shipbuilding workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1970
4. The Problems and Values of Attitude Research.
- Author
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Lauer, Robert H.
- Subjects
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ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *BEHAVIOR , *RESEARCH , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences - Abstract
Considerable attention has been given recently to the perplexing problem of the relationship between attitudes and behavior (Ehrlich, 1969; Deutscher, 1969; Warner and DeFleur, 1969; Ajzen et al., 1970; Lastrucci, 1970; Tarter, 1970). Methodological issues have been debated, the lack of congruence between attitudes and behavior has been examined, and a variety of solutions have been offered. We are told, for example, that the continuing poor correlation between measured attitudes and overt behavior requires us to search for the intervening variable or variables which apparently obtain (Ehrlich, 1969); or to employ the "direct observation" of the phenomenon under investigation rather than try to extrapolate from paper-and-pencil tests to behavior (Deutscher, 1969); or to develop theories that, in turn, enable us to find indicators that are more valid than the paper-and-pencil type (Lastrueci, 1970); or to simply admit that attitudes as "presently conceptualized play no real role in behavior" (Tarter, 1970). A number of important aspects of attitude research, however, have been obscured or omitted in these discussions. For the surprising aspect of the situation is not, as has often been implied, the lack of congruence between attitudes and behavior, but the persistent use of research designs that are inappropriate for the complexity of the subject under investigation. Further, it is surprising that researchers have failed to draw out other important implications of their research. That is, the fact that an attitude does not lead directly to a behavior does not justify the assertion that attitudes play no role in behavior, or that attitude research lacks significant implications for social life. The basis for this latter statement will be shown below in a discussion of the values of attitude research. It may be that inadequate research designs, valued for their simplicity rather than their appropriateness, are a manifestation of the "publish or perish" syndrome. In any ease, this paper attempts to outline the problems and the values of attitude research, and to demonstrate thereby that such research is of great significance for the understanding of social phenomena. If that significance seems minimized by those studies that have found poor correlation between attitudes and behavior, the fault lies both in the failure to create research designs that reflect the complexity of the problem and in the tendency to exalt the importance of the proximate causes of overt behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1971
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5. Buchenwald, Mai Lai, and Charles Van Doren: Social Psychology as Explanation.
- Author
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Deutscher, Irwin
- Subjects
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SOCIAL psychology , *PSYCHOLOGY , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences , *SOCIAL psychologists , *BEHAVIORAL scientists - Abstract
As the name suggests, social-psychology is a bastard field. It consists of such a variety of peoples doing so many different things in different ways, that it defies definition—at least for me. In spite of the neat delineations which are made in textbooks and the scholarly historical treatments which appear in encyclopediae and symposia, I find it difficult to grasp a concept of "social-psychology" which is anything more than the operational definition: "Social psychology is what people who call themselves social-psychologists, do." That is not much help, but it is all we have got. I mention my own confusion in this matter, not with the aim of confusing others, but by way of explanation: some of the issues I will touch upon in this paper may infringe upon what readers consider to be other areas of sociology. I regret such territorial invasions. But in my own quest for understanding why people act as they do, I have increasingly found that the traditional "fields" in the discipline and the traditional courses in the catalogue do not provide appropriate categories with which I can explain to colleagues and students what it is I am discovering. Having said all of this, let us get down to business. It is a decade since Dennis Wrong published the paper in which he challenged "The oversocialized conception of man in modern society" (1961). Reacting to a determinism which pervaded the social sciences and which seemed to be seeping into popular currency, Wrong asked if man were in fact as constrained by a monolithic culture as we social scientists would have it. A few years later Harold Garfinkel referred more bluntly to the models of men constructed by the various social sciences: he called them "judgmental dopes." The cultural dope and the psychological dope are, respectively, the man in the sociologist's society and the man in the psychologist's society (1967:67-68). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1970
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6. Some Social-Psychological and Political Functions of Ideology.
- Author
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Schulze, Rolf
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SOCIAL psychology , *PSYCHOLOGY , *SOCIOLOGY , *POLITICAL science , *IDEOLOGY , *PHILOSOPHY - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to outline and examine a few basic functions which ideology performs for the individual and for society. In order to progress in this direction, it might help to agree on some basic conceptual definitions. To begin with, some effort must be made to arrive at a satisfactory definition of ideology, since that term occupies a rather central place in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1969
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7. Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Delinquent Behavior: A Cross-National Comparison.
- Author
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Fraser, Graeme S.
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PARENT-teenager relationships , *JUVENILE delinquency , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *SOCIAL scientists , *SOCIAL sciences , *SOCIAL psychology - Abstract
Sociologists and social psychologists, perhaps more than some of their fellow social scientists, have striven for what is in many respects one of the most elusive aims of science—valid generalizations. Examination of the results of the past thirty years of research are, however, far from encouraging. Arnold Hose, in addressing himself to the problem of generalization in the social sciences, is tempted to raise the question as to whether or not there has been considerably more striving than achieving. Certainly it is apparent that the replications often do not verify the original study. The data presented in this paper are drawn from a study of delinquent behavior which I conducted in New Zealand. My research in this field constituted in part a replication of research conducted by Nye and Short in the United States. The data from these two studies provided an opportunity for fruitful cross-cultural comparisons in the area of delinquent behavior. The rationale presented in this paper may be interpreted as a modest attempt to pursue what Rose has called "generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1967
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8. Corverging Theoritical Perspectives.
- Author
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Jonowitz, Morrits
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COLLECTIVE behavior , *HUMAN behavior , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL movements , *SOCIAL change , *SOCIAL control , *SOCIAL conflict - Abstract
Collective behavior has been a long standing focal point of sociological interest. From its earliest use by Robert E. Park, the concept has been an expression of the sociologist's concern with various dramatic processes of social control, especially those manifesting rapid social change. While the work of specialists in collective behavior has emphasized the study of very specific and delimited events such as crowds, fashions, and fads, the subject matter of collective behavior has come to include the most crucial society-wide movements and upheavals. Moreover, empirical work in this field has reflected a sophisticated understanding of the difficulties of observing and recording complex aspects of social reality which envelop the observer and resist simplified coding and data-reduction techniques. By contrast, the theoretical relevance of the collective behavior framework has been problematic until recently and open to extensive debate. In fact, there was a period of time, after the initial contributions by Robert E. Park, in which the theoretical disputations about the nature of collective behavior appeared to divert creative energies. As a specialized orientation collective behavior became encapsulated and immune to the theoretical developments in other aspects of sociological thinking. In recent years, say the last five years, there has been a renewed interest in the collective behavior approach. The following papers by Neil Smelser and Ralph Turner, which provided the basis for an American Sociological Association panel, give expression to the search for a new balance between theory and empirical enterprise. These papers and the immediate discussion they provoked indicate that some sociologists are using the rubric to focus on crucial substantive issues of contemporary social change. In part, the dramatic events of the civil rights movement in the United States and the equally dramatic transformation of social structure in the new nations have contributed to this renaissance. In part, the response is defensive against the persistent criticism from outside disciplines concerning the excessive expenditure of intellectual energies on trivial processes of social control. What is important in any case is that collective behavior, although strictly sociological in its approach, supplies a link to the interests of political scientists and historians who have long been concerned with revolutions and mass movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
9. Major Trends in Symbolic Interraction Theory in the Past Twenty-Five Years.
- Author
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Kuhn, Manford H.
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SYMBOLIC interactionism , *SOCIAL theory , *SOCIAL interaction , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
Ordinarily an anniversary occasions the reification of an artificial period. In this case however, there is a certain juncture in the history of the point of view which makes of the past quarter-century something worthy of consideration for symbolic interactionism as well as for our celebration of the founding of the Midwest Sociological Society. The year 1937 lies virtually in the middle of a four-year period which saw the publication of Mind, Self, and Society, Movements of Thought in the Nineteenth Century, and The Philosophy of the Act. It would represent the greatest naiveté to suggest that thus the year 1937 represented the introduction of symbolic interactionism. We are all aware of the long development: from James, Baldwin, and Cooley to Thomas, Faris, Dewey, Blumer, and Young. Even the Tardean imitation and suggestion which underlay Ross's Social Psychology contributed a good deal ordinarily not credited to him in the development of interaction theory. Nor is it the fact that Mead represents the fullest development of the orientation that makes so significant the posthumous publication of his works (for which we may conveniently take 1937 as an anchoring point). Mead's ideas had been known for a very long time. He had taught University of Chicago students from 1893 to 1931. His notions were bruited about in classes and seminars wherever there were professors conducting them who had studied at the University of Chicago—not least in the great heartland included in the Mid-west of our Society. Some of Mead's students had published their versions of his ideas or quotations from some of his philosophical papers—Kimbali Young's Source Book in Social Psychology of a decade earlier contained a paper by Mead, and his Social Psychology bore the strong imprint of Meadian interactionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
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10. Variation in Structure of the Kuhn-McPartland Tewnty Statement Test and Related Response Differences.
- Author
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Schwirian, Kent P.
- Subjects
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SYMBOLIC interactionism , *IDENTITY (Psychology) , *SOCIAL interaction , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
Symbolic interaction theory as derived mainly from the work of George Herbert Mead views the self-concept as a structure of attitudes which arises in social experience and organizes the individual's perception of his social milieu. Recently, tests based upon this symbolic interaction orientation have been developed for the elicitation of self attitudes. One such test frequently used is the Twenty Statements Test (TST) constructed by Manford Kuhn and Thomas McPartland. The TST attempts to ascertain the specific statements respondents use to identify themselves to themselves. The applicability of the TST to problems of self theory is indicated by the rather wide use which has been made of the instrument. Investigations using the TST have focused upon the following: self-concept and social position; a self-concept and behavior; and the self-concept and attitudes toward other social objects. While TST results have been of substantive interest, little attention has been given to the methodological issues involved in the instrument and its use. For example, little is known concerning the validity and reliability of the test and its scoring procedures. If substantive assertions based upon TST results are to be considered as sound, judicious concern should be directed toward basic methodological issues. It is the purpose of this paper to consider empirically one methodological aspect of the TST. The focus is upon the test format itself. The question is posed: Do variations in the TST format produce variations in individuals' response patterns? Specifically, does the length of the test influence the number and the nature of statements made by respondents? This paper is directed toward answering this question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
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11. THE SOCIOLOGY OF MEDICINE: VIEWPOINTS AND PERSPECTIVES.
- Author
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Mechanic, David
- Subjects
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SOCIAL medicine , *MEDICAL practice , *HELP-seeking behavior , *DISEASES , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
The paper deals with the organizational context of medical practice, help-seeking, and illness behavior in a manner which attempts to show their relevance to more extensive sociological issues. In the first part of the paper, both the advantages and costs of bureaucratization of medical practice are discussed in relation to changes in society itself. The second part of the paper deals with the strategy for developing a social psychological help-seeking model. Although the entire paper attempts to identify strategic areas for research in medical sociology, the third part of the paper is more specifically directed to needed areas in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1966
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12. THE IMPORTANCE OF SIBLING POSITION IN THE CHOICE OF A CAREER IN PEDIATRIC NURSING.
- Author
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Fischer, Ann
- Subjects
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SOCIAL psychology , *PEDIATRIC nursing , *SIBLINGS , *CHILD psychology , *NURSING schools , *DAUGHTERS - Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to test the hypothesis that oldest daughters are more likely to become pediatric nurse than girls: in other sibling positions. A test of this hypothesis was made on a sample of 109 student nurses at the Children's Hospital School of Nursing. The hypothesis was accepted for students who come from large sibling.. groups (four or more siblings), and rejected for students who come from sibling groups of three or fewer members. The theory advanced to account for this phenomenon was that oldest daughters were more likely to be strongly identified with their mothers and to choose an occupation with a feminine orientation. It is felt that more evidence is needed to substantiate the theory, although there are indications that it may be valid. These data suggest extensions of this study. It might be of special interest to study the mothers of these girls to discover the characteristics of women who might develop in their daughters a strong feminine identification. Very little information is available on this point except as daughters mentioned it more or less incidentally in their answers to the questionnaire. Also, it would be of interest to know what happens to the other. members of these sibling groups. Do other daughters in these groups become housewives, enter other kinds of nursing schools, or choose careers entirely in contrast with those of their pediatric nursing sisters. A special contribution of this paper is the method used to test a hypothesis relating to sibling position. This variable has perhaps been neglected due to its complexity. Many clinical studies, however, give the impression that sibling position is an important variable in the formation of personality. Results of this study suggest that sibling position is indeed important in the selection of a career in pediatric nursing, if one simultaneously takes into account number and sex of siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1962
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13. RELATIVE DEPRIVATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
- Author
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Geschwender, Barbara N. and Geschwender, James A.
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CIVIL rights movements , *SOCIAL movements , *CIVIL rights , *SOCIAL change , *SOCIAL history , *SOCIAL psychology - Abstract
The article studies relative deprivation and participation in the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement, like many social movements, incorporated several sub-movements which utilized different types of tactics. It incorporates a variety of different patterns. This paper explores the extent to which different patterns of relative deprivation may be differentially associated with a variety of movement tactics. Relative deprivation may be one state of mind which motivates participation in social movements. Reference group comparisons may result in feelings of either relative deprivation or relative satisfaction depending upon the reference group selected. It has been suggested that black participation in the civil rights movement was a consequence of an inability to achieve at a level commensurate with societally induced aspirations. Social movements undergo changes over time in terms of goals, tactics, population base contributing support, and reactions of the wider society. These variables influence participation. It may well be the case that different types of relative deprivation are associated with participation at different stages of a movement.
- Published
- 1973
14. INTERPERETIVE PROCESSES IN ROLE CONFLICT SITUATION.
- Author
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Gerhardt, Uta
- Subjects
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ROLE conflict , *HERMENEUTICS , *CONFLICT (Psychology) , *SOCIAL role , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL participation - Abstract
This paper pleads for hermeneutic processes to be taken into account in the discussion of role conflict. In order to avoid reification of mechanistic assumptions underlying cross-pressure models of social action, it is suggested that theory as well as research should take into consideration that norms and behaviour are mediated by interpretative processes. These constitute a level of 'social understanding' which can be operationalized in role-conflict terms as three different types of conflict. Reciprocity of perspectives and evaluation, as the main dimensions of interpretation processes, are shown to be the main features of conflicts in role interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 1973
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15. The Importation Model Perspective on Inmate Social Roles: an Empirical Test.
- Author
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Thomas, Charles W. and Foster, Samuel C.
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SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL status , *SOCIOLOGY , *INSTITUTIONALIZED persons , *SOCIAL role , *SOCIAL groups - Abstract
This paper suggests a new way of applying "Proportional-Reductions-in-Error" related measures (i.e., Gamma, dyx, dxy, and Kendall's Tau's) to link logical forms of hypotheses to types of ordinal measures of association. First, the basic form of associations for ordinal data are examined. Second, the analytical properties of "P-R-E" related measures are investigated. Finally, it is proposed that "P-R-E" related measures be used in testing the logical form of the relationship between variables implied in a hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1973
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16. Self-Identity in Marriage and Widowhood.
- Author
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Znaniecki, Lopata, Helena
- Subjects
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SOCIAL interaction , *SELF-perception , *IDENTITY (Psychology) , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL exchange , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
Theories of symbolic interaction and ethnomethodology, assume that everyone undertakes a complex process of construction of reality, including self-identity, in interaction with significant others. Utilizing insights into variations in identity reformulation in marriage obtained from a study of American metropolitan women, this paper concentrates on variations of identity reformulation among widows. The major hypothesis guiding the discussion is that the higher the education of the woman, as measured by formal schooling, the more she is likely to experience and undertake identity reformulation in marriage and in widowhood. The less education a woman has, the less she will be consciously affected in her identity formulation by these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1973
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17. A Comparative Analysis of Propositions Describing Social Movement Organizations.
- Author
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Zurcher, Louis A. and Curtis, Russell L.
- Subjects
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SOCIAL movements , *SOCIAL history , *SOCIAL psychology , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *TEACHER-student relationships , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Utilizing replies from a selected sample of contributors to the literature of symbolic interactionism, this paper examines the nature and extent of institutional ties among respondents holding similar views as to appropriate methodology in sociology. The specific institutional ties examined are those as: (1) fellow graduate students, (2) teachers and students, and (3) departmental colleagues. The methodological differences between the Chicago and Iowa schools, described in other studies, manifest themselves in the present sample, as do other views not neatly classifiable within either of these schools of symbolic interactionism. The more unconventional the conception of methodology held by a respondent, the more likely is the respondent to have been a fellow graduate student, a departmental colleague, and/or involved in a teacher-student relationship with other symbolic interactionists favoring the same conception. Respondents preferring the more orthodox methodological stances in modern sociology are less likely to have shared in such institutional flea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1973
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18. Toward a Theory of Community Conflict: Factors Influencing the Initiation and Scope of Conflict.
- Author
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Kreps, Gary A. and Wenger, Dennis E.
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SOCIAL movements , *SOCIAL history , *SOCIAL change , *SOCIAL psychology , *NATURAL history , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
Natural history, observational, and interview data from a study of two anti-pornography crusades and the social movement organizations which created and directed them are used to assess nine propositions formulated by Zald and Ash (1966) concerning the structure and dynamics of social movement organizations. The Zald-Ash propositions were formulated from the literature on national, established social movement organizations. This paper explores the applicability of the propositions to those organizations which are small and emerging. The propositions are generally supported. Discrepancies are accounted for by the significant influence of leadership orientation, goal specificity, and incentive structure in determining other structural and dynamic characteristics of small or emerging social movement organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1973
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19. Social Relations of Widows in Urbanizing Societies.
- Author
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Lopata, Helena Z.
- Subjects
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SOCIAL status , *SOCIAL psychology , *URBANIZATION , *CITIES & towns , *SOCIAL history , *URBAN sociology - Abstract
This paper is concerned with the consequences of urbanization, industrialization and increasing societal complexity upon the social relations and social roles of certain community members (Winch and Blumberg, 1968). The generalizations are based on primary and secondary analyses of the life styles of widows aged 65 and over, who are located in different types of communities in various societies. The assumption is made that sociological understanding of life styles of widows in rapidly urbanizing countries will contribute to knowledge of the changes occurring not only in family roles, but in other social relations as well. The shortage of data about widows all over the world necessitates the positing of these generalizations as exploratory rather than as final statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1972
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20. Benefits and Role Performance in Voluntary Organizations: An Explorationi of Social Exchange.
- Author
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Rogers, David L., Heffernan, William D., and Warner, W. Keith
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SOCIAL interaction , *SOCIAL exchange , *SOCIAL psychology , *PSYCHOLOGY , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *SOCIAL participation - Abstract
This paper reports an exploration of the relationship between members' role performance and the benefits they receive from their organizations. The general relationship is interpreted in the context of a "social exchange model" for voluntary associations. Data for the analysis pertain to members of four voluntary farm organizations: Farm Bureau, Farmers Union, National Farmers Organization, and Grange. The data were obtained in a state-wide survey of Wisconsin farm operators in 1965. In general, the data show a moderate relationship, in a positive direction, between benefits and role performance. The benefits tend to differ in the magnitude and, in some instances, in the direction of their relationships to such performance. The findings indicate the importance of taking into account magnitude and direction of relationship, as well as interaction among the benefits and among costs, in order to devise a viable social exchange model of cost benefit relations for voluntary associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1972
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21. Some Implications of Experimental Social Psychology for the Study of Urban Disorders.
- Author
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Geen, Russell G.
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SOCIAL psychology , *DISEASES , *CITIES & towns , *METHODOLOGY , *HUMAN behavior , *REVOLUTIONS , *HYPOTHESIS , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
This paper is not offered, even by implication, as an explanation for urban riots and confrontations. It is an exposition of a point of view, a methodology, and a body of evidence which hopefully may shed some light on this complex and pressing social problem. Within the social sciences several levels of analysis exist, each appropriate to the study of a certain type of problem (Devereaux, 1963; Bendix, 1963). Experimental approaches to social psychology have been particularly valuable in the analysis of individual behavior in a social context; emphasis has been on finding both the social determinants and the social implications of the behavior of an individual. While we believe that part of the explanation of collective phenomena, such as urban revolts, lies in the analysis of the behavior of individuals (cf. Brown, 1965), we do not advocate naive reductionism. We propose only to use data from the laboratory to form some operational definitions and hypotheses to guide further study and interpretation of collective events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 1971
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22. Organization for Social Action: Some Consequences Of Competition for Control.
- Author
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Maiolo, John R.
- Subjects
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COMPETITION (Psychology) , *ORGANIZATIONAL behavior , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL ecology , *PSYCHOLOGY , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
The purpose of this paper, then, is to bring organizational analysis to bear upon the problem of competition for control over goals, means, and organizationally relevant behavior. Further, emphasis is placed upon one type of strategy by which such competition has been managed, i.e., formal coaptation (See Selznick, 1949) and, additionally, some consequences of that strategy. The unit for analysis is the Christian Family Movement (CFM), a Midwest based, lay apostolic, action organization whose leaders claim the allegiance of some 60,000 married couples in fifty-five countries. For some time now CFM has been experiencing the pains of organizational transition, and its history reflects the consequences of two groups in competition for control over the organization's goals and means. One consequence is somewhat of a two-dimensional authority structure, each dimension of which is felt to be the only legitimate one from the standpoint of its representatives. Other consequences have to do with policy-development and the achievement of formally stated goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1970
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23. Fashion: From Class Differentiation to Collective Selection.
- Author
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Blumer, Herbert
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FASHION , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences , *SOCIAL psychology , *CLOTHING & dress , *SOCIAL classes - Abstract
This paper is an invitation to sociologists to take seriously the topic of fashion. Only a handful of scholars, such as Simmel (1904), Sapir (1931), and the Langs (1961), have given more than casual concern to the topic. Their individual analyses of it, while illuminating in several respects, have been limited in scope, and within the chosen limits very sketchy. The treatment of the topic by sociologists in general, such as we find it in textbooks and in occasional pieces of scholarly writing, is even more lacking in substance. The major deficiencies in the conventional sociological treatment are easily noted—a failure to observe and appreciate the wide range of operation of fashion; a false assumption that fashion has only trivial or peripheral significance; a mistaken idea that fashion falls in the area of the abnormal and irrational and thus is out of the mainstream of human group life; and, finally, a misunderstanding of the nature of fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1969
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24. The Theory of Charisma.
- Author
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Dow, Jr., Thomas E.
- Subjects
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CHARISMA , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL change - Abstract
Since its first systematic treatment by Max Weber in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft in the early twenties, the concept of charisma has been of only limited use to the social sciences. This is so because of fundamental disagreement concerning its meaning and application. In response to this, the present paper offers (1) a brief examination of Weber's contribution, (2) a critical analysis of this position based in part on the recent literature, and (3) a final formulation of the concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1969
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25. Emeritus Professors: The Effect of Professional Activity and Religion on 'Meaning'.
- Author
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Acuff, Gene and Gorman, Benjamin
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COLLEGE teachers , *OLD age , *RETIREMENT , *GERONTOLOGY , *SOCIAL role , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL status - Abstract
It is intutively understood that some sense of loss accompanies old age and retirement; the state of explanation with respect to this phenomenon is less clearly settled. At least part of the fuzziness in this area lies in the tension between the "interaetionist" and the "functionalist" interpretations. This paper explores the problem with an eye to these alternative interpretations by examining retired college professors in one southwestern state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1968
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26. Hamlets: A Typological Consideration.
- Author
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Larson, Albert J. and Garbin, A.P.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL typologies , *CITIES & towns , *SOCIAL groups , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences - Abstract
In recent decades limited research attention has been given to those smallest population centers, beyond the individual farmstead, commonly referred to as hamlets. Alluding to this fact, the following statement made in 1943 by the geographer, Glenn T. Trewartha, is still indicative of the situation: "… one of the most numerous and widespread settlement types in the United States, the unincorporated hamlet, does not deserve the near oblivion that has been accorded it by geographers and other workers in the social sciences." The lack of research interest may be attributed partially to the dimunition of the farm population and rural institutions and the increasing significance of industrialization and urban development. Because of these and other changes, students of society may share the opinion that hamlets are rapidly disappearing and consequently not worthy of study. Various studies, however, are not in agreement concerning whether or not hamlets have increased or decreased in size and numbers. According to Fuguitt, the contradictory findings stem from the fact that previous researchers have not made "a clear distinction between (1) changes in population size categories over time, and (2) changes in individual places over time." In a study based on Census data, Fuguitt examined Wisconsin's incorporated small towns for the period 1880-1960. He simultaneously analyzed the two analytical components indicated above through the use of the Markov model. His general conclusion was: "While fewer small towns are being 'born' these days, they aren't 'dying,' but are growing up to be big towns, in some cases." Although it is possible, as Fuguitt also suggests, that small unincorporated places are declining in size and number, there is little reported data to suggest they are rapidly diminishing as a rural collectivity or settlement center in contemporary society. In general, the purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to our descriptive knowledge of hamlets. Initially, an effort is made to determine the main activity pursued by the principal family supporters within or near the hamlet area. Secondly, based on the major activity pursued by each resident family's primary income recipient, a statistically derived typology of hamlets is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1967
- Full Text
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27. Ethnic Assimilation and Corporate Group.
- Author
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Zenner, Walter P.
- Subjects
- *
ETHNIC groups , *RACE relations , *ETHNOLOGY , *SOCIAL psychology , *ASSIMILATION (Sociology) , *ORGANIZATION - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to suggest that certain types of grouping are associated with radical and gradual types of assimilation and fusion. I will apply the distinction between the corporate and noncorporate group to the processes of ethnic regrouping. This distinction should serve to give a structural focus to studies of ethnic relations and thus will supplement the social psychological approaches. In the concluding section, in which the wider implications of corporateness are discussed, it will be seen that such a distinction will facilitate the comparison of ethnic groups with other types of groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1967
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Self-Conceptions and the Expectations of Significant Others.
- Author
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Kemper, Theodore D.
- Subjects
- *
SELF-perception , *IDENTITY (Psychology) , *PSYCHOLOGY of executives , *SIGNIFICANT others , *SOCIAL psychology , *INTERPERSONAL relations - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to report on the relationship found between a variety of content dimensions of the self and the expectations of each of four biographically significant others. The subjects whose self-conceptions are examined are 256 business executives and managers, and the four significant others whose expectations are perceived are wife, boss, a colleague, and father. Before turning to the findings it is necessary to discuss at least three methodological questions: (1) How do we know who is a significant other? (2) How do we measure the self? (8) What forms the link between others and the self? These issues are discussed in order below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1966
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. The Significant Others of a College Population.
- Author
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Denzin, Norman K.
- Subjects
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COLLEGE students , *SIGNIFICANT others , *FAMILIES of choice , *FRIENDSHIP , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *SOCIAL psychology - Abstract
This paper reports a purely exploratory attempt to locate the role-specific-significant others (Sullivan's significant others) and the orientational others of a small sample of college students enrolled in a large midwestern university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1966
- Full Text
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30. Self-Conceptions and Others: A Further Test of Meadian Hypotheses.
- Author
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Quarantelli, E.L. and Cooper, Joseph
- Subjects
- *
SELF-perception , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL interaction , *RESEARCH , *HYPOTHESIS , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
In this paper we attempt to do the following with respect to the symbolic interactionist approach to social psychological phenomena: (1) to add to its relatively meager empirical base; (2) to develop a neglected aspect of the position, namely, the time dimension; and (3) to contribute to both the replication and the extension of the limited systematic research which has used this particular framework to focus on the key concept of self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1966
- Full Text
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31. Some Methodological Problems of Kuhl's Self Theory.
- Author
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Tucker, Charles W.
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL interaction , *INQUIRY (Theory of knowledge) , *ORAL tradition , *ORAL communication , *SOCIAL psychiatry , *SOCIAL psychology - Abstract
Manford Kuhn in his review of twenty-five years of symbolic interaction theory noted that the "oral tradition" had sustained the theory during the years preceding the "age of inquiry." And, as Kuhn has accurately noted, this "age of inquiry" has utilized different subtheories and there was little consensus or "formalization" which preceded the empirical studies. This is true for Kuhn's own theory as well as for the other subtheories of the orientation. It is the purpose of this paper to correct this condition for Kuhn's theory. In doing this I have brought together, in a systematic manner, the ideas, definitions, assumptions, and propositions of the work of Kuhn and his students. With this foundation, I discuss several methodological problems of the theory which have not been previously investigated. It is hoped that this effort will contribute to the "age of inquiry" in Symbolic Interaction Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1966
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Ethical Neutrality and the Perspective of the Sociologist.
- Author
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Braude, Lee
- Subjects
- *
PSYCHOLOGICAL typologies , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *SOCIAL sciences , *SOCIOLOGY methodology - Abstract
In this paper reference will be made consistently to constructive typology. In order to avoid confusion—to use McKinney's words— "the term 'constructed' type is used here in preference to the designations 'ideal' and 'pure' types. The terms ideal and pure have been misinterpreted so frequently that it seems advisable to follow Howard Becker's usage and refer to these types as 'constructed types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Theoritical Issues of Scope and Problems.
- Author
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Smelser, Neil J.
- Subjects
- *
COLLECTIVE behavior , *HUMAN behavior , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL movements , *SOCIAL change , *SOCIAL control , *SOCIAL conflict - Abstract
In this paper I shall set down a few ideas that I consider central in the study of collective behavior and conflict, and indicate a few similarities and differences between my views on these subjects and the views of others. I shall organize my remarks around the following questions. (1) What are the defining characteristics of collective behavior? In addressing this question I shall simultaneously be talking about what I consider to be the scope of the field. (2) What are the central problems in this field? (3) What are the ways in which these problems can be most adequately handled? Here I shall outline the "value-added" approach to explaining collective outbursts and movements. (4) To conclude, I shall focus on social movements with political aims, and ask two questions: When is a movement likely to become revolutionary? When is a revolutionary movement likely to become violent? In discussing these final questions, I shall apply some of the variables of the value-added scheme, and introduce the subject of conflict explicitly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Self-Conceptions in a General Population.
- Author
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Mulford, Harold A. and Salisbury II, Winfield W.
- Subjects
- *
SELF-perception , *SELF , *SENSORY perception , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
One of the most promising efforts to operationalize the concept of the "self" has been that of the late Professor Manford H. Kuhn and his students. This approach has employed the "Twenty-Statements Test," or TST, an open-ended instrument which is designed to elicit the respondent's "spontaneous" self-definitions in their order of salience. Since its first publication in 1954, the TST has been used in a variety of studies? However, previous studies of the "self" have been conducted on restricted population samples, and little is known about the self-definitions held by a general population. The present paper describes the TST responses of a representative sample of the general adult population of Iowa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1964
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Comparative Analysis and Measurement of Organizational Goals: The Case of Correctional Institutions for Delinquents.
- Author
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Zald, Mayer N.
- Subjects
- *
ORGANIZATION , *ORGANIZATIONAL sociology , *CORPORATE culture , *ORGANIZATIONAL behavior , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIOLOGY - Abstract
ORGANIZaTiON goals and their consequences provide a major frame of reference for the systematic investigation of variation in the structure and operation of large-scale organizations. Sociologists have traditionally identified relatively specific goals as one of the distinctive aspects of large-scale organization. But they have not analyzed comparatively the effects of different goals on organizational behavior, nor have they confronted the problem of measuring goals when comparing organizations. In a study recently concluded, custodial and treatment goals of correctional institutions for delinquents were used as the major source for independent variables in the testing of hypothesized relationships about the social structure of these institutions.)Using data from this study, this paper has two purposes. First, we wish to illustrate a method for the measurement of goals when these are defined vaguely and in such a way as to protect the institution's public image. By using several methods of measuring goals we were able to achieve both a more precise definition of goals and one which showed how the goals of different levels and groups in the institution intermeshed. Second, we wish to present illustrative data demonstrating the effects of different goals on the internal structures of the organizations. Specifically, we will compare departmental structures, power balances, and staff perceptions of organizational norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1963
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND THE EVALUATION OF PRESIDENTIAL PRESTIGE: A STUDY OF AMERICAN HISTORIANS.
- Author
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Maranell, Gary M. and Dodder, Richard A.
- Subjects
- *
PRESTIGE , *SOCIAL psychology , *HISTORIANS , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *CONSERVATIVES - Abstract
This paper has summarized a study of presidential prestige and has, through the systematic comparison of historians of differing political per- suasions, examined patterns of relationship between prestige and two dimensions of perceived presidential attitude. These patterns indicate that presidential prestige or greatness is associated with different characteristics of perceived presidential attitude among liberal and conservative historians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1970
37. A NOTE ON WARREN'S ANALYSIS FROM WITHIN PARADIGM I.
- Author
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Macdonald, Robert J.
- Subjects
- *
POLITICAL planning , *SOCIAL psychology , *SOCIAL problems , *SENSORY perception , *BELIEF & doubt , *CONFLICT of laws - Abstract
The article presents notes on a research paper related to the analysis of public policy in the U.S. According to the author, this recent analysis is a most useful and needed clarification of a very emotion charged issue within the social sciences. In this study the researcher identifies a certain dialectical process which takes place between paradigms, as perceptions of social problems in terms of Paradigm II are translated into actions which fit the available technology of Paradigm I, and then lose their effectiveness by blaming the victim. The difficulty for the program planner or administrator is that there is no acceptable institutionalized thought structure, specifically, there is no belief-value system on which to base action within the second paradigm. Something more is involved than finding a satisfactory belief-value basis with which to induce a large qualitative change in social structure. The author remarks that within political science the challenge to empiricism for its own sake has been clearly made on the precise ground that much of its research outcomes are socially irrelevant.
- Published
- 1972
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