Part A.
- What is the definition of Socialization and why is an understanding of socialization important in the examination of how social groups interact?
A. Socialization is referred to as the act of establishment through interaction on a socialist manner. Interacting with other people involves a simultaneous struggle to get the message across and at the same time, to understand what other individuals are saying (Ashforth and Mael, 1989). The importance of socialization in examining interaction between social groups provides us a clue of the common patterns in their social behavior, their differences and the conflicts that may arise due to those differences.
- What role or function do the social groups that an individual belongs to, play in terms of the development of the individual's sense of self and identity?
A. One’s sense of self and identity is apparent in all members of a particular social group. For example, a Catholic person may feel unease within a crowd of Muslim group. This is because; his common interest and beliefs are opposed to the group. Similarly, a social group represents each person’s common belief, idealism and principles, thus the sense of being in a group that shares similar interest makes them more open and creates a sense of community within themselves.
- What is the basis or foundation for social stratification or social class in the US? How is the process of social stratification different in the US compared to other cultures?
The foundation of social class in the US is based on division of labor, distribution of opportunities and rewards. People that belong in high-income jobs tend to afford a higher standard of living, thus placing them in a higher social class. Businessmen, tycoons and financially fortunate individuals are placed on the highest social because of their access to opportunities that includes power and influence. On the other hand, those that belong to the labor class with minimum income basis are often placed on the lower social bracket because of their limited capacity to access better opportunities (Baron, N.D.). Social stratification in the United States is different from other countries mainly due to types of prevailing government system. In Socialists countries such as North Korea, there is no division of classes and everyone regardless of rank and work opportunities are treated equal by the state. However, the United States adopted a social class system that divides the people according to their economic privileges.
Part B.
The Stanford Prison experiment can be concluded that the experiment was initiated to mimic prison situations and the psychological effects of such experience to the prisoners. As the experiment goes, the participants playing the role of the guards and prisoners were able to adapt easily to the situation. At a very short period, the prison guards began to harass the prisoners by dehumanizing them with insults and daunting tasks. As for the prisoners they took the experiment seriously and also acted like real prisoners. It is apparent that people are likely to conform easily to the social roles that they were asked to play. For instance, none of the participants playing the role of prison guards appeared to have any signs of sadistic behavior prior to the experiment. However, it was surprising even to them that they could easily switch behavior due to the task and authority endowed to them. Therefore, regardless of people’s common social behavior, everyone if susceptible to change given the nature of the social role they need to perform. Dr. Zimbardo’s controversial experiment can be applied to real life situations such those that belong in a powerful social circle. For instance, a person without a hint of bad behavior can easily adopt brutality once they associate themselves to sadistic groups.
References
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social Identity Theory and the Organization. ACAD Manage review, 14(1), 20-39. doi:10.5465/AMR.1989.4278999
Baron, J. (n.d.). Social stratification. Retrieved July 24, 2013, from http://ssr1.uchicago.edu/PRELIMS/Strat/stmisc1.html
Prisonexp.org (1999). The Stanford Prison Experiment: A Simulation Study of the Psychology of Imprisonment. Retrieved July 24, 2013, from http://www.prisonexp.org/psychology/35
