Social Structure and Personality Theory, Essay Example

Background

According to the social structure theory, observation, modeling, and imitation are all ways to acquire new behaviors. A strong link occurs between environmental, cognitive, and behavioral variables in learning particular actions. As a result, individuals, their environment, and their behavior all work together to facilitate learning. Reinforcement was most likely the mechanism through which people learned. Behavior is strengthened through incentives and penalties which are examples of reinforcements. According to social cognitive theory, self-efficacy, self-observation, self-evaluation, and self-reaction are all part of personality structure. Social cognition theory describes self-efficacy as a conviction in one’s abilities to carry out certain activities. Self-efficacy may also be described as a feeling of self-assurance. Motivation may be defined as the conviction that one has a good chance of achieving a goal. Personal observation as a means of motivating oneself is another aspect of self-observation. It’s a valuable tool for tracking one’s progress toward a goal and spurring positive adjustments in one’s behavior. Closeness and regularity are among the most critical aspects of self-observation. While regularity suggests that conduct should be watched at all times, proximity means that the behavior should be noticed as it occurs.

Sociological investigations of the structure of society aim to provide light on issues such as social integration and the rise of inequality. Sociologists investigate these phenomena by examining social structures and groups. Since the social structure is too abstract to be regarded as behavioral science, it cannot be classified as one. Even though the phenomena investigated in social structure are the outcome of human responses to one another and their circumstances, it is a step back from considering real human behavior.

Research question

How does social structure and personality theory affect the values, health, sense of belonging and occupational attainment in society through family structure?

This study is aimed towards families in the United States that care about the importance of personal values. The theories of personality and social interaction are inextricably linked. Therefore, attracting individuals whose actions directly impact their family’s well-being is essential. Wingfield states that displacement led to an upsurge in crime and social unrest in several towns throughout the early 1900s, even those doing well (2010). There was more social strife because of the immigrants’ incapacity to adequately impose the ideals of their nation in their new households in America. Because the crime was an accepted part of life in the United States, the rule of law symbolized societal cohesion. This study’s external and internal validity will be impacted due to the presence of unique dangers. There must be a broad spectrum of participants to minimize biases, regardless of their qualifications. Testing’s reactionary effect might be a concern for the former. If the families participating in the study are aware that they are being monitored and investigated, they may exhibit odd behavior.

Methodology and Study Design

There are several ways of looking at the world from a sociological viewpoint. It is widely accepted among sociologists that social factors have a more significant impact on molding behavior than individual attributes. Another social phenomenon that significantly impacts people’s lives is social stratification. The theory of social stratification is rooted in Marxists and other thinkers who have studied the dynamics of social divisions (Stets, 2021). When a group’s access to vital social resources is ranked from poor to high, it is said to be in a state of social stratification. As a result of their position in society, people’s perspectives, attitudes, and actions are influenced. Social stratification has been a significant focus for sociologists in the last several decades.

As the research paper, a quasi-experimental technique will be used in the inquiry. With this method, the emphasis is on how the variables under study are linked to one another. A degree of control may be achieved using this method. However, the approach may have flaws, preventing the definitive demonstration of causation. Even while family life may play a role in social structure concerns, another unexplained component is blamed. Participants will be recruited within a 50-mile radius of the researcher to save travel time and expenses. There will be around 300 households representing various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

People from all walks of life are encouraged to join. To ensure that the needed number and diversity of participants are satisfied, the researcher will send out inquiries to around 500 households. This inquiry will employ stratified sampling. Based on various factors, the participants will be sorted into numerous groups. This categorization’s data will be used to see whether any features affect the effectiveness of family therapy in the treatment process. In addition, stratified sampling ensures that all families are represented in the research.

There should be at least one member in each of these groups. To obtain a clearer picture of the influence of societal forces and personal theories on the family, it’s best to look at a group of individuals rather than just one individual. We’ll also adopt a research design based on interactions between individuals. A single test condition will be used for all participants. In this situation, several families and individual interaction methods are being evaluated. There will be no other kind of therapy given to any participants. The independent variable will be adolescent interactions, observed, and studied in this study. This hints at a one-factor model being used in the research.

During the sourcing and sampling of participants, three ethical considerations will be considered:

1. Each participant will get a document detailing the study’s purpose, confidentiality restrictions, risks and benefits, and possibly withdrawing from the study.
2. Participants’ privacy would be protected. Personal information acquired during this study will not be released to the general public.
3. Participants’ sensitive personal information will not be shared as an additional safeguard.

Descriptive statistics will be used to evaluate the findings. The data will be broken down to highlight the overall trends of the target audience. A comprehensive picture of American households’ interactions will be painted thanks to the data gathered from these 300 households. Descriptive data will be analyzed to show how each family is indicative of millions of other families in the United States.

References

Stets, J. E. (2021). Micro, Meso, and Macro Processes in Identity Change: The 2020 Cooley-Mead Award Address. Social Psychology Quarterly, 84(4), 286-308. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F01902725211046563

Wingfield, A. H. (2010). Are some emotions marked” whites only”? Racialized feeling rules in professional workplaces. Social Problems, 57(2), 251-268. https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.2010.57.2.251