GENDSO030
LESSON 1: SOCIETY AND BEHAVIOR
Throughout this course, we will be
discussing about the role of gender,
society, and its correlates on human
behavior.
Behavior is generally defined ways that
individuals interact
with their environment, and can be
observable or unobservable.
According to William Glasser, Behavior
has four components:
Thinking, Feeling, Action, and
Physiology. The interplay between
these components make up the total
human experience.
Society is defined as an aggregate of
people living together in a
more or less ordered community. It is
among the regulating agents of
behavior, providing information,
guidance, and in most cases, rewards
and sanctions to encourage or
discourage behaviors it considers
acceptable or unacceptable. Evaluation
of the acceptability of certain
behaviors are often based on existing
norms.
Behavior – our manner of thoughts,
feelings, and actions
Thoughts – the cognitive component of
human behavior
Feelings – the affective component of
human behavior
Actions – the observable component of
human behavior; heavily
influenced by thoughts, feelings, and
physiology.
Covert behavior – behavior that is
unobservable, or not directly
observable (thoughts and feelings)
Overt behavior – observable behavior
(actions)
Acceptable behavior – behavior either
praised or tolerated
Unacceptable behavior – behavior
either disliked, discouraged, or
punished
Personality – characteristic patterns of
behavior
Habit – any regularly repeated behavior
that requires little or no
thought and is learned rather than
innate.
Learning – any relatively change in
behavior as a result of experience
Experience – the conscious component
of human existence; results
from one’s interaction to the internal
and external environment
Reward – a type ofbehavior reinforcer
(something that
strengthens behavior):
a. that is either the addition of
something pleasant or pleasurable
(i.e., food, money, freebies, etc.); or
b. the removal of something unpleasant
or painful (i.e., choke or
training collar for dogs, tight harness for
horses, play restrictions
for children, etc.)
Punishment – a type of behavior
inhibitor (something that weakens
behavior) that is either:
a. the addition of something unpleasant
or painful (i.e., corporal
punishment, detention, etc.); or
b. the removal of something pleasant or
pleasurable (i.e., cancellation
of rights/freedom privileges, withdrawal
of positive regard,
sequestration of valuables like
cellphone, property, etc.)
Synthesis Folkways – describe socially acceptable
“What’s beautiful about a desert, is that behavior but do not have great moral
somewhere it significance; common customs of
has a well.” everyday life (social preferences); may
-The Little Prince also
refer to behaviors that are learned and
We may look like deserts on the outside shared by a social group.
but our journey towards growth Examples: Bowing or shaking hands as
and maturation may eventually reveal a form of formal greeting
the “water well” or “gold” that is Mores – describe socially acceptable
hidden inside us. The journey to self- behavior with great moral significance;
awareness can be scary at first, but violation of them endangers the
it has its rewards. The more we get to society’s stability (social requirements);
know our self, the more we have traditional customs and conventions
the opportunity to accept, forgive, and that are typical of a particular society
love ourselves more, and this in Examples: Sexual activity should be
turn develops our ability to consciously done in private, preferably after
shape our behavior towards what marriage
we wish to attain. Laws – norms that are formally
inscribed at the state or federal level
Society – an enduring social group and can
living in a particular place whose result to formal punishment for
members violations, such as fines, incarnation, or
are mutually interdependent and share even
political and other institutions, laws and death; they are formal social controls
mores, and a common culture. that outline rules, habits, and customs a
society uses to enforce conformity to its
Factors that Influence norms.
Cultural Norms Examples: Individuals convicted of
____ rape or murder goes to prison
1. Culture Taboos – bans and inhibitions resulting
2. Religion from social customs or religious practice
3. Traditions Examples: Incestuous relationships
4. Values such as marrying your cousin
5. Attitudes Culture – collective term to identify the
Norms – standard ideas, customs, and social
ways of behaving. behavior of a particular people or
____ society.
Religion – a system of belief and
Key Types of Norms: practice accepting a ‘binding’
1. Folkways relation to a divine being (in the case of
2. Mores monotheists), or divine
3. Laws beings (in the case of polytheists)
4. Taboos Traditions – ideas and beliefs that are
passed down from one
generation to the next generation
Values – a person or group’s judgement
about what’s important in life.
Attitudes – a set of belief, emotion, or
action towards a particular
object.
Synthesis
“Train up a child in the way he should
go; so when he is
old he will not depart from it.”
- Christian Community Bible
Since birth, we are taught about bad or
good, right or wrong by our primary
caregivers, often family members like
mom and dad. We learn various
manners and principles, and are often
expected to behave according to the
values our families consider significant.
As we mature and widen our social
sphere, we continue learning about
what people expect of us outside our
homes; and though to varying in
degree, live according to the moral
principles we were exposed early on.
Throughout life, our behaviors continue
to evaluated by the people around us,
either implicitly or explicitly. Some
behaviors are accepted,
while others are not. The level of
acceptance often depend on what is
agreed upon by the majority of persons
in our community. Oftentimes a set of
roles and expectations are laid before
us. These roles and expectations vary
from culture to culture. Depending on
various factors, we either meet these
expectations with difficulty or ease.
Nevertheless, awareness about them
help us navigate our social environment
more effectively
Synthesis
Because of existing social norms, some
behaviors are encouraged and others
are discouraged. According to the Law
of Effect of human behavior, behaviors
followed by positive experience or
consequences are strengthened, and
behaviors followed by negative
experience or consequences are
weakened. Norms often provide the
attitudes and/or consequences that
impact how one’s experience with the
world can be pleasant or unpleasant,
and this, in turn, influence whether or
not precedent behaviors are repeated,
inhibited, or extinguished. All behaviors
are driven by needs that the person
seeks to fulfill, and when a need is not
met, it results in pain or distress
(William Glasser, Fritz Perls). Social
norms often act on our need for
security and belongingness, among
others. When persons do not behave in
a socially accepted behavior, for
instance, they are often disliked or
shunned by members of the society,
often enough to cause significant
amount of distress. This loss of security
and belongingness is not limited to the
social and psychological sphere,
however. In some communities, losing
the favor of its members can also mean
the loss of certain economic privileges,
hence a threat to survival. Meanwhile,
persons who violated the society’s laws
may be imprisoned or fined for specific
violations, and in extreme cases, even
killed. Nevertheless, a person’s
conformity to society’s norms may vary,
in response to the society’s rigid or less
rigid nature of existing norms.