Recognition in sociology is public acknowledgement of person's status or merits (achievements, virtues, service, etc).

When some person is recognized, he or she is accorded some special status, such as a name, title, or classification. Recognition can take many forms, such as mention in the mass media.

Contents 1 Historical examples 2 Acculturation 3 In employment 4 Recognition Resources 5 See also

[edit] Historical examples

The Qianlong Emperor of China used large circular logos the size of a dinner plate to distinguish members of his family from his Han subjects. Their symbol of privilege was a Mandarin square on their clothing.

[edit] Acculturation

It becomes easier for people to be accepted into some social process if they allow themselves to fit into a social identity, as a signal that they implicitly accept some social norm. Thus the use of uniform dress is a signal for both group inclusion and acceptance. Gangs use signals and dress for this purpose.

Dress codes and norms also occur for religious groups.

[edit] In employment

As a means to increase productivity, communication, and satisfaction in the workplace, recognition is a tool used by many successful organizations to address these challenges. Recognition can be used in multiple models, including manager-to-employee, employee-to-manager, and peer-to-peer. In terms of employment, individuals within an organization can acknowledge each other for great attitudes, individual efforts and team contributions that help build a great culture and positive work environment.

Recognition in the workplace can be a monetising activity, a complementary activity, or both. In terms of monetised activities, organizations will recognize employees with additional compensation (bonuses) or items that have a monetary value (tickets, trips, etc.). In terms of complementary activity, organizations will recognize employees through avenues such as broadcasting (notice to fellow employees) or public recognition with a “thank you”, “kudos”, or “congratulations”.

[edit] Recognition Resources

A set of tools was developed in 2008 to help individuals better understand their Recognition Style. These tools can be found at RecognizeAnother.com and provide a visual representations of a teams overall Recognition Nature, an indicator useful for leaders in determining healthy recognition team dynamics.

[edit] See also

• Respect
• Posthumous recognition
• Name recognition
• Donor recognition wall
• Roll call