Thomas Theorem concept Description (Sociology)

Question

Thomas Theorem concept Description

Students will explore the Thomas Theorem in depth, researching it with outside sources, and then responding to the scenarios listed below in the “Instructions” section.

Objectives

Identify the characteristics of social structure and explore the relationship between social structure and individuality.

Discuss basic concepts relating to the social institutions of kinship, family, and marriage on both the local and global levels.

Instructions

This assignment will explore in-depth the Thomas Theorem. Research the Thomas Theorem, look at sources outside of the text book. Once you have a grasp on what the Theorem states answer the following scenarios:

Relate the Thomas Theorem to the concept of a teacher believing a student is more intelligent than they really are. How will this interaction be different from other students? Is this theory a beneficial theory or a detrimental theory… Why?
Explain how the theory is used in law enforcement; especially in regard to hostile subjects or subjects with mental disability. Is the theory beneficial or detrimental… why?

Answer

The Thomas Theorem Concept

The Thomas Theorem is based on the social construction of reality. It is founded on symbolic interactionism, whereby an individual defines his or her own reality and then lives within that definition. On this basis, human behavior is said to depend not on objective existence of a phenomenon but rather, on an individual’s subjective way of interpreting or defining it. Its argument is based on the view that if situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences (Merton, 1995). In simple terms, that the outcome of an event depends on how an individual perceives it, and not on the event itself (Ball, 1972). For example, if teachers believe a student to be more intelligent than he or she is, they likely to act on that belief by treating him or her more favorably than the rest of the students. Similarly, if police officers perceive offenders from a certain racial group to be more dangerous than offenders from other racial groups, they are likely to act on those beliefs by exhibiting implicit bias in their use of lethal force to tackle crime. In both examples, the social construction of reality is the basis on which decisions are made. The theory is beneficial in explaining the behavior of teachers and police officers without necessarily pointing fingers or vilifying them for demonstrating implicit bias.  

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            To begin with, it is imperative to use the Thomas Theorem to explain a situation where a teacher believes that a student is more intelligent than they really are. In such a situation, the teacher may treat him or her more favorably than the rest. In essence, the teacher will be acting upon his own beliefs. Such a belief may bring about two possible consequences. Firstly, other students may begin treating the targeted student the way one would treat an exemplarily intelligent colleague. The teacher may treat the students’ attitudes towards their “intelligent” colleague as new evidence to support his initial belief. Secondly, the student in question may study exceptionally hard and at the same time embrace the behavioral traits that society associates with intelligence. These efforts too, may play a major role in justifying the teacher’s initial belief.

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Evidently, the theorem can be beneficial in both outcomes, In the first one, school administrators may have to address a worrying situation whereby teachers decide adopt a favorable attitude towards those students they perceive to be more intelligent than the rest of the student population. To understand the rationale for this attitude, they would have to apply the Thomas Theorem concept. In the second outcome, the main benefit would arise through the teachers’ ability to understand the level of influence their beliefs have on student behavior. Moreover, it would enable them to understand how those beliefs greatly contribute to the justification of phenomena, leading to self-fulfilling prophesies (Smith, 1995). In the second outcome the theorem can be beneficial by enabling teachers to gather information on how their beliefs affect student behavior. They can even use this information to enhance student performance. For example, making students believe that they are intelligent than they really are greatly inspires them to study hard in efforts to live up to their teachers’ expectations. Such students would argue that it is a good thing that their teacher thinks they are intelligent, and therefore they must uphold that reputation by performing exemplarily well in their exams and behaving like intelligent people.

            Similarly, the Thomas Theorem is beneficial for law enforcement, especially in regard to their interactions with hostile subjects and subjects with mental stability. Police officers sometimes perceive hostile and mentally unstable subjects to be dangerous, thereby responding to them in a manner that promotes that preconception and vice versa. Policing oversight authorities and managers of correctional facilities may be interested in identifying the origin of the conflict cycle pitting law enforcement officers against hostile and mentally unstable offenders. One way to identify the problem is by applying the Thomas Theorem. On this basis, they would succeed in understanding the beliefs that drove both parties into promoting behavioral traits whose consequences justified the preconceptions. After identifying the problem, the next step would typically involve breaking the cycle of conflict. The cycle ends immediately one side ceases to perpetuate its part of the conflict. Alternatively, the side that wields the most power, in this case the law enforcement officers, have a responsibility to withdraw from the cycle. The officers are responsible for promoting law and order instead of conflict, and thus their withdrawal enhances their legitimacy as representatives of state power.

In conclusion, the Thomas theorem is beneficial for the interpretation of the beliefs and behavioral traits of teachers and law enforcement officers. It helps people identify problems and devise solutions. In this case, the underlying source of problems is the social construction of reality. The way in which people act on their beliefs significantly influences outcomes, some of which seem to justify those very beliefs. The theorem encourages people to differentiate between the objective existence of reality and their interpretation of it.

References

Ball, D. (1972). ‘The definition of situation’: Some theoretical and methodological consequences of taking W. I. Thomas seriously. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 2(1), 61–82.

Merton, R. (1995). The Thomas theorem and the Matthew effect. Social Forces, 74(2), 379-422.

Smith, R. (1995). Giving credit where credit is due: Dorothy Swaine Thomas and the “Thomas Theorem”. The American Sociologist, 26(4), 9-28.