Sociology: The Difference Between Social And Social Psychology

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Social psychology is a branch of psychology that is used in everyday life in order to have a better understanding of society around us. Gordon Allport defined social psychology as “the scientific study of the way in which the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other people.” This branch of psychology focuses on the non-psychopathological in order to have a better understanding of everyday people. The difference between social psychology and sociology deals with the levels of concern with social situations in a more objective sense. Social psychology is less concerned with those levels and is more concerned with how people’s levels of influence are affected by social …show more content…

One of the main examples of social control is personal hygiene. Although it is something that I would personally do regardless of what society tells me, the pressures of people having to be up to society’s standards happens on a daily basis. Women are always expected to be nicely put together with hair, makeup, clean clothes, smelling nice where men are not as expected to do the same. For example, in middle school a social control that was used was that girls were not allowed to wear tank tops in school. The width of the strap had to be 4 fingers across, where boys were able to wear whatever tank tops they’d like without getting in trouble. Because we were afraid of being in trouble by our principal or teachers, we followed the rules and didn’t question anything. Another form of social control that people experience is going to college right out of high school. Because of society’s views of higher education and when they should take place, people feel the need to go to college as soon as they graduate high school even though it has been said that taking a gap year to travel or do community service can increase chances of getting a better job. Again, due to society’s control over younger people, it is believed that higher education needs to happen as soon as

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