Formalism

Examples of Formalism in the following topics:

• Formal Structure

  • Formal structure of an organization or group includes a fixed set of rules for intra-organization procedures and structures.
  • In some societies and organizations, such rules may be strictly followed; in others, they may be little more than an empty formalism.
  • A formal organization has its own set of distinct characteristics.
  • Formal rules are often adapted to subjective interests giving the practical everyday life of an organization more informality.
  • A formal organization is a fixed set of rules of intra-organization procedures and structures.

• Formal Communications

  • The messages which circulate on regulated channels within an organization are referred to as formal communications.
  • The messages which circulate on the regulated channels within an organization make up formal communication.
  • Print forms of communication are widely used as a form of formal communication.
  • Regardless of the channel used, formal communications are transmitted by authorized senders over official channels and are received by individuals who need to react, or know the content of these messages.
  • Categorize formal communication into four distinct channels: electronic, print, face-to-face, and workspace

• Formal Means of Control

  • Formal means of social control are generally state-determined, through the creation of laws and their enforcement.
  • In democratic societies the goals and mechanisms of formal social control are determined through legislation by elected representatives.
  • The mechanisms utilized by the state as means of formal social control span the gamut from the death penalty to curfew laws.
  • Our understanding of formal control is enhanced by social theorist Max Weber's work on the state's use of violence.
  • Explain the relationship between formal means of social control and state authority

• Social Control

  • formal social control refers to components of society that are designed for the resocialization of individuals who break formal rules; examples would include prisons and mental health institutions
  • Some researchers have outlined some of the motivations underlying the formal social control system.
  • rehabilitation - some argue that formal social controls should work to rehabilitate criminals, eventually turning them into productive members of society
  • societal protection - finally, some argue that the motivation for formal social controls is nothing more than removing the deviant members of society from the non-deviant members

• Appropriate Tone

  • Most business correspondence is written in the formal tone.
  • Even then prudence must be taken, as an email to a supervisor requires a more formal tone than one to a coworker requesting a lunch date.
  • Most business correspondence is written in the formal tone .
  • It is important to avoid writing that is overly formal; don't use long phrases such as "in the event that" when a simple "If" will do.
  • Most business writing, with the exception of interoffice emails, is written with a formal tone.

• Sanctions

  • Sanctions can either be positive (rewards) or negative (punishment), and can arise from either formal or informal control .
  • As with formal controls, informal controls reward or punish acceptable or unacceptable behavior, otherwise known as deviance.
  • To maintain control and regulate their subjects, groups, organizations, and societies of various kinds can promulgate rules that act as formal sanctions to reward or punish behavior.
  • For example, in order to regulate behavior, government and organizations use law enforcement mechanisms and other formal sanctions such as fines and imprisonment .

• Norms

  • Explicit norms are often enforced by formal sanctions.
  • In this case, the formal sanction may be a fine or jail time.
  • Social norms can be enforced formally (e.g., through sanctions) or informally (e.g., through body language and non-verbal communication cues) .
  • One form of norm adoption is the formal method, where norms are written down and formally adopted (e.g., laws, legislation, club rules).
  • Norms may be enforced through informal sanctions, such as derision, or formal sanctions, such as arrest.

• Polite and plural forms of "you"

  • There is a formal and informal way of addressing people in German.  
  • As a rule of thumb, use the formal "Sie" when addressing someone with whom you would use a title and their last name.  
  • Sie: always the formal, with one or more than one person

• Formal Charge and Lewis Structure

  • To assist with this problem, chemists often calculate the formal charge of each atom.
  • The formal charge of an atom can be determined by the following formula:
  • The oxygen atom in carbon dioxide has a formal charge of 0.
  • Depending on the compound, the shifting of electrons may cause a change in formal charges.
  • Most often, Lewis structures are drawn so that the the formal charge of each atom is minimized.

• Logical Fallacies

  • A fallacy is an error in reasoning; there are two basic categories of fallacies--formal and informal.
  • There are two basic categories of fallacies--formal and informal.
  • Formal fallacies occur when there is a problem with the form, or structure, of the argument.
  • "Formal" refers to the form of the argument.
  • An argument that contains a formal fallacy will always be invalid.