Description
You are to seek out an online group that represents a sociological group. This group may or may not be defined as deviant. Do not confuse a single website with an online group. An online group may have several web-based presences. Is there a group identity and group goals?
You will probably find several websites, Facebook, Twitter, bulletin boards, and such devoted to the specific purpose of this group. Your task is to outline the system and techniques of on-line social control of this group to ensure deviance does not happen within it.
Some examples of a group could include, but are not limited to:
• police or another legitimate enforcement group,
• professional groups such as Social Work, or Medicine,
• a deviant community such as the “BDSM” subculture, “Furries”, swingers or “Straight Edge”,
• extreme bodybuilding, extreme rock climbing or extreme something-or-other groups,
• professional dog/horse/cat/armadillo showing groups,
vintage car, tractor, Barbie doll club.
These groups should have bulletin boards, Facebook, Twitter and/or other communication venues to help understand the informal mechanisms of control.
If the group you are interested in does not have the above, move on to another group.
The above are just suggestions. Check with me if you have questions about the group.
Analyze this group for formal and informal social control mechanisms as a response to deviance.
Formal mechanisms include rules, regulations, laws, and ethical standards.
Informal mechanisms include norms, symbols, and cultural constraints such as language, clothing, and unwritten rules such as protecting each other from the outside community.
What happens to members of this group if the social control mechanisms fail and continued membership by a ‘deviant’ member is deemed detrimental to the group?
Which sociological theory may best explain the group dynamics?
Examples are good.