Symbolic Interactionism, Narrative Paradigm and Dramatism Flashcards
Who created the Symbolic Interactionism theory?
George Herbert Mead
What is the Symbolic Interactionism Theory?
Individuals discover who they are not through personal introspection but through interaction with others.
Mind
The ability to use symbols that have common social meanings.
Does George. H. Mead believe we are born with mind?
No, we acquire mind with symbolic systems.
What is a socialization process?
Becoming aware of social meanings for symbols.
Self
The ability to reflect on ourselves through the perspectives of others.
Does George. H. Mead believe we are born with self?
No, we develop self through interaction with other.
What are the two components that make up Self?
Me and I.
Me
Analytical, reasoned, evaluative. Cares about rules and conventions, the objective self.
I
Imaginative, impulsive, unruly. Cares little about social rules and conventions, the driving force for all that is unpredictable, novel and unorganized in the self.
I and Me are not opposing forces they are
complimentary
Self-fulfilling prophecy
When we live up to other’s ideas of who we are.
What are the 5 concepts of Symbolic Interactionism Theory?
1) Mind
2) Self
3) I
4) Me
5) Role taking
Role Taking
The process of internalizing other’s perspectives and viewing experience from their perspectives. (Ex. Mean Girls mirror scene.)
Particular Others
Important people in our lives that are close to us.
Generalized Others
Viewpoint of a social group or community that we pick up on because we are a part of that community.
What are 3 critiques of Symbolic Interactionism?
1) Conceptual inconsistencies
2) Too broad and vague
3) No mention of self esteem
Who created the Dramatism Theory?
Kenneth Burke
What is the Dramatism Theory?
Life is a drama that can be understood in dramatic terms.
Rhetorical acts of communications as drama.
What is Identification?
Consubstantiality, people are separated by social, economic geographical etc structures. We use rhetorical communication to enhance our common ground, to IDENTIFY with each other and overcome our differences.
Consubstantiality
Common Substance
With identification we cannot…
overcome division that exists between people
Dramatistic Pentad
1) Act
2) Agent
3) Scene
4) Agency
5) Purpose
Act
What was done
Agent
Who did it
Scene
Where it was done
Agency
Means by which the act was performed
Purpose
Why it happened
What role does guilt play in Kenneth Burke’s theory?
Guilt is the main reason why human communicate
What are the three things humans feel guilty about?
1) Hierarchy
2) Perfection
3) The Negative
Mortification
Purging guilt through self blame
Victimage
Purging guilt by blaming external source
Language gives us insight
to who a person is and how they see things.
Dramatism
an analytical process for gaining insight to a speaker’s motives and worldview.
What are two critiques of dramatism?
1) Only guilt?
2) Obscure and confusing
What is the Narrative Paradigm theory?
That humans are storytelling creatures that are better persuaded through narratives as opposed to factual information. Most communication assumes narrative form.
Narrative
A story told within a piece of rhetoric of communication
Paradigm
A conceptual framework; a universal model that calls for people to view events from a common lens.
What are the two standards of narrative rationality?
1) Coherence
2) Fidelity
Coherence
Whether or not the story makes sense, evaluates the narrative structure and credibility of characters.
Fidelity
Does the story correspond with the listener’s own experiences and beliefs?
What are three critiques of the Narrative Paradigm?
1) incomplete
2) too broad a scope
3) conservative bias
Walter Fisher
Narrative Paradigm
Looking Glass Self
A process of learning who we are, based on others’ idea of who we are. We develop self through interaction with others.
