The Theory of Social Situations
The Theory of Social Situations

Author: Joseph Greenberg

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1990-10-26

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 9780521376891

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This book, first published in 1991, offers an integrative approach to the study of formal models in the social and behavioural sciences. The theory presented here unifies both the representation of the social environment and the equilibrium concept. The theory requires that all alternatives that are available to the players be specified in an explicit and detailed manner, and this specification is defined as a social 'situation'. A situation, therefore, not only consists of the alternatives currently available to the players, but also includes the set of opportunities that might be induced by the players from their current environment. The theory requires that all recommended alternatives be both internally and externally stable; the recommendation cannot be self-defeating and, at the same time, should account for alternatives that were not recommended. In addition to unifying the representation and the solution concept, the theory also extends the social environments accommodated by current game theory.

The Theory of Social Situations
The Theory of Social Situations

Author: Joseph Greenberg

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1990-10-26

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9780521376891

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book, first published in 1991, offers an integrative approach to the study of formal models in the social and behavioural sciences. The theory presented here unifies both the representation of the social environment and the equilibrium concept. The theory requires that all alternatives that are available to the players be specified in an explicit and detailed manner, and this specification is defined as a social 'situation'. A situation, therefore, not only consists of the alternatives currently available to the players, but also includes the set of opportunities that might be induced by the players from their current environment. The theory requires that all recommended alternatives be both internally and externally stable; the recommendation cannot be self-defeating and, at the same time, should account for alternatives that were not recommended. In addition to unifying the representation and the solution concept, the theory also extends the social environments accommodated by current game theory.

A Theory of Social Interaction
A Theory of Social Interaction

Author: Jonathan H. Turner

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9780804714631

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In developing the most comprehensive theory of social interaction among humans to date, the author has also constructed a general theory of micro dynamics for sociology and social psychology. He does so by reviewing existing theories of the past and present, synthesixing these concepts into abstract models and principles of social interaction. In contrast to Talcott Parsons and many others, the book argues that social interaction, rather than action and behaviour, is sociology's most basic unit of analysis. This unit is conceptualized as involving three processes: (1) motivational, or the process of mobilizating and energizing interactive behaviour, (2) interactional, or the process of mutual signaling and interpreting with symbols, and (3) structuring, or the process of repeating and organizing social interactions in time and place. For each of these three constituent processes, the relevant theories are analyzed and then synthesized into composite models and general laws.

Social Interaction Systems
Social Interaction Systems

Author: Robert Freed Bales

Publisher: Transaction Publishers

Published: 2001-03-01

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 1412834325

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Social Interaction Systems is the culmination of a half century of work in the field of social psychology by Robert Freed Bales, a pioneer at the Department of Social Relations at Harvard University. Led by Talcott Parsons, Gordon W. Allport, Henry A. Murray, and Clyde M. Kluckhohn, the Harvard Project was intended to establish an integrative framework for social psychology, one based on the interaction process, augmented by value content analysis. Bales sees this approach as a personal involvement that goes far beyond the classical experimental approach to the study of groups. Bales developed SYMLOG, which stands for systematic multiple level observation of groups. The SYMLOG Consulting Group approach was worldwide as well as interactive. It created a data bank that made possible a search for general laws of human interaction far beyond anything thus far known. In his daring search for universal features, Bales redefines the fundamental boundaries of the field, and in so doing establishes criteria for the behavior and values of leaders and followers. Bales offers a new "field theory," an appreciation of the multiple contexts in which people live. Bales does not aim to eradicate differences, but to understand them. In this sense, the values inherent in any interaction situation permit the psychologist to appreciate the sources of polarization as they actually exist: between conservative and liberal, individualistic and authoritarian, libertarian and communitarian. Bales repeatedly emphasizes that the mental processes of individuals and their social interactions take place in systematic contexts which can be measured. Hence they permit explanation and prediction of behavior in a more exact way than in past traditions. Bales has offered a pioneering work that has the potential to move us into a new theoretical epoch no less than a new century. His work holds out the promise of synthesis and support for psychologists, sociologists, and all who work with groups and organizations of all kinds.

On the Pragmatics of Social Interaction
On the Pragmatics of Social Interaction

Author: Jürgen Habermas

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2014-12-10

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 0745694438

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The core of this book is a set of five lectures delivered by Habermas at Princeton in 1971 under the title 'Reflections on the Linguistic Foundation of Sociology'. These lectures offer a preliminary view of what would become The Theory of Communicative Action, and they form an excellent introduction to Habermas's ideas about communication and society. They lay out the general parameters of Habermas's project in an accessible way, and situate his work in relation to other theories of society, particularly those of Edmund Husserl, Wilfrid Sellars, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Two additional essays elaborating the themes of the lectures are also included in this volume. 'Intentions, Conventions, and Linguistic Interactions' is an essay in the philosophy of action that focuses on the validity of social norms and examines the conceptual connections between rules, conventions, norm-governed action, and intentionality. 'Reflections on Communicative Pathology' addresses the question of deviant processes of socialization and contains an analysis of the formal conditions of systematically distorted communication. This book was designed as a companion to On the Pragmatics of Communication (1998), which took pieces from Habermas's later work to create a systematic introduction to his theory of formal pragmatics.

Problem Behavior Theory and the Social Context
Problem Behavior Theory and the Social Context

Author: Richard Jessor

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-06-19

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 3319578855

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This third and final volume of Richard Jessor’s collected works explores the central role of the social context in the formulation and application of Problem Behavior Theory. It discusses the effect of the social environment, especially the social context of disadvantage and limited opportunity, on adolescent behavior, health, and development. The book examines the application of the theory in social contexts as diverse as the inner cities of the United States; the slums of Nairobi, Kenya; and the urban settings of Beijing, China. It also provides insight into how adolescents and young adults manage to “succeed”, despite disadvantage, limited opportunity, and even dangers in their everyday life settings. It illuminates how these youth manage to stay on track in school, avoid unintended pregnancy and dropout, keep clear of the criminal justice system, and remain uninvolved in heavy drug use. In addition, the book discusses the conceptual and methodological issues entailed in engaging the social context, including the role of subjectivity and meaning in an objective behavioral science; the contribution of the perceived environment in determining behavior; the continuity that characterizes adolescent growth and development; the necessity for a social-psychological level of analysis that avoids reductionism; the importance of a framework that engages the larger social environment; and the advantage of adhering to systematic theory for the explanatory generality it yields. Topics featured in this volume include: Home-leaving and its occurrence among youth in impoverished circumstances. The continuity of adolescent developmental change. The impact of neighborhood disadvantage on successful adolescent development. Successful adolescence in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Explaining both behavior and development in the language of social psychology. Problem Behavior Theory and the Social Context is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, and related professionals as well as graduate students in sociology, social and developmental psychology, criminology/criminal justice, public health, and allied disciplines.

Rational Behavior and Bargaining Equilibrium in Games and Social Situations
Rational Behavior and Bargaining Equilibrium in Games and Social Situations

Author: John C. Harsanyi

Publisher: CUP Archive

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9780521311830

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This is a paperback edition of a major contribution to the field, first published in hard covers in 1977. The book outlines a general theory of rational behaviour consisting of individual decision theory, ethics, and game theory as its main branches. Decision theory deals with a rational pursuit of individual utility; ethics with a rational pursuit of the common interests of society; and game theory with an interaction of two or more rational individuals, each pursuing his own interests in a rational manner.

The Psychology of Social Situations
The Psychology of Social Situations

Author: Adrian Furnham

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 549

ISBN-13: 1483136310

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The Psychology of Social Situations: Selected Readings focuses on the situations in which social behavior occurs, taking into consideration the effects of these situations on different forms of social behavior. The selection first discusses the structure of social situations, including the structural elements of games and scenes of social interaction. Topics include paradigm for the analysis of the components and dimensions of scenes and the components, dimensions, and behavioral consequences of scenes. The publication also reviews studies on behavioral appropriateness and situational constraint as dimensions of social behavior; the use of free-response description approach for the analysis of person-situation interaction; and goal structure of situations. The book examines situational dimensions, perceived dimensions of interpersonal relations, and psychological effects of social environments. The text also ponders on the trait-situation controversy and the concept of interaction, person-situation interactions, and personality measurement. The selection is a dependable reference for psychologists and social scientists.

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Author: Erving Goffman

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2021-09-29

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0593468295

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A notable contribution to our understanding of ourselves. This book explores the realm of human behavior in social situations and the way that we appear to others. Dr. Goffman uses the metaphor of theatrical performance as a framework. Each person in everyday social intercourse presents himself and his activity to others, attempts to guide and cotnrol the impressions they form of him, and employs certain techniques in order to sustain his performance, just as an actor presents a character to an audience. The discussions of these social techniques offered here are based upon detailed research and observation of social customs in many regions.

Language and Social Situations
Language and Social Situations

Author: Joseph P. Forgas

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 1461250749

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Most of our interactions with others occur within the framework of recurring social situations, and the language choices we make are intimately tied to situational features. Although the interdependence between language and social situations has been well recognized at least since G. H. Mead developed his symbolic interactionist theory, psychologists have been reluctant to devote much interest to this domain until recently. Yet it is arguable that a detailed understanding of the subtle links between situational features and language use must lie at the heart of any genuinely social psychology. This volume contains original contributions from psychologists, linguists and philosophers from the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia who share an interest in the social-psychological aspects of language. Their work represents one of the first concentrated attempts to chart the possibilities of this exciting field. It is perhaps in order to say a few words about the origins of this book. The need for a volume integrating research on language and social situations first emerged during the 2nd International Conference of Language and Social Psychology at Bristol University in 1983, at which I was convening a symposium with a similar title at the request of the organizers, Peter Robinson and Howard Giles. When they first approached me with this idea in 1982, I gladly accepted, since my own research on cognitive representations of social episodes seemed eminently relevant to a symposium on language and social situations.