final- microsociology

Question 1

Who was George Herbert Mead and what were his thoughts on behaviorism?

Answer 1

• originator of microsociology
• philosopher and phycologist (early neuroscience)
• thought philosophy was too abstract and both fields focused too much on individuals
• criticized behaviorism which argued that humans seek pleasure and avoid pain, but pain is actually often sought out

Question 2

Who was Erving Goffman?

Answer 2

• sociologist
• believed that individuals constantly manipulate their behavior and appearance to create impressions on others
• introduced concept of dramaturgy

Question 3

What is behaviorism? What is its relation to microsociology?

Answer 3

• behaviorism is humans are distinguished by animals by their ability to imagine themselves in the place of the other. Language, gesture, communication, and role-taking are central to the symbolic interaction by which the self is constructed, and which forms the basis of social life.

Question 4

What is face-work?

Answer 4

• face is the positive social value a person effectively claims for themself and presents to others

Question 5

What are face-work processes?

Answer 5

• they are strategies for establishing/maintaining your face when you’re out of face
• these include poise, avoidance and corrective processes
• if these work, then the person saves face and re-establishes the ritual interaction

Question 6

Problems with your line

Answer 6

• out of face: you’re caught with no line. you missed the social interaction
• wrong face: your line isn’t accepted. you’re called out, but you can still defend yourself and recover.
• shamefaced: your line isn’t accepted. you’re called out, you admit guilt. your presentation of self is damaged but you can still recover.
• lose face: called out and neither you nor the social interaction ritual recovers

Question 7

What is the Dramaturgical Approach?

Answer 7

• a social theory that treats all social interactions as “performances” as if on stage

Question 8

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 8

• out interactions with one another serve as symbolic representations of norms, values, and beliefs of a culture
• we use symbols (like costumes and other props) in these interactions, but the interaction is also symbolic of the social structure and culture
• we tend to act according to the expectations set by our interactants, the stage of action, and the “props” or symbols of action around us

Question 9

What is the front stage? The back?

Answer 9

• the front stage requires harmony of settings, characters, props, and appearance (costumes) for the interaction to succeed
• the backstage is what we don’t want people to see. the backstage must be dramatically realized to become real for people who didn’t directly participate (ex: refs at games, announcing election results)

Question 10

What is the Corrective Process? How does it work?

Answer 10

• the corrective process is a strategy to establish/maintain your face when your line has gone wrong
• first in the process is challenge: your line is called out, you’re confronted, and you must acknowledge offense
• second in the process is offering: corrective action identified and taken (usually some explanation given that protects the actor’s presentation of self)
• last is acceptance and thanks

Question 11

How does the corrective process fail?

Answer 11

• if you ignore the challenge and the offering in continuing in your face/line unaltered: “You guys just can’t take a joke…”
• if you leave without repairing the interaction ritual: hanging up and blocking someone, “Fine, I’ll just leave”

Question 12

What is the Interaction Ritual?

Answer 12

• we want to protect the interaction ritual above all else. awkward social interactions are literally painful.

Question 13

What is Dramatic Realization?

Answer 13

• announcing backstage interactions to the public