SOCIOGRAMS AND THEIR USE

Social interaction plays an important role in the development of personality of an individual. Children in school situations mostly interact in groups. The teacher parents, social workers, psychologists and other persons who are interest in the improvement of social relations must study the mechanism that operate in social interaction. To deal effectively with social groups one must study the dynamics of social behavior.

Sherif and Sherif in their book on Social Psychology defined a group as “A groups is a social unit consisting of a number of individuals who stand in role and status relationships to one another, stabilized in some relationships to one another, stabilized in some degree at the time and who possess a set of values of norms of their own regulating their behavior, at least in matters of consequence to the group.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASS AS A GROUP

A class in the school fulfills all the characteristics of a group. The class has the following essential properties which make it a group in the psychological sense:

1.            A common goal

2.            Organised structure

3.            Motivation

4.            Leadership

MEASUREMENT OF SOCIAL RELATIONS -

SOCIOMETRY

An Austrian psychologist by name, J.L. Moreno invented the technique of sociometry.

‘Sociomery is the study of those aspects of the socio-

emotional climate in the classroom having to do with feelings of attraction, rejection, and indifference which faced with situations calling for interaction within the classroom.

After a few weeks of commencement of school, teacher

has to conduct this test. It is not really a test like an intelligence test. It is to test the reactions of student among themselves. Within a few weeks each one would have known one another sufficiently to get close as friends or to maintain a distance. Teacher has to prepare open ended questionnaire. This could be administer quite informally in one of the class hours assuring students of utmost confidentiality of their responses. They should be urged to be frank and forthright.

Sometimes students may be asked to state the names of

three classmates for each question in order of preference. Students tend to be a little reserved in the beginning, particularly in giving their negative choices. Tact is needed on the part of teachers to establish rapport and trust that their responses would never be leaked out. The responses are recorded in a rectangular  card in which a student could write his name at the top, write down the question number and their choice of class – fellow so that it would be easily processed and tabulated.  On the basis of student reactions teacher could prepare a socio matrix.

Chooser   Choosen	A	B	C	D	E
A			1	-1
B				1	-1
C	1				-1
D	1				-1
E	1		-1
Total	3		+1 -1	-1 +1	-3

Each card could be checked and the choice entered in the matrix in the form of tallies so that in a class of 40 students there would be 40 squares horizontally and 40 vertically down, making a total of 1600 squares of which 40 squares would be eliminated by drawing a diagonal line from the top left to the bottom right square. Total for each student could be counted and entered. This would give a measure of acceptance or popularity for positive responses and rejection or unpopularity for negative responses. Some studies might fear that revelation of negative choice would invite trouble from bullies and embitter relationship. It teachers could ensure confidentiality of pupil responses and avert leakages of preferences, students could be persuaded to fill in both set of questions.

SOCIOGRAMS

The Martix could also be represented in the form of a diagram, called sociogram. To draw such a diagram, a few rules have to be followed. Eg. If ‘A’ likes ‘B’, it is represented  thus; A B. If ‘B’ in turns like ‘A’ is becomes a receiprocated choice AB If ‘A’ dislikes

‘B’ it is represented thus : A-------B.

If ‘A’ were to like ‘B’ and ‘B’ were to reject it is represented thus A^B. If neither a broken line nor a continuous line is drawn towards a student. It has to be understood that the student is ignored.

To draw in sociogam for a class consisting of 30 or 40 students four Concentric squares one with in others are draw and students are placed in various positions depending upon their scores obtained in the sociomatrix.

Thus a sociogram is a diagrammatic representation of

the mutual choice, rejection and indifference of the pupils in a class room torwards one another.

On the basis of relationship among, the students in class

may be classified in two 4 types

1.               Stars

2.               isolates

3.               chains

4.               mutual choice

1.     STARS.

Stars are those students in the class room whom large number of students are attracted or student like. Such students are known as stars of the class or popular students of the class

CHARACTERISTICS OF STARS.

1.                 They have attractive physique or good health

2.                 They are usually of above average intelligence

3.                 They have better or high achievement in the class

4.                 They have extrovert personality

5.                 They are of high self-esteem and high self concept or high level of aspiration.

6.                 They are talkative or take part in all type of conversation and have self confidence.

7.                 They are very co-operative and helpful to others.

The teacher can take help of popular students in organizing effective teaching. They are helpful for adjusting the isolates of the class. The classroom problem can be easily solved by teacher taking them into his confidence, but he should not give undue weightage to them. they may play a constructive role in classroom  teaching learning situation.

3.     ISOLATES

Isolates are those students of the class room whom no student of the class like or does not make friendship with them, such students are called insolates or rejected student of the class. They require help of the teacher.

ADJUSTMENT OF ISOLATES IN THE CLASS

1.                       The teacher should try to identify their problems by discussing with them. The physical, psychological and educational tests should be used for the diagnosis purposes.

2.                       The Isolates should be given the awareness of the

characteristics of stars.

3.                       The teacher should make moderate praise of the isolates whenever they succeed in some school work.

4.                       The teacher must find out those skills and hobbies in which isolates show promise and should try to develop them.

5.                       The teacher should discuss the problem of the isolates with

their parents.

6.                       They should be encouraged and teacher should deal with sympathetically by developing report with them.

3.     MUTUAL PAIRS OR FRIENDS

Mutual pairs are those students who have the mutual attraction of liking with each other. The students have their close friendship or mutual  attraction are known as mutual pairs of friends.

(5).     CHAINS OR STUDETNS RELATIONSHIP

There are chains of attractions among the students of a class. The mutual pairs have their liking with third  or fourth students.  The third and fourth have the attractions or liking with sixth or seventh student.  Thus their liking or attraction form chains of relationship among the classmates.

Another category of students are “rejectee”.  A rejectee is one who creates  niisance in class by frequent fighting and quarelling.  His classmates may avoid him out of fear.  He may be a fully.  One who receives maximum

Number of  negative scores is a rejective.  He is disliked by most of his classmates.

SOME GUIEDNPOSTS IN THE ADMINISTRAION OF SOCIOMETRY

1.                 Students in the class should be well acquainted with each other.

Sociometric test should not be administered in the first week.

At least six weeks interval should be allowed.

2.                 Positive teacher-pupil relationship chould exist

3.                 Student responses should be kept confidential.

4.                 Students should know that results will be used positively.

5.                 A relaxed, informal classroom atmosphere should prevail when it is administered.

6.                 No prior announcement is needed. It should not take more than fun to fifteen minutes.

7.                 Directions should be clear and simple

   We must remember that sociometry is concerned with feelings as opposed to Considered judjements. Spontaneity underlines Sociometric choice.

Feelings are not always based on reason.   Every member must be present on the day of the test.  It should not be administered shortly after a new student has joined the class.