The FYRE program utilizes several theories from both the Sociology and Communications concentrations. The theories that I will highlight are Emile Durkheim's sociological theories of dynamic density and collective conscience and the Communication Theories of Communicating through informational technology and interpersonal communications. Dynamic density is the theory that a large number of people in a given society can cause transformation in that society. According to Dirkheim, large numbers of people are not enough to induce change. A second factor must be in place. That important second factor is that there must be an increase in the interaction that takes place among most of the people that live in that society. As a FYRE Paraprofessional I have been able to witness this theory in person. One of my responsibilities is to increase the amount of interaction among the freshman in my dorm. By doing this there is an increase in change from isolated living to group living which is beneficial to the University in the rate of returning students. Durkheim also argued that many members of a group, a tribe, or a society are more knowledgeable, more powerful, and more productive than an individual. This is called collective conscience. In my residential community I strive to involve as many students as possible in group activities such as study groups, intramural sports, and events.
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this collective conscience you mention is very interesting. it can apply to almost any business and especially those with an interdisciplinary approach. it sounds like you have to maintain a strong leadership role and keep very busy in order to gather all the freshmen to participate in groups, sports, and other events. are you finding it difficult to engage certain students to participate in these ASU activities? From your experience thus far, do you think that the majority of students will be returning to ASU next semester due to the interactions that you present? hopefully Durkheim's theories ring true in your applied study, but more importantly, i hope you're having a fun and rewarding experience.
ReplyDeleteWow! What an experience it must be to defuse the potential onset of mayhem that can break out in freshman dorms! I am glad to hear that you are able to apply the theory of collective conscience to our university's freshmen students. Not only will this make their college experience more enjoyable, it will actually help with student retention. It is theorized that when college students are involved in community building activities, retention rates increase. I actually did a study on student retention at the university level for my BIS 302 class, so this is a problem that I am very familiar with. With that said, what is the biggest problem that you have had to face thus far? Do you find it difficult to get the students involved? And finally, how would you apply this theory to the professional world?
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