Chapter 5 Symbolic interactionism Flashcards
Impression management
The verbal and nonverbal practices we employ in attempt to present an acceptable image of ourselves to others.
3 premises of Symbolic Interaction
- We act toward those things on the basis of meanings
Ex. Church we have the understanding we must be quiet. - Meanings arise out of social interaction with others
Ex. Library, after interaction with others like the librarian we understand to be quiet - Those meanings are altered through interpretative process and self reflection
Ex. We think about why we must be quiet and give it meaning personally.
Impression management and its connection to George Herbert Mead
Goffman’s impression management relates to Mead’s work of the “self”. Which consists of the “I” and “me” attitudes of others which we assume.
•The self becomes an object which is created, modified and sustained through our interaction with others.
•The self is split.
Ex. Interview. We split ourselves into Mead’s “I” and “me” managing our impression
William I. Thomas concept of “situation”
Is selected from preexisting definition.
Explain Mead’s “self” made of “I” and “me”
Me is the organized set of attitudes of others which one assumes.
• me= social self is the internalized attitudes of generalized others that takes conferred by others
•The self is objective and created, modified and sustained by interactions with others.
Ex. People view me as strong. Therefore, i must act strong when in the presence of others.
Front (Goffman)
The intentionality or unintentionally given performance by an individual toward others. What an individual shows to others
Ex. While in front of a potential partner. One does not curse and maintains oneself as clean and neat.
Backstage (Goffman)
The performance normally unobserved by and restricted from members of the audience.
Ex. After no longer being in the presence of a potential partner. We may be less neat and relaxed.
Character (Goffman)
The self understood as a product of interaction; a dramatic effect or image fabricated in concert with others during an encounter.
Ex. An employee dislikes another coworker. However, at work they must be mindful of each other.
Performer (Goffman)
The self understood as derived from an individual’s unique psychobiology. The core of an individual’s personality that lies behind and manages his performance.
Second shift (Ariel Hochschild)
Sociology of the male profession.
•Hochschild studied both male and female experiences through stories
-aim was to explore how people feel and not just how they think.
•sociology of emotions
Emotion work (Hochschild)
Efforts to alter or manage the intensity or type of feelings that one is experiencing
•arise when we “do emotions”, is voluntary.
Ex. After stressful work day, we attempt to be happy at a birthday party.
Emotion labor (Hochschild)
When one’s deep acting (self-induced effort to produce a real feeling) or emotion is sold for a wage
Ex. When I am feeling sick. I still go to work and put on a smile and pretend to be fine.
Self (Goffman)
A managed impression composed of the character and performer.
Ex. Person A is acting as Person C. It’s the same person acting.
Significant gestures (Blumer)
Words and actions whose meanings are shared by all of those involved in a social act.
Ex.
Meaning (Blumer)
A response to a gesture developed within the social act.
Interpretation (Blumer)
A behavioral thinking process that entails constructing the meaning of another’s action as well as one’s own.
Ex.
Emotion Labor (Hochschild)
When one’s deep acting (self-induced effort to produce a real feeling) or emotion work is sold for a wage.
Ex. You may not feel real friendly today. However, at work you must act friendly.
Commodification of feelings
selling our emotion work for a wage to serve a profit motive.
Ex. Disney asks that all employees smile at all times.
Mead’s work informs Blumer’s work on Symbolic Interactionism
Mead’s work on the “self”.
*Self actively creates conditions to which it responds.
Significant gestures
an internal dialogue of words and actions whose meanings are showed by all those involved in a social act.
Interpretation
constructing the meaning another’s actions as well as one’s own.
meaning (Goffman)
it is not inherent in the actions themselves.
scenes (Goffman)
situations in which actions take place
Ex. Restaurant at which two potential future partners are having dinner.
acts (Goffman)
role performances that unfold the scene
Ex. Eating and talking at the restaurant
audience (Goffman)
people who observe role performer’s behavior
Ex. Other people in the restaurant.
scripts (Goffman)
communication that is taking place between two actors
Ex. subject discussion during the date.
regions
Front and backstage of role performance
Ex. Front stage performance is that taking place in the restaurant itself. Backstage performance is that out of sight of the person we are with and others around. So like our home.
Two key models Hochschild’s work is derived from
Organismic Model.
*Taken from Charles Darwin, Freud, and James
*original works extend anxiety signal to all emotions.
*Hochschild the different ranges of emotions happy-sad, pride-shame help us fit our previous experiences expectations to our present situations.
Interactional Model.
*Taken from Dewey, Mead, C. Wright Mills, Blumer, Goffman
*For all, people are active agents, products, and reproduction of social life.
*Emotions are not biological or hereditary. They are varied, as intimately connected to our conscious perceptions and interpretations of situations we are involved in.
