POS Social meaning theory

Question 1

Is the social meaning theory a meta theoretical perspective?

Answer 1

Yes it is

Question 2

What is social meaning theory a combination of?

Answer 2

Combination of holism and understanding

Question 3

What is the aim of social meaning theory?

Answer 3

it opts to understand how groups of people assign meaning to items and objects

Question 4

Holism and social meaning theory

Answer 4

• social systems should be analyzed as a whole and not as a collection of individual parts
• one of the main concepts of holism is the behavior of certain groups of our population for example organizations etc. We cannot reduce the actions of those groups to the individual members.

Question 5

Understanding and social meaning theory

Answer 5

• about the understanding and appreciation of a unique situation.
• Knowledge is produced by interpersonal interactions and the interpretation of social relationships.

Question 6

Four problems when analyzing norms

Answer 6

• the socially given norms and values for individuals are different in new situations, compared to known situations
• meaning is never fully subjective.
• meaning stems from interpretations
• social meaning theory does not correspond with hermeneutics

Question 7

intersubjective

Answer 7

• they are partially built buy humans and their social interaction
• social norms are intersubjective. Social norm becomes a norm when other people share the same idea

Question 8

Why does social meaning not correspond with hermeneutics?

Answer 8

• hermeneutics is based on the question how individuals interpret a series of norms
• social meaning tries to understand the origin and development of these norms

Question 9

Development of norms

Answer 9

1. Externalization
2. Objectivation
3. Internalization
4. Embedding
5. Interpreting

Question 10

1. Externalization

Answer 10

• groups make decisions internally but the consequences are external

Question 11

2. Objectivation

Answer 11

• making externalized actions objective (independent from the object)

Question 12

3. Internalization

Answer 12

• the external object will be internalized

Question 13

4. embedding

Answer 13

• reciprocal expectations start to occur.

- people in society start to assign value to the norms

Question 14

5. Interpreting

Answer 14

• when the norm becomes part of society

- people will base social interaction on the norm

Question 15

How do we learn norms?

Answer 15

primary socialization

secondary socialization

Question 16

primary socialization

Answer 16

• main norms that you will learn at a very young age (they become part of your intuition and cannot be changed).
• general knowledge

Question 17

secondary socialization

Answer 17

• norms that you learn when you e.g. switch jobs and end up in a different social environment
• shift of norms can occur
• specific knowledge

Question 18

myth formation

Answer 18

1. norms and roles start to develop in practice
2. decoupling: norms become objectified (lose their connection with their practical function)
   - norm that has value, but no link to practice is a myth
   - these norms become rationalized
3. Rationalized myth: norms can exist without the connection to a function in practice

Question 19

intentional explanation

Answer 19

• explain behavior by looking at the intentions of people

- not best way of explaining because it is endogenous (comes from within yourself)

Question 20

causal explanation

Answer 20

• effect always has the same cause
• exogenous
• multiple causality(more than one cause)
• bi-directional causality (A causes B and B causes A)

Question 21

Functional explanation

Answer 21

X can be explained by Y with the use of a formula

- X is a condition for the formula

Question 22

Hermeneutics understanding

Answer 22

• exogenous

- norms are set by society and it is about interpreting these

Question 23

Social meaning

Answer 23

• endogenous

Question 24

natural facts

Answer 24

• exist independent of human existence

Question 25

institutional facts

Answer 25

• exist because humans exist and we accept them as real

Question 26

Why do institutions exist? consequentialist

Answer 26

consequences of accepting institutions for individuals are beneficial

Question 27

Why do institutions exist? normative

Answer 27

institutions exemplify what the appropriate thing is to do

Question 28

Why do institutions exist? cognitive

Answer 28

• institutions simply show how the world works and beliefs are taken for granted