General Sociology and Personality Development

General Sociology Notes

• Sociology is the scientific study of people in groups, examining the relationships between individuals and social structures.
• Social structures include families, communities, and social processes such as socialization.
• Sociological study uses various concepts, terms, and research techniques.
• Social psychology examines individuals within social and cultural contexts.
• Social research ethics (e.g., ASA codes) guide experiments involving human subjects, prioritizing honesty, confidentiality, and respect for dignity.

Theories of Personality Development

• Galen (2nd century): Developed four personality types (melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine).
• Hans Eysenck expanded on these types adding extroversion/introversion and stability/instability dimensions.
• Carl Jung's "Psychological Types" influenced the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
• The MBTI assesses introversion/extroversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.

Stages of Personality Development

• Jean Piaget's cognitive development stages describe changes in thinking and use of language:
  • Sensorimotor (birth-2): experience through the senses, develops object permanence.
  • Preoperational (2-7): symbolic thinking, egocentrism, language development.
  • Concrete operational (7-11): logical reasoning, cause-and-effect, understanding others' perspectives.
  • Formal operational (Adolescence): abstract thought, hypothetical situations, deductive reasoning.

Socialization

• Socialization is the lifelong process of learning and sharing norms, customs, and ideologies, crucial for participating in society.
• Socialization can lead to desirable (e.g., responsible behavior) or undesirable (e.g., criminal behavior) outcomes.
• Types of socialization include direct influences (family, schools) and indirect influences (media, peers).
• Primary socialization occurs in early childhood, while secondary socialization continues throughout life.
• Anticipatory socialization involves preparing for future roles (e.g., weddings, new job).
• Resocialization is adapting to new norms or roles, potentially changing existing behaviors.
• Agents of socialization are individuals, groups, or institutions that play crucial roles in the socialization process (e.g. family, peers, school, environment).

Collective Behavior and Crowds

• Collective behavior encompasses various ways people interact in crowds, social movements, or across societies.
• Collective behavior is a relatively spontaneous way of responding to situations.
• Crowds can be casual (unrelated people), conventional (shared intent), expressive (emotional excitement), or acting (impulsive aggression).
• Mobs are violent acting crowds, seeking a destructive goal.
• Riots are unorganized emotional crowds with destructive actions.
• Studying collective behavior is important for understanding how people respond to situations including emergencies.