2) Fred never felt the need of belonging to any group.

Nonetheless, as a PolyU freshman, he feels obliged to join

the orientation activities organized by his departmental society. Back at the activities, he did a lot of things that
he would otherwise choose not to do. He hates speaking up; but he yelled loudly on the podium slogans he
considered stupid. He enjoys eating alone; but he had lunch boxes and chatted with other students. He dresses to
outstand himself; but he put on impersonal “departmental tee-shirt”, which made him looked exactly like other
students. More importantly, Fred observed that lots of freshmen were willing to act the same way.

Question: From a sociological point of view, how would you explain Fred’s choice? Meantime, how would you
explain the choice of those freshmen who did not join any orientation activity?

Before Fred had started his university life, he felt no need to belong to any group may

be actually because the learning mode in secondary school is exam-oriented, having a good

academic result and enter the university may be the only goal for some students, including Fred.

It is totally fine or even better if Fred does not socialize and join the group. Nonetheless, after

being a freshman, Fred is somehow entering society. According to Durkheim, people in modern

and organized society need to work with each other in order to survive. Fred may gradually

realize the importance of belonging to a group for group assignments and university life. By

socialization, He may start to think his social position, and what the college students and society

want him to do other than do things base on his own perspective. Before participating in

orientation activities, Fred may search online about others' past experience of it. Due to a token

of entering the university and most of the people encourage freshmen to attend so as to find

group members and meet new friends, joining these become a social structure for Fred to feel

obliged to join these activities as a freshman.

In the activities, Fred has done many things that he did not want to do. It may be because

of the social structure. Fred is forced to follow the framework and rule such as shouting out the

slogan, having lunch together and wearing a special t-shirt. Moreover, since a majority of

freshmen are willing to act the same way, it becomes a social norm among them. Therefore,

Fred has no choice but to follow their actions. Otherwise, he may be labelled as ‘deviant

individual' and excluded by others. It is a type of informal social control.

 Some freshmen choose not to join any orientation activities as it means differently to

everyone, some may consider it is interesting whilst some may think it is meaningless. These

activities are objectively providing an opportunity for freshmen to socialize and experience

university life. But through looking at different news, comments and own consideration, they

interpret ‘orientation activities' subjectively. Therefore, some freshmen think it is not necessary

to join. Also, they may advocate individualism, they think everyone has the freedom to choose

what they want and need not to follow the society, it is just their own choice but not deviant

behaviour.