Peers hdfs 239

Three levels of peer analysis: best friends cliques crowds Homogeneity v. heterogeneity of peer culture (Coleman v. Brown) What is culture? What are crowds? Rigsby & McDill typology of crowds Why are crowds important? determine place within social structure of school function as reference groups Crowds as reference groups Reference groups are groups you look towards to judge yourself. They provide: Standards for behaviors and norms Judgement Mental construct that links external world with internal identity Crowds as caricatures, channels, & contexts caricatures: overstate positive characteristics of your own group and exaggerate negative characteristics of other groups channels: influence who you associate with mixing determined by proximity, permeability, and desirability contexts: different crowds encourage different types of normative interactions