Muzafer Sherif - Böcker

Reflecting the many contributions of Muzafer Sherif to social psychology during the past thirty years, this volume presents selections from among Sherif's most widely known essays and provides a systematic overview of his evolving interests, concepts, methods and research findings. Twenty-five essays are divided into five sections according to content; the theoretical and methodological problems at the heart of Sherif's work; the experimental model for interaction process and products; problems of self and reference groups; concepts, attitudes and ego-involvements; and contributions to problems of in-group and intergroup relations through experimental and field research. Though the selections range over a broad spectrum each is characterized by the precise and incisive work techniques Sherif devised as well as by its intrinsic relevance to significant issues. Sherif writes to clarify theory, to define conceptual tools, and to use tools and theory to demonstrate the substantive results of his researches. Each research finding is added to its predecessors as the author advances to his goal of a social psychology that is consistent as it moves from the most basic psychological processes to the complexities of individual involvement in collective activity

Interdisciplinary collaboration in the social sciences is obviously essential to scientifi c progress, but discontent and practical diffi culties hinder collaboration in research and training. Many of the problems arise from the failure in the separate disciplines to understand the basis on which collaboration is necessary and possible. In an eff ort to shed light on the situation, these original essays by eminent scholars-economists, geographers, psychologists, political scientists,sociologists, anthropologists, and others-demonstrate eff ective means of achieving interdisciplinary coordination in studying human behavior and delineating promising areas-for cooperative research. Th e book provides a sophisticated guide to the nature of knowledge in social science as applied to its core disciplines.

This book describes and analyzes, from an interdisciplinary point of view, those problems of youth that are currently objects of remedial action on both community and national levels. It explores the many causes of adolescent happiness and discontent, behavior and misbehavior, aspirations and aversions in the rapidly changing patterns of contemporary class, institutional, and cultural settings. It provides practical information for all professionals concerned with adolescent problems and affords small comfort to any who hopes for quick results.Problems of Youth first considers problems traditionally considered in youth research, discussing adolescent attitudes and goals within a broadly applicable theory of adolescent development. The second part concentrates on youth problems in terms of their dynamics in social and cultural settings undergoing change at different rates. The third part presents studies of youth in trouble, offering guidelines for new theoretical and empirical approaches and underscoring the need, to study individual youth problems within their socio-cultural and class frameworks. The final part attempts through research and measurement the major sources of influences affecting youth.Reflecting the position that there is a constant danger of viewing adolescence exclusively through the eyes of one's own specialty, the contributors to this volume take a cross-disciplinary approach to the subject, drawing on resources of other fields to expand the perspective of their particular area of specialization. In doing so, they offer all students of sociology, social psychology, and related disciplines a new, unified approach to the timely paradox of youth in transition with itself and with a world that is itself in transition.

The results of collaborative research on attitudes and attitude change in terms of basic findings and principles from laboratory studies of judgment in general and of assimilation-contrast effects in particular.

Originally issued in 1954 and updated in 1961 and 1987, this pioneering study of "small group" conflict and cooperation has long been out-of-print. It is now available, in cloth and paper, with a new introduction by Donald Campbell, and a new postscript by O.J. Harvey.In this famous experiment, one of the earliest in inter-group relationships, two dozen twelve-year-old boys in summer camp were formed into two groups, the Rattlers and the Eagles, and induced first to become militantly ethnocentric, then intensely cooperative. Friction and stereotyping were stimulated by a tug-of-war, by frustrations perceived to be caused by the "out" group, and by separation from the others. Harmony was stimulated by close contact between previously hostile groups and by the introduction of goals that neither group could meet alone. The experiment demonstrated that conflict and enmity between groups can be transformed into cooperation and vice versa and that circumstances, goals, and external manipulation can alter behavior.Some have seen the findings of the experiment as having implications for reduction of hostility among racial and ethnic groups and among nations, while recognizing the difficulty of control of larger groups.

Interdisciplinary collaboration in the social sciences is obviously essential to scientifi c progress, but discontent and practical diffi culties hinder collaboration in research and training. Many of the problems arise from the failure in the separate disciplines to understand the basis on which collaboration is necessary and possible. In an eff ort to shed light on the situation, these original essays by eminent scholars-economists, geographers, psychologists, political scientists,sociologists, anthropologists, and others-demonstrate eff ective means of achieving interdisciplinary coordination in studying human behavior and delineating promising areas-for cooperative research. Th e book provides a sophisticated guide to the nature of knowledge in social science as applied to its core disciplines.

This book describes and analyzes, from an interdisciplinary point of view, those problems of youth that are currently objects of remedial action on both community and national levels. It explores the many causes of adolescent happiness and discontent, behavior and misbehavior, aspirations and aversions in the rapidly changing patterns of contemporary class, institutional, and cultural settings. It provides practical information for all professionals concerned with adolescent problems and affords small comfort to any who hopes for quick results.Problems of Youth first considers problems traditionally considered in youth research, discussing adolescent attitudes and goals within a broadly applicable theory of adolescent development. The second part concentrates on youth problems in terms of their dynamics in social and cultural settings undergoing change at different rates. The third part presents studies of youth in trouble, offering guidelines for new theoretical and empirical approaches and underscoring the need, to study individual youth problems within their socio-cultural and class frameworks. The final part attempts through research and measurement the major sources of influences affecting youth.Reflecting the position that there is a constant danger of viewing adolescence exclusively through the eyes of one's own specialty, the contributors to this volume take a cross-disciplinary approach to the subject, drawing on resources of other fields to expand the perspective of their particular area of specialization. In doing so, they offer all students of sociology, social psychology, and related disciplines a new, unified approach to the timely paradox of youth in transition with itself and with a world that is itself in transition.

Originally published in 1966 the author challenges the accepted theories of group conflict of the time, such as frustration and maladjustment. For him conflict and its accompanying aggressiveness are features of interaction between groups and he supports this theory with a detailed experimental study of controlled groups.At the time of publication, Dr Otto Klineberg, Director of the International Centre for Intergroup Relations at the Sorbonne wrote: ‘Social scientists everywhere owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Sherif. The distinguished series of publications for which he and his co-workers are responsible have an honoured place in our libraries. In particular, his contributions to the field of intergroup relations are outstanding; his concept of "superordinate goals", based on a combination of theoretical insight and brilliant experimentation, has become a household word for those concerned with this significant problem. In his new volume, Group Conflict and Co-operation, he carries his analysis much further, not only describing the results of several original investigations, but also building a theoretical appraisal of an extensive research literature. The author has made still another significant contribution toward a better understanding of one of the most complex and disturbing phenomena of our time.’