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 Social
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What
Is
Social
Psychology?


 


Social
 psychology,
 as
 the
 name
 suggests,
 is
 an
 area
 concerned
 with
 society
 and
 people.
 Social

psychologists
on
the
other
hand,
are
people
with
a
wide
range
of
interests.
However,
their
main
focus
is

on
people
and
their
reac5ons
in
social
situa5ons
such
as,
‘do
people
with
firm
handshakes
really
make

beEer
 first
 impressions
 on
 others?
 ,
 Is
 there
 an
 “an5‐fat”
 prejudice?
 ,
 how
 can
 we
 get
 others
 to
 say

“yes”
to
our
requests?
,
why
do
we
feel
jealous
about
others?
And
etc.



An
 important
 fact
 about
 social
 psychology
 is
 that
 it
 seeks
 to
 understand
 the
 individual
 and
 his/her

reac5ons
 in
 social
 situa5ons
 unlike,
 sociology
 which
 seeks
 to
 understand
 groups
 of
 people
 and
 their

reac5ons
in
society.
Its
scrupulous
nature
has
taken
social
psychology
from
being
a
theory
to
becoming

a
 science,
 today.
 Many
 people
 wonder
 how
 it
 became
 a
 science;
 the
 answer
 is
 quite
 basic.
 There
 are

certain
 values
 that
 should
 be
 adopted
 by
 all
 fields,
 for
 it
 to
 be
 called
 a
 science.
 Thereby,
 social

psychology
too
pertains
to
these
values,
namely;



1.
 Accuracy
–
collec5ng
data
and
evalua5ng
informa5on
as
carefully,
precisely
and
error‐freely
as

possible.



2.
 Objec5vity
–
when
obtaining
and
evalua5ng
such
data,
to
be
humane
and
unbiased
as
much
as

possible.


3.
 Skep5cism
‐
Accep5ng
the
findings
accurately,
only
to
the
extent
that
is
verified
and
confirmed

thoroughly.


4.
 Open
 mindedness
 –
 commitment
 to
 change
 one’s
 views,
 if
 exis5ng
 evidence
 show
 that
 these

views
are
inaccurate.



Moreover,
 social
 psychology
 demonstrates
 quali5es
 such
 as
 being
 factual,
 universal
 in
 nature,
 its

theories
being
verifiable,
the
ability
of
being
predictable,
and
its
cause‐effect
rela5onships
(determined

through
evolving
scien5fic
methods
being
used)
and
so
possesses
a
strong
framework
of
being
a
science.


Seeking
 social
 s5muli
 that
 trigger
 social
 behavior
 &
 thought,
 understanding
 individual
 reac5ons
 &

experiences,
and
the
impact
of
environment
on
individuals,
are
the
main
core
subject
maEer,
in
social

psychology.



Today,
 with
 the
 help
 of
 many
 researchers
 and
 their
 successful
 theories,
 social
 psychologists
 have

recognized
several
factors
influencing
peoples’
behavior
and
thoughts.
These
are;


1.
 Cogni5ve
 process
 –
 the
 reac5ons
 of
 individual
 that
 depend
 upon
 his/her
 knowledge,
 past

experience
and
current
circumstances.
For
example;
ability
to
recognize
if
a
friend
is
just
making

excuses
or
being
honest.


Copyrights
©
Writum.com
2009






2.
 Environmental
Variables
–
the
impact
of
the
physical
world
around
us.
It
is
studied
and
proved

that
 our
 surroundings
 do
 influence
 our
 feelings
 and
 thoughts
 as
 example;
 people
 tend
 to

become
more
aggressive
when
the
weather
is
too
hot
and
steamy.


3.
 Cultural
context
–
social
norms
and
trends
vary
from
culture
to
culture
and
from
5me
to
5me.

As
an
example
today
we
find
that
in
westernized
cultures,
females
are
concerned
about
having

thin
figures,
unlike
in
1960’s
when
most
of
them
preferred
having
round
and
curvy
figures.


4.
 Biological
 factors
 –
 through
 evolu5onary
 psychology
 it
 is
 suggested
 that
 over
 the
 years
 the

human
 race
 has
 been
 subjected
 to
 the
 process
 of
 biological
 evolu5on
 and
 as
 a
 result
 we
 now

possess
 some
 evolved
 psychological
 mechanisms
 which
 help
 us
 to
 beEer
 survive
 in
 the

environment.
And
as
a
result
of
this
evolu5on,
our
behavior
is
influenced.
Example;
at
present,

the
rate
of
procrea5on
in
humans
is
restricted
to
2‐3
children
per
family
but
50
years
ago,
it
was

somewhere
around
6‐10
per
family.


In
order
to
become
a
balanced
and
unbiased
field
of
study,
social
psychology
now
adopts
a
mul5cultural

perspec5ve.
 Thereby,
 it
 acknowledges
 influences
 of
 different
 values,
 cultures
 and
 ethics
 when

determining
an
individual’s
behavior.


In
 short,
 social
 psychology
 studies
 the
 rela5onship
 between
 social
 psychology
 and
 psychology,
 the

process
of
socializa5on
in
children
with
reference
to
culture,
environment
and
personality,
difference
of

individuals
 and
 groups,
 their
 ac5ons
 and
 reac5ons,
 thoughts
 and
 behaviors,
 feelings,
 tendencies
 and

opinions,
influence,
social
interac5ons,
social
pathology
and
poli5cs.


In
order
to
study
the
above
situa5ons,
social
psychologists
adopt
several
scien5fic
methods.



1.
 Observa5ons
accompanied
by
careful
and
accurate
measurements
according
to
set
standards.


2.
 Survey
method,
where
researchers
get
ideas
and
opinions
of
large
numbers
of
people
to
arrive

at
a
meaningful
hypothesis.


3.
 The
 search
 for
 rela5onships
 (correla5on)
 determines
 whether
 a
 change
 in
 one
 factor
 brings

about
a
change
in
the
other.


4.
 The
 experimental
 method,
 where
 one
 variable
 is
 systema5cally
 changed
 and
 the
 effect
 of
 this

change
on
the
other
variable
is
measured.


Apart
 from
 these
 main
 methods,
 they
 also
 adopt
 developmental
 method,
 interview
 method,
 clinical

methods,
scaling
method,
introspec5on
method
and
case
study
method.



Social
psychology
is
a
field
that
is
subjected
to
rapid
change
according
to
individual’s
interests,
lifestyles

and
 behavior
 changes.
 It
 is
 broad
 in
 scope
 thus,
 seeks
 to
 interpret
 many
 aspects
 of
 human
 behavior.

Although
 some
 tend
 to
 think
 social
 psychology
 is
 just
 common
 sense,
 it
 is
 not
 so
 because,
 common

sense
could
be
controversial.
As
an
example
we
take
a
look
at
the
statements
“out
of
sight,
out
of
mind”

as
opposed
to
“distance
makes
the
heart
grow
fonder”.
But
within
social
psychology,
we
can
find
hope

for
it
is
a
systema5c
study
which
abides
by
standard
strategies
and
condi5ons.


Copyrights
©
Writum.com
2009






Forms
of
Social
InteracBon




Social
 interac5on
 is
 a
 mental
 ac5vity
 that
 is
 performed
 by
 an
 individual
 in
 rela5on
 to
 the
 members
 in

society.
Without
social
contact
and
communica5on,
social
interac5on
cannot
take
place.


The
main
forms
of
social
interac5ons
include;


•


COMPETITION


Compe55on
is
an
unconscious
process
carried
out
by
individuals
to
sa5sfy
a
desired
need.
Infla5on
is
an

essen5al
part
of
compe55on
for
without
infla5on
there
will
be
no
compe55on.
The
objec5vity
behind

compe55on
 is
 not
 always
 clear
 cut;
 different
 individuals
 will
 have
 different
 objec5ves
 direc5ng
 them

towards
 the
 same
 goal.
 However
 this
 process
 is
 universal
 in
 nature
 and
 is
 a
 con5nuous
 process,
 i.e.

achievement
 of
 one
 goal
 does
 not
 stop
 the
 process
 of
 compe55on.
 When
 one
 goal
 is
 achieved
 the

individual
will
yield
to
achieve
another
goal.
As
stated
by
Bogardus,
“compe55on
is
a
contest
to
obtain

something
which
does
not
exist
in
a
quan5ty
sufficient
to
meet
the
demand”.


Compe55on
some5mes
results
in;


•



CONFLICT


Conflict
is
a
situa5on
arising
from
disagreement,
differences
or
controversy
leading
to
disintegra5on
or

separa5on.
During
conflict,
the
individual
aEen5on
will
be
on
the
other
individual
or
individuals
and
not

on
objects
or
aims.
Therefore,
conflict
is
a
conscious
cogni5ve
process
where
one
individual
realizes
the

opposing
nature
of
another
and
makes
an
aEempt
to
defeat
the
opponent.
It
is
also
a
personal
process

because
 the
 ul5mate
 aim
 would
 be
 to
 harm
 the
 opponent.
 Conflict
 is
 yet
 another
 universal
 process

though,
discon5nuous.
Conflict
may
occur
from
5me
to
5me,
not
necessarily
always.



In
order
to
overcome
conflict,
we
turn
to;



•



ACCOMMODATION


It
is
the
process
of
establishing
integra5ng
arrangements
between
conflicts,
ideas
or
condi5ons
of
two

or
more
par5es.
It
is
an
unconscious,
con5nuous
and
a
universal
process
where
love
and
hatred
try
to

co‐exist.
 Accommoda5on
 comes
 in
 many
 forms
 such
 as
 compromise
 where,
 two
 par5es
 reach
 a

par5cular
agreement
in
order
to
keep
away
from
conflict.
In
this
case,
both
par5es
will
be
equally
strong

therefore;
they
will
aEain
certain
powers
to
demand
par5cular
needs.
However
compromise
is
reached

through
 certain
 sacrifices
 and
 tolera5ons.
 Tolerance
 itself
 is
 another
 method
 of
 establishing

accommoda5on.
 In
 conversion,
 an
 individual
 who
 disapproves
 his
 own
 party’s
 view
 points,
 converts

himself
 according
 to
 the
 another
 party
 and
 thereby
 establishes
 accommoda5on.
 Reference
 is
 done

when
the
two
par5es
cannot
reach
an
agreement,
thereby
they
try
to
jus5fy
themselves
and
reach
the

desired
posi5ons.
In
this
procedure,
blaming
one
another,
each
other
or
rest
of
the
society
is
a
typical

feature.
Contribu5on
and
arbitra5on
is
when
a
third
party
involves
in
resolving
conflicts
between
certain

par5es.



Copyrights
©
Writum.com
2009






Whatever
 maybe
 the
 method
 they
 use,
 when
 people
 accommodate
 they
 acknowledge
 interests
 and

disinterests
of
others.
That
is
when
they
‘recognize’
other
people’s
interests
and
needs
and
through
this,

‘accordance’
is
born
which
is
also
known
as;



•



ASSIMILATION


Assimila5on
leads
to
social
integra5on
by
which
social
conflicts
are
minimized
and
dissa5sfac5on
among

groups
 of
 people
 in
 society
 is
 removed.
 Assimila5on
 is
 known
 as
 a
 social
 pressure
 that
 follows

accommoda5on
due
to
various
reasons,
its
main
course
being
the
ability
to
co‐exist
in
a
conflic5ng
or

controversial
 environment.
 This
 is
 achieved
 through
 adop5ng
 similar
 views,
 sen5ments,
 aktudes,

believes
etc.
It
is
further
classified
as
an
unconscious,
con5nuous
and
a
universal
process
where
people

with
conflic5ng
views
ul5mately
adopt,
common
aims
to
achieve
a
certain
goal.
It
is
further
known
to
be

an
 impersonal
 process
 guided
 by
 proper
 organiza5on
 of
 different
 elements
 within
 a
 culture.
 It
 is
 this

rela5onship
between
the
different
elements
that
gives
rise
to
assimila5on.


When
assimila5on
occurs
in
a
society
or
group
of
people,
there
will
be;


•


CO‐OPERATION


Co‐opera5on
is
where
two
or
more
people
con5nuously
work
to
achieve
a
common
goal
or
a
common

objec5ve.
It
is
a
vital
part
of
social
interac5ons.
It
is
impossible
to
survive
without
helping
or
receiving

help
 in
 this
 rapidly
 changing
 world.
 It
 is
 a
 common
 process
 in
 all
 cultures,
 hence
 universal
 and
 is
 a

conscious
 process
 where
 individuals
 ac5vely
 par5cipate.
 It
 is
 also
 personal
 where
 individuals
 keep
 in

contact
with
one
another.



Fashions,
Styles
&
Society




Fashion
 &
 Styles
 spreads
 through
 wide
 spheres;
 in
 forms
 of
 art,
 literature,
 music,
 drama
 and
 most

importantly
through
clothing,
jewelry
and
even
in
hairstyles.
Through
these
mediums
people
are
able
to

manifest
their
feelings,
ideas,
values
and
desires
to
the
society.



Psychologically
 speaking,
 fashion
 is
 a
 powerful
 way
 of
 sublima5on.
 It
 allows
 the
 individuals
 to

demonstrate
their
ideas
in
such
a
way
that
is
acceptable
in
society.



The
 society
 on
 the
 other
 hand
 tends
 to
 accept
 these
 ideas
 much
 beEer
 when
 it
 is
 delivered
 through

means
of
an
art
or
fashion
rather
than
by
somebody’s
idea
or
opinion.


Fashion
 has
 evolved
 in
 the
 past
 hundred
 years
 just
 as
 it
 has
 over
 5me.
 As
 our
 culture
 and
 aktudes

change,
 fashion
 comes
 along
 with
 it.
 The
 socioeconomic
 status
 of
 the
 society
 too,
 changes
 with
 the

phenomenon
of
 fashion
as
people
conform
to
increasingly
demanding
 wants
 and
 needs
of
trends
 and

fads,
so
spend
a
lot
of
5me
and
money
on
such
items.

This
means
extra
flow
of
money
and
expansion
of

the
market.


Copyrights
©
Writum.com
2009






Hence,
fashion
and
styles
become
a
key
point
in
the
field
of
marke5ng.
Specially,
those
adver5sements

aimed
at
children
almost
always
try
to
influence
them
to
adhere
to
these
trends.




Today,
 children
 love
 adop5ng
 trendy
 lifestyles
 just
 as
 much
 as
 adults
 do.
 We
 some5mes,
 call
 this

imita5on.
This
mode
of
conformity
to
a
style
or
a
fashion
may
raise
self
confidence
or
sense
of
belonging

in
 a
 person.
 Or
 else,
 it
 may
 make
 the
 individual
 feel
 happy
 and
 good
 about
 him/her.
 Either
 way,

conformity
leads
to
uniformity
in
a
society.


Uniformity
results
in
social
acceptance.
Again,
it
is
where
a
person’s
sense
of
belonging
is
strengthened.


For
example,
in
some
cultures,
those
who
wear
designer
clothes
are
considered
to
be
of
higher
social

caliber
or
rich.
So
a
person
who
wants
to
be
of
a
higher
social
caliber,
or
wan5ng
to
appear
rich,
has
only

to
 imitate
 the
 clothing
 worn
 by
 the
 actually
 rich
 to
 form
 posi5ve
 impressions
 on
 others.
 In
 here,
 the

individual
 would
 be
 categorized
 through
 the
 psychological
 phenomena
 of
 ‘generaliza5on’
 and
 by
 the

sociological
phenomena
of
‘social
acceptance’.


But
 the
 beauty
 of
 fashion
 lies
 where
 an
 individual
 experiences
 a
 paradoxical
 situa5on
 where,
 he/she

could
 confirm
 to
 groups/society
 and
 at
 the
 same
 5me,
 dis5nguishes
 his/her
 unique
 iden5ty.
 Thereby,

fashion
helps
people
to
become
unique
and
brings
out
their
iden5ty,
from
which
self
expression
is
given

an
opportunity.


A
good
example
for
this
is
the
fashion
trends
in
Japan.



Japanese
are
fashion‐conscious
people,
especially
teens
and
young
adults.
Comparable
to
that
of
many

Western
 countries,
 the
 Japanese
 market
 is
 constantly
 flooded
 with
 new
 styles,
 with
 those
 fashions

some5mes
 having
 a
 turn‐around
 of
 just
 a
 few
 days.
 In
 general,
 Japanese
 consumers
 are
 known
 to
 be

highly
group‐oriented
people
who
emphasize
a
need
for
assimila5on.



With
 clothing,
 many
 Japanese
 are
 very
 loyal
 to
 designer
 brand
 labels,
 but
 at
 the
 same
 5me
 are
 very

conscious
of
the
reputa5on
of
those
brands.
Some
choose
to
purchase
brands
due
to
the
high
quality

associated
with
the
designer
or
even
the
name
itself.


This
 desire
 for
 brand
 labels
 has
 been
 a
 long‐las5ng
 trend
 in
 Japan.
 Unlike
 many
 of
 their
 Western

counterparts,
 who
 choose
 to
 wear
 designer
 brands
 as
 a
 way
 to
 promote
 their
 unique
 iden5ty,
 some

Japanese
wear
brands
as
a
way
to
iden5fy
with
others,
helping
them
to
feel
secure
by
wearing
a
brand

that
is
accepted
by
others.


Times
 are
 changing,
 however,
 and
 more
 Japanese
 seek
 unique
 clothing
 to
 avoid
 looking
 like
 "cookie‐
cuEer
pieces."
There
is
a
high
demand
for
Western
goods
in
Japan,
so
it's
interes5ng
to
see
that
some

Japanese
are
star5ng
to
embrace
a
more
Western
version
of
individuality
and
iden5ty
via
fashion.


Extracted
from
www.colored‐stone.com


Fashion
also
could
be
used
to
conceal
defects,
both
physical
and
psychological.


For
instance,
a
lady
who
has
lost
her
hair
due
to
an
illness
could
wear
a
wig.
Or
else,
a
guy
who
lacks
self

confidence
may
wear
pres5gious
clothing
so
as
to
compensate
for
his
inferior
inner‐feelings.



Copyrights
©
Writum.com
2009






Some
people
focus
more
on
the
‘comfort’
aspect.
They
believe
it
is
important
to
be
comfortable
while

being
trendy
or
fashionable.
Due
to
this
reason
many
people
come
up
with
their
own
ways
of
dressing

and
styling.
When
these
clothes
become
accepted
by
others,
trends
begin.



However,
 fashion
 has
 also
 become
 a
 main
 factor
 leading
 to
 psychological
 problems
 such
 as
 anorexia

nervosa,
bulimia
nervosa
and
dysmorphia
where
the
individual’s
state
of
mind
about
his/her
appearance

(what
is
commonly
known
as
‘body
image’)
distorts
due
to
the
influence
of
fashion
and
styles.



Somehow,
fashion
has
also
been
able
to
maintain
social
conven5on
pertaining
to
different
cultures
and

socie5es.
Thereby,
it
maintains
social
standards
such
as
e5queEes
and
modes
of
behavior
of
individuals

in
society.


But
acquisi5on
of
trends
and
fads,
coming
from
the
western
part
of
the
world
has
a
large
influence
on

the
morality
of
certain
cultures,
as
in
the
case
in
China…


China's
 booming
 economy
 has
 given
 some
 Chinese
 the
 opportunity
 to
 buy
 trendy
 clothing
 or
 even

designer
 brand
 names.
 For
 some,
 having
 a
 disposable
 income
 is
 the
 actual
 reason
 why
 they
 purchase

these
items
‐‐
they
no
longer
just
have
to
purchase
the
bare
necessi5es.



As
 with
 most
 people
 who
 acquire
 more
 money
 than
 they
 are
 accustomed,
 saving
 is
 important,
 but

spending
it
on
something
new
is
exci5ng.
Some
Chinese
are
buying
expensive,
designer
brand
labels
in

order
to
"show
off"
their
newly‐found
wealth.
Many
prefer
brands
and
logos
that
are
prominent,
which

will
 be
 an
 indica5on
 of
 their
 financial
 status.
 Having
 a
 disposable
 income
 gives
 some
 the
 op5on
 of

choosing
clothing
made
overseas,
which
is
some5mes
considered
more
valuable
and
of
higher
quality.




 Extracted
from
www.colored‐stone.com


Fashion
becomes
a
u5lity
in
itself
since
it
adds
color
to
mundane
things
so
as
to
bring
about
a
variety
in

society.
 When
 variety
 and
 excitement
 are
 added
 into
 everyday
 life,
 people
 gain
 the
 drive
 and
 energy

needed
to
face
life
and
so
the
world
become
an
interes5ng
place
to
live
in.


Religion,
Law
&
Social
Control




Religion
is
closely
bound
with
humans
and
plays
a
vital
role
in
everyday
life
that
it
controls,
shapes
and

moulds
individuals’
lives
in
desired
socially
accepted
manners.
In
its
simplest
form
religion
can
be
seen

as
a
system
of
belief/believes
which
affect
values,
laws,
customs,
rites
and
general
behavior
paEerns
in

society.




Apparently,
the
primary
objec5ve
of
religion
is
to
educate
people
of
their
primal
origins,
the
nature
of

life,
the
func5ons
and
aims
and
how
to
live
a
good
life.
Through
this
process,
religion
also
contributes

towards
social
control
as
such
that;


Copyrights
©
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2009






• It
helps
individuals
to
dis5nguish
between
the
good
and
the
evil
by
producing
life
examples

of
religious
leaders,
prophets
etc.



• Religion
 states
 what
 is
 expected
 out
 of
 an
 individual
 and
 consequences
 of
 not
 abiding
 to

rules
and
regula5ons
of
religion.
Thereby,
it
encourages
people
to
lead
life
by
example
and

directs
individuals
to
enforce
good
quali5es
within
themselves
as
well
as
in
others.



• The
 idea
 of
 God,
 as
 a
 powerful
 figure
 with
 spiritual/supernatural
 powers,
 preaching’s
 and

prayers
 all
 contribute
 towards
 cul5va5ng
 ‘faith’
 within
 individuals
 so
 that,
 they
 learn
 to

accept
religious
teachings
without
ques5oning,
since
they
are
aware
of
the
fact
that
God
is
a

higher
and
a
much
more
powerful
being
than
him/her
self.




• Accep5ng
religious
teachings
and
molding
one’s
life
accordingly,
leads
to
a
well
disciplined

personality.



• Since
 all
 religious
 teachings
 enforce
 and
 encourage
 good
 values,
 good
 thoughts
 and
 good

behaviors
of
life,
it
paves
the
path
to
refrain
from
the
bad
or
evil.
This
also
means,
gaining

ability
to
make
right
decisions.



• When
a
person
is
well
disciplined
and
is
distant
from
evil
he
gains
self
control.
Self
control
or

self
 confidence
 is
 a
 vital
 human
 quality
 that
 eventually
 leads
 to
 self
 actualiza5on.
 A
 self

actualized
 person
 is
 a
 socially
 accepted
 ci5zen
 who
 is
 well
 balanced,
 mature
 (understands

life),
open‐minded
and
is
able
to
achieve
happiness
in
life.
He
is
also
an
extrovert.



• When
 people
 become
 extroverts,
 social
 conflict
 can
 be
 avoided
 due
 to
 one
 another’s

understanding
 and
 acceptance.
 When
 social
 conflict
 is
 avoided,
 social
 harmony
 is
 built

which
is
the
essence
of
peaceful
life.



• Living
in
harmony
would
also
mean
that,
in
such
society,
people
will
be
treated
fairly.




• When
everybody
is
treated
fairly,
disparity
diminishes
and
collec5vely
it
contributes
towards

the
morality
of
society
which
will
eventually
lead
to
a
peaceful
living.



• Religion
 is
 also
 a
 powerful
 educator,
 through
 which
 individuals
 gain
 insight
 and
 hence

become
able
persons
to
face
ups
and
downs
in
reali5es
of
life.



• It
also
contributes
towards
economy
through
guiding
people
on
how
to
spend
their
wealth

efficiently.


Copyrights
©
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2009






But
in
today’s
world,
religious
sanc5ons
and
regula5ons
are
not
stringent
enough
to
control
society
for

introduc5on
of
technologies
and
upcoming
of
a
scien5fic
era,
has
also
brought
about
a
baEle
between

‘evidence’
 and
 ‘faith’.
 And
 this
 is
 where
 law
 comes
 into
 play.
 
 Law
 can
 be
 termed
 as
 the
 collec5on
 of

rules
imposed
by
authority
and
is
considered
to
be
a
part
of
the
poli5cal
system.



Moreover,
 it
 can
 be
 defined
 as
 follows;
 Law
 in
 poli5cs
 and
 jurisprudence
 is
 a
 set
 of
 rules
 or
 norms
 of

conduct
 which
 mandate
 proscribe
 or
 permit
 specified
 rela5onships
 among
 people
 and
 organiza5ons,

provide
 methods
 for
 ensuring
 the
 impar5al
 
 
 treatment
 of
 such
 people,
 and
 provide
 punishments
 for

those
who
do
not
follow
the
established
rules
of
conduct.



“Civiliza5on
 presupposes
 respect
 for
 the
 law";
 however,
 the
 greatest
 problem
 for
 jurisprudence
 is
 to

allow
freedom
while
enforcing
order.



Laws
and
customs
go
hand
in
hand
in
society
for;
they
both
imply
certain
code
of
conduct
or
behavior

expected
from
an
individual.
Through
regula5ng
such
behavioral
paEerns
and
sekng
up
expecta5ons,
it

contributes
towards
uniformity
and
integrity
of
a
society.


The
 crucial
 feature
 in
 law
 is
 punishment…
 which
 is
 an
 example
 of
 nega5ve
 reinforcement
 applied
 to

society.
 I.
 e
 when
 criminals
 are
 punished
 by
 law,
 it
 acts
 as
 a
 discouragement
 to
 others
 to
 involve
 in

similar
acts.



Other
 penal5es
 like
 raising
 5ckets,
 monetary
 charges,
 
 sanc5ons
 and
 other
 restric5ons
 held
 upon
 a

person,
due
to
a
breach
of
law,
does
not
only
condi5ons
the
individual
to
refrain
from
them,
but
also

encourages
or
reinforces
others
to
abide
by
the
law.


In
conclusion,
religion
and
law
both
play
vital
roles
in
social
control.
However,
the
main
difference
is
that

while,
religion
speaks
to
our
hearts,
while,
law
speaks
to
our
minds,
as
such
that
religion
stands
more
in

an
emo5onal
and
a
spiritual
grounding
while
law
is
of
a
more
logical
base.


S5ll,
 more
 importantly
 is
 the
 fact
 that
 religion
 and
 law
 being
 a
 person’s
 Super
 ego
 in
 direc5ng
 the

individual
in
a
moral
path
and
making
him
a
good
ci5zen.


Copyrights
©
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2009






Social
SeHng:
Causes,
Control
&
PrevenBon
of
Crime





 Let
us
first,
consider
a
sequence
of
events:


Social
Class


(Age
&
Sex,
Occupa5on,
Pres5ge,
Family,
Associa5on
groups)


Social
Tensions


(Social
class,
religion,
language,
economy,
poli5cs,
different
values
and
goals)


Social
Disorganiza5on


(Social
change,
Social
structure,
Values
and
Aktudes
change)


Discontent
&
Frustra5on


Crime
&
War


Social
class
is
determined
through
age
&
sex,
occupa5on,
pres5ge,
family
and
associa5on
groups.
When

the
 family
 has
 a
 good
 a
 reputa5on
 or
 is
 of
 a
 pres5gious
 background,
 children
 born
 to
 that
 family
 are

treated
as
people
of
higher
class.



Copyrights
©
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2009






Also,
the
economic
status
of
a
person
together
with
his
occupa5on
becomes
a
maEer
in
concern
when

considering
the
social
class.


Age
and
sex
of
course,
is
a
main
categorizer
depending
from
cultures
to
cultures.
i.
e
in
some
Asian
and

Arabic
cultures,
opinions
of
young
people
and
females
are
not
considered
vital.



When
 it
 comes
 to
 associa5on
 groups,
 for
 example,
 if
 Mr.
 X
 hangs
 out
 with
 powerful
 people
 such
 as

ministers
or
members
of
a
parliament,
people
tend
to
believe
that
Mr.
X
himself
is
a
powerful
person.



The
 end
 result
 of
 all
 this
 is
 categorizing
 which
 leads
 to
 people
 being
 treated
 differently.
 When
 people

are
treated
differently
to
one
another,
social
tensions
build
up.


Social
 tensions
 occur
 due
 to
 many
 reasons;
 ‘social
 class’
 is
 a
 main
 one
 of
 them.
 However,
 other
 main

reasons
 are
 religions
 for
 which,
 people
 hold
 different
 value
 systems
 and
 believes.
 When
 teachings
 or

ideas
 of
 two
 religions
 clashes,
 it
 affects
 people
 personally
 because
 religion
 is
 a
 faith
 and
 is
 a
 sacred

teaching/order.



When
 language
 is
 considered,
 it
 affects
 society
 as
 such
 that,
 when
 people
 speak
 different
 languages,

proper
communica5on
breaks
down
and
leads
to
misunderstandings,
from
which
tension
is
built
again.



Economy
as
always
builds
up
tensions
between
people
of
varying
degree,
as
they
fail
to
understand
each

other’s
inten5ons,
wants
and
needs.



Poli5cs
on
the
other
hand,
is
a
very
controversial
subject.
Social
tensions
build
up
within
a
community
or

a
society,
due
to
different
opinions
people
hold.


All
these
tensions
eventually
build
up
social
disorganiza5on
which
is
the
opposite
of
social
organiza5on

and
which
is
also
a
natural
process
in
a
func5oning
society.
But
the
setbacks
in
social
disorganiza5on
are

that
 it
 operates
 in
 such
 a
 way
 that
 people
 do
 not
 realize
 its
 existence.
 i.e.
 it
 is
 unconscious
 and
 is

unexpected.



On
the
contrary,
social
disorganiza5on
is
never
absolute
or
complete
for
at
any
given
5me
or
situa5on,

there
would
s5ll
remain
things
which
are
organized
in
a
society.



However,
through
social
disorganiza5on
func5ons,
values
and
ideas
of
social
groups
are
transferred
or
is

exchanged
 within
 other
 groups.
 This
 brings
 about
 social
 change.
 Eventually
 values
 and
 aktudes
 of

people
 change.
 This
 also
 means
 that
 moral
 values
 are
 violated.
 E.g.
 an
 individual
 who
 has
 never

breached
law
and
has
always
been
a
loyal
ci5zen
might
change
his
values.
Therefore,
we
conclude
that

social
disorganiza5on
also
results
in
laws
losing
its
influence
on
people.


Finally,
disorganiza5on
leads
to
changes
in
social
structure,
values,
social
aktudes
and
results
in
social

crisis.
When
a
society
is
undergoes
a
crisis,
it
means
that
the
incidence
of
thet,
crime
and
war
increases.


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2009






While
all
these
things
happen
in
a
social
point
of
view,
individuals’
gets
affect
as
such
that.
They
become

unhappy
about
how
the
system
func5ons
hence
end
up
being
frustrated.
This
again
leads
to
an5‐social

behaviors
and
breaches
of
law.


Hence
 we
 can
 conclude
 that,
 imbalance
 of
 above
 men5oned
 physical,
 environmental,
 psychological,

educa5onal,
and
cultural
factors
all
contribute
towards
commikng
crimes.



Control
&
PrevenBon

In
order
to
control
social
tensions,
firstly,
the
educa5on
system
needs
to
be
revised
in
such
a
way
that

the
 government
 could
 make
 sure
 each
 and
 every
 individual
 of
 the
 society
 becomes
 literate
 and

competent
people.
The
educa5on
system
should
also
become
responsible
for
personality
growth
as
well

as
 for
 a
 person’s
 knowledge.
 It
 should
 be
 designed
 in
 such
 a
 way
 that
 people
 become
 patrio5c
 and

understand
the
importance
of
peace
and
harmony.
Moreover,
social
and
cultural
values
and
morals
are

best
 introduced
 to
 people
 while
 they
 are
 children.
 So
 that,
 the
 individuals
 grows
 up
 with
 posi5ve

feelings.


Crea5ng
public
opinions
which
are
healthy
for
society
is
another
means
by
which
group
tension
can
be

reduced.
Again
this
has
to
be
implemented
mainly,
through
the
educa5on
system.



People
 should
 be
 given
 equal
 opportuni5es,
 in
 order
 to
 reduce
 all
 tensions.
 It
 is
 vital
 to
 eliminate
 the

economic
disparity
up
to
a
maximum
level,
before
society
could
be
balanced.
Giving
equal
opportuni5es

also
links
to
the
need
of
law
reforma5on.



Social
 disorganiza5on
 on
 the
 other
 hand,
 can
 be
 controlled
 if
 processes
 of
 a
 func5on
 are
 defined
 in
 a

clear
 cut
 manner.
 For
 example,
 we
 know
 that
 in
 today’s
 world
 we
 categorize
 ourselves
 economically

based
upon
various
situa5ons.
This
has
resulted
in
a
large
amount
of
categories
of
rich,
poor,
middle‐
class,
 well
 off
 etc.
 but
 we
 are
 able
 to
 set
 standards
 and
 define
 things
 more
 accurately,
 confusion
 and

disorganiza5on
can
be
avoided.


A
very
important
aspect
of
reducing
disorganiza5on
would
be
to
reinforce
different
aktudes
and
values

while,
making
the
public
aware
of
the
reasons
for
doing
so.


If
social
tensions
and
disorganiza5ons
can
be
removed
crimes
can
be
prevented
for,
at
the
end
of
the

day,
it
is
the
acts
we
perform
that
affects
the
society
and
our
wellbeing
as
well
as
that
of
others.
So
if
we

can
discipline
ourselves
and
act
in
accordance
with
law
and
morals
of
society,
there
should
not
be
any

problems
within
a
community
or
in
the
society.



In
 conclusion,
 I
 believe
 that
 it
 is
 necessary
 for
 people
 to
 cul5vate
 open‐mindedness,
 be
 flexible,

confident
and
strong.
For
what
counts
at
the
end
is
whether
or
not
we
do
the
right
things
or
make
the

right
decisions,
in
other
words….The
Power
of
the
Mind!!!


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2009