Professional Associations

Developing your professional persona as a university adjunct faculty member will benefit greatly from belonging to a professional association. Listed below are some of the better-known professional associations related to the behavioral sciences. If you click on the slide it will show up big enough so that you can actually read it!

August 2013 Program Meetings

While September always starts off a new school year, August is always busy month for Faculty in the Behavioral Science program as they work to get ready for the upcoming Fall semester. This week they've been meeting upstate and downstate to discuss what's new, what's going on, the results of outcomes assessment data, and planning for new courses and assignments. 

We began with reviewing the Wilmington University Mission Statement, which can be found under the "About" tab in the yellow bar on the Wilmu homepage. Then go to "More" and voila! there is the Mission Statement. Faculty were asked, "How does this mission statement translate into what you do in the classroom?" As an open enrollment institution, we realize that we have our work cut out for us, and we also realize that it is our job to maintain academic quality and academic integrity. 

Besides the usual Wilmu updates, we also focused attention on how to better helps students be successful in doing those dreaded group projects. 

Faculty agreed that in almost every job, workers have to work in groups to accomplish tasks and achieve the organization's goals. 

In groups, the faculty  brainstormed ideas for how to make group projects more productive, and how to help students be more successful. 

Our goal is to develop a guide for faculty in how to manage and for students in how to be successful in group projects. So... STAY TUNED!

Understanding Sociological Perspectives

Understanding & Applying Sociological Perspectives

When we study society, it is important to explain the sociological perspective, or lens, through which society is viewed. Sociologists typically use one the 3 following sociological perspectives: (1) Conflict theory; (2) Functionalism; and (3) Symbolic interactionism.

Each of these perspectives provides a unique lens through which to view a social phenomenon. Helping students understand different lenses with which people see society is an important step in teaching sociology.

For example, suppose a sociologist wanted to explore social status and opportunity of young, unmarried mothers in the community. The conflict theorist might approach this topic from the point of oppression or scarcity of resources. He or she might argue that young, unmarried mothers are at the lower end of the social hierarchy in society and belong to the group of “have-nots.” Conflict theorists often rely on social views offered by Karl Marx, known as a conflict theorist.

A sociologist studying the social status of young, unmarried mothers from a functionalist perspective would employ the theories of Durkheim, and argue that there are many types of status, and whether or not a young, unmarried mother had social status would depend on her relationship with her community. Functionalists examine the inter-connectedness of society by focusing on how each part influences, and is influenced by, another. They view society as having many inter-connected parts that make up the whole of society. Because communities vary in types of resources offered, the sociologist using a functionalist perspective could examine the mechanical solidarity, which would provide social support, within the community. Functionalists would also examine the organic solidarity, or the extent to which a community provides resources and assistance. These resources might include various types of assistance for education and job training.

Sociologists studying the social status of young, unmarried mothers from a symbolic interactionist perspective might approach this by seeking to understand how young, unmarried mothers view their own social status. Drawing on the theories of George Herbert Mead, young, unmarried mothers might be asked to explain how they see their social status within their communities.

Each of these perspectives also offers a different level of analysis. Conflict and functionalist theory examine social phenomena from a macro level of analysis, whereas symbolic interactionism examines social phenomena from a micro level of analysis.

Here’s a quick summary of the 3 sociological perspectives and their levels of analysis:

Sociological Perspective	How it views society	Level of Analysis	Associated Theorist
Conflict theory	Haves and Have-nots Scarcity of resources Power struggles	Macro	Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Functionalist theory	Society is a complex system composed of many different parts that inter-act with the whole	Macro	Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Symbolic interactionism	Meanings are derived from social interaction	Micro	George Herbert Mead (1863-1931)

Understanding these sociological perspectives can be a fun assignment for students--- give them a current social problem and ask them to explain the social problem from one of these perspectives. This exercise will help them to see that everything is multi-dimensional and every problem has many parts and multiple perspectives. Understanding sociological perspectives provides clarity in seeing a social problem, and can also help students understand the social lens with which they see a social phenomenon.  

© August 2013 Johanna P. Bishop 

What Is Behavioral Science?

What Is Behavioral Science?

Behavioral Science is an inter-disciplinary field informed by concepts from anthropology, psychology, and sociology. This is what makes behavioral science so much fun!

The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Behavioral Science as “a branch of science (as psychology, sociology, or anthropology) that deals primarily with human action and often seeks to generalize about human behavior in society

— behavioral scientist noun"

First Known Use of BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 1951

(Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d., retrieved 08/16/2013 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral%20science)

Much of the interest in behavioral science came from experimental psychology. The early 1950's was the time when behaviorism in psychology experiments became popular. Experimental psychologists conducted animal experiments that focused on controlling behaviors with the reward and punishment methods. However, subsequent decades in studies of human behavior has contributed additional knowledge about how humans respond or react to stimuli or phenomena. This additional knowledge has focused on understanding how social forces influence human behavior, along with contributions from cognitive science which offers that human beings have a rational mind, and that language, thought, and emotions are intertwined with human action. 

As Behavioral Scientists study social phenomena, they are not bound by just one perspective alone-- they can view social problems through different lenses. For example, if working class women were studied from a psychological perspective, one could examine their self-esteem as it relates to the low-wage jobs they perform. Studying working class women from an anthropological perspective could focus on their work or peers and how they socialize and support themselves in work groups. Studying working class women from a sociological perspective could examine how social forces influence what low-wage work working class women perform, or how working class women survive. 

The focus of behavioral science is on studying and understanding human action. Understanding human behavior and what and how social forces shape human behavior in society helps behavioral scientists analyze and recommend strategies to build healthy, sustainable, resilient communities.

When you teach in the Behavioral Science Program, it is a good idea to discuss with students what behavioral science is, and how its orientation examines social action. 

Great Books To Read!

Nickel and Dimed is an "easy read," and provides insights into temporary labor and working class jobs performed predominantly by women. Using an ethnographic approach (as many journalists now do!), Ehrenreich explores the social impact of government policies and how the working poor exist as they struggle to find shelter and feed themselves, and often, family members. This book is bound to stir up some lively discussions in class!

Faculty Retreat

Even faculty have to get away from their offices and just spend some time in a new environment-- setting goals, discussing the past year's experiences, and exploring new ideas.

So this year we all met in historic Fort Miles, a World War II bunker now located in the Cape Henlopen Delaware State Park that is being restored as a living history museum. 

Besides our faculty meeting, we were given a history lesson and tour of this bunker. 

Learning is a lifetime pursuit and never stops... Did you know that a German submarine actually surrendered near the shores of this beach?

As we get further away from WWII, it's important to remember what was lost and gained in this world war. 

It's also important for teachers, instructors, professors, or educators (no matter what their titles) to pass on history to the younger generation because it informs our collective memory as a society.