Read the discussion prompt or question below, and Reply.
Stanford Prison Experiment Video links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760lwYmpXbc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LKzEqlPto
the link is also located under resources in Module 4. Now visit http://www.prisonexp.org/ and after clicking on the link to view a slide show providing information about the famous “Stanford County Prison Experiment” answer the following questions: 1. Chapter 5 reading assigned for this week talks about “in groups verses out groups.” Which group became the in group and which group became the out group, explain why? 2. There were a few powerful leaders within each group and surprisingly some of those members were not challenged. Who were these leaders and how did “group think” contribute to why other members of the group were unwilling to challenge group leaders? 3. How do you think you would have acted as a prisoner in this experiment? As a guard?
4. 4. Zimbardo was one of the first to try to mimic prison conditions in an academic experiment. He has since stated that current prisons have not improved, but gotten “more punititive and destructive.” Armed with this knowledge, have your opinions changed concerning the prison system? If so, how? If prisons aren’t rehabilitating, how can sociologists help change the system with their knowledge of roles and role theory?