Society & Community

These pages use the models and theories of the Integrated SocioPsychology approach and the behavioural sciences in general for analysing and understanding how we interact and function in societies and communities. They look at those social forces which influence our behaviour, taking into account cultural and cross-cultural factors. More immediately-topical observations can be found in the Blog.

There are both miscellaneous features and sections on topics which I believe to be particularly relevant to the functioning of a society…such as education and crime & deviance. Critically important is the section on MeshWORKS – the concept developed by Don Beck which facilitates both a longitudinal and a cross-sectional view of related issues for all relevant parties.

Those who support the Integrated approach and are interested in such matters are invited to submit pieces for publication here as ‘guest features’ or ‘guest reports’. Please get in touch with your ideas via the Contact page.

Underclass: the Excreta of Capitalism
Feature exploring the concept that the rise of the Underclass is the inevitable waste product of unfettered Capitalism

Islamification: Europe’s Challenge
Feature exploring what Islamification might mean for Europe and how the changes it will bring might best be handled

Social Change
Pages on social change exploring theories and concepts of social change via Functionalism, Conflict and 4Q/8L

MeshWORKS
MeshWORKS
An exploration of the potency of Don Beck’s concept as a superior change process

How to build a MeshWORK
A page exploring the MeshWORK concept and how to apply it

The 5Ps: SDi MeshWORKS: how Diverse Stakeholders transform Complex Challenges 16/07/18
Article by Fred Krawchuk, dealing with the development and management of the MeshWORK process, with application in Afghanistan

The Gernia Variation
Gernia Van Niekirk’s action-oriented development of 4Q/8L

Social Influence
Conformity & Obedience
Feature exploring these 2 related concepts and some of the key research on which they are based

The Prison Studies
Feature comparing and contrasting the Stanford and BBC prison studies

Milgram’s Obedience Experiments
Pages exploring and analysing Stanley Milgram’s notorious ‘Obedience Experiments’ and what they do and don’t tell us about human nature

Crime & Deviance
Crime and Deviance – the Difference
Feature exploring the nature of deviance and how deviance comes to be criminalised

Social Control
A shortish exploration of formal and informal methods of social control and who they are alleged to be controlling

Biological Factors in Crime
An exploration of biological characteristics which may make some people more vulnerable to committing crime

SocioPsychological Factors in Crime
A review of social psychological factors influencing deviance and people commuting crime

When BLUE fails, call for Clint!
A humorous animation of Clint Eastwood’s ‘Man With No Name’ gunslinger inspires a brief exploration of the issue of vigilantism, prisons and punishment in relation to society

Learning & Education
Behaviourism
An outline of the basic principles and history of Behaviourism (aka Learning Theory)

Classical Conditioning
The principles of Classicial Conditioning, and some of it applications, as developed from the work of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

Operant Conditioning
From the early work of Edward Thorndike to the Radical Behaviourism of B F Skinner

Social Learning Theory 01/12/20
The groundbreaking application of the ‘cognitive mediator’ to Behaviourism by Edward C Tolman and Albert Bandura

A Downward Spiral…
A world-renowned MeshWORKS/Gravesian analysis of bad behaviour in Britain’s classrooms and some potential strategies to deal with it

Good Boys gone bad…?
A manifesto on the causes of school-enthusiastic young boys turning delinquent, with ideas on what to do about it

Prejudice & Discrimination
Prejudice & Discrimination Theories
A consideration of such explanatory theories as Realistic Conflict Theory, Social Identity Theory and Theodore Adorno’s research into different types of prejudice and non-prejudice

Is Racism Natural…?
Article exploring the issue of racism – whether it is, in fact, natural to the human species and what that implies for successful race relations & Discrimination

Enoch Powell: Racist or Prescient?
Feature exploring the relevance of Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech to today’s UK and how the issues it raises are being dealt with (or not!)

Robber’s Cave
Muzafer Sherif’s groundbreaking study on the effect of competition on inter-group rivalry