Symbolic interactionalism (1)

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Questions and Answers

What is one of the primary reasons individuals cry at work, according to the conclusions drawn?

They enjoy expressing their emotions openly

They seek attention from their colleagues

They are trying to share their feelings with others

They are overwhelmed or bullied (correct)

According to Goffman, which concept suggests that there is no 'true self'?

Presentation of self (correct)

Emotional labor

Feeling rules

Social control

In Goffman's dramaturgical analysis, what term describes spaces where individuals can express emotions away from their audience?

Public arena

Front stage

Back stage (correct)

Intimate space

What do 'feeling rules' indicate within emotional labor contexts?

Only certain emotions are appropriate to express Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects Soares' findings about the emotional responses of men in the workplace?

Men cry at work as often as women do Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of symbolic interactionism as stated by theorists such as Herbert Blumer?

The interpretation of shared symbols and meanings in social interactions Signup and view all the answers

Which concept describes the combination of multiple social positions that an individual holds?

Status set Signup and view all the answers

Which statement most accurately describes ascribed status?

It is assigned based on inherent characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of role performance, which term refers to the expected behaviors associated with an individual's social position?

Role Signup and view all the answers

What defines a master status in a social context?

A status that influences other statuses and roles profoundly. Signup and view all the answers

What do the terms 'role strain' and 'role conflict' signify in social interactions?

Conflicting expectations due to the presence of multiple statuses Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following works is associated with Erving Goffman and focuses on everyday social interactions?

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Signup and view all the answers

According to Goffman, how does the concept of 'presentation of self' manifest in social interactions?

Interactions can be seen as performances based on situational definitions. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors is not typically associated with achieved status?

Inherent characteristics assigned by others. Signup and view all the answers

Which example best represents a voluntary master status?

An election as president of a country. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a total institution according to Goffman?

Activities are conducted in the immediate presence of a large number of individuals under the same authority. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes role distancing?

Going through the motions of a role without commitment due to stress or unwelcomeness. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of ethnomethodology?

Understanding how individuals make sense of social interactions through shared norms. Signup and view all the answers

What are breaching experiments intended to illustrate?

The importance of ritualistic interactions and the reactions to disruptions. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by 'secondary adjustments' in the context of role acceptance?

Refusing to accept imposed roles or a defined identity by another individual. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of emotional labor in the workplace?

To meet the emotional demands imposed by employers Signup and view all the answers

How does Erving Goffman's perspective influence Hochschild's conceptualization of emotions?

Goffman emphasizes emotions as active performances within interactions Signup and view all the answers

What does Hochschild mean by 'deep acting' in the context of emotional work?

Aligning one's internal feelings with external performance Signup and view all the answers

In Hochschild's analysis, what role do female flight attendants symbolize within the context of emphasized femininity?

They embody conflicting stereotypes of femininity Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of jobs held by women in the United States involve substantial emotional labor?

50% Signup and view all the answers

What is one psychological consequence of emotional labor as identified by Hochschild?

Heightened emotional and psychological toll on workers Signup and view all the answers

What misconception might passengers have regarding the career choices of female flight attendants?

That female flight attendants cannot have children Signup and view all the answers

What was the methodology used by Angelo Soares and his team to study emotional labor in service professions?

Interviews with service professionals over five years Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the term 'idealization' in the context of Goffman's presentation of self?

A tactic to manipulate others into believing one's motives are pure. Signup and view all the answers

How does Goffman describe the relationship between 'sincere involvement' and 'cynicism'?

One can transition from one to the other in a cyclical fashion. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of 'resocialization' specifically involve?

A forced change in behavior and values caused by a socializing agent. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a 'total institution' according to Goffman?

An environment with total control restricting personal identity from social roles. Signup and view all the answers

In terms of Goffman's analysis, what role does 'saving face' play in social interactions?

It seeks to prevent any breakdown in the interaction. Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about Goffman's concept of the 'front' and 'backstage'?

They represent the dichotomy between public performance and private authenticity. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following professions is considered to carry 'special status' in Goffman's analysis?

Doctors, reflecting positions of trust and idealism. Signup and view all the answers

What does Goffman's example of 'manager mobbing' illustrate?

A method to rationalize aggressive behaviors under the guise of productivity. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Foundations of Sociological Thought

Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective emphasizing the role of symbols and interactions in shaping human behavior.
Key figures in symbolic interactionism include Herbert Blumer, Erving Goffman, and Arlie R. Hochschild.
Blumer, Goffman, and Hochschild significantly contributed to the development and expansion of symbolic interactionism.

Symbolic Interactionism and Dramaturgy

Herbert Blumer's work focused on social interaction.
Erving Goffman's focus centered on dramaturgy, viewing social interaction as a performance.
Arlie Hochschild explored emotional labor in the context of social interaction.

Actors Not By Our Own Choosing

Shakespeare's quote highlights the stage-like nature of social life
Wilde's view emphasizes flaws and unevenness in the social narrative.

Readings

The Methodological Position of Symbolic Interactionism (1969)
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959)
Asylums (1961)
The Managed Heart (1983)

Social life is structured by interactions between people with specific statuses.
Social statuses are positions within the social hierarchy.
Roles are the expected behaviors associated with specific statuses.
Role strain and role conflict can arise when expectations conflict or are numerous.

Status Sets and Role Sets

Individuals often hold multiple statuses simultaneously.
A status set comprises all the statuses a person holds.
A role set encompasses all the roles associated with a particular status.
Each role has specific rights and duties.

Ascribed vs. Achieved Status

Ascribed statuses are assigned based on inherent characteristics.
Achieved statuses are earned through effort and personal choices.
Social capital can impact the achievement of desired statuses.

Master Status

Master statuses profoundly influence individuals’ lives, affecting their overall identities.
Disability status is a frequent example in the study of master statuses
Elected office (presidents) is a further example of voluntary master statuses.

What Statuses/Roles Do You Hold/Perform?

Individuals consider current statuses and roles, identifying whether they are ascribed or achieved.
Participants consider roles associated with both statuses.
Individuals write down chosen statuses and roles for analysis.

Social interactions are not always "natural" or purely based on objective reality.
People construct meaning in their interactions.

Erving Goffman and the Presentation of Self

Goffman (1922-1982) explored how individuals present themselves to others.
Dramaturgy and everyday interactions.
Goffman focused on social interactions, particularly how individuals construct their self-image to others.
Performances and defined situations.

Key Terms

Interactions are characterized by reciprocal influences in the immediate proximity of individuals
A performance in any interaction involves all activities of a particular participant directed towards others.
Parts and routines represent structured ways of behaving which arise from and within social roles.

The Definition of Situation

Individuals constantly seek information and try to discern the situation when they encounter new people.
Information gathering improves expectations about what to expect.
This in turn generates a form of social script of what someone may do or expect.

Erving Goffman and the Presentation of Self 2

Individuals actively attempt to create positive impressions on others (idealization).
Motives are frequently rationalized to make interactions seem more intentional than just happenstance.
Embarrassment and "saving face" are important to ensure smooth interactions.
Individuals play out roles and utilize a back and front stage to maintain decorum

Erving Goffman and the Presentation of Self 3

Individuals may act as if they have an ideal self to others, which is not how they might always act.
Some social roles have special status and responsibility associated with them (doctors).

Resocialization

Resocialization is the effort to change a person's attitudes and behaviors in a setting.
This often occurs in a total institution.
The transition into total institutional settings frequently leads to a form of forced resocialization.

Total Institutions

Total institutions organize all aspects of individuals' lives.
They often use standardized practices and approaches.
Life in total institutions often involves strict schedules and rules.

Role Distancing

Role distancing refers to when individuals engage in actions associated with a role but do not fully adhere to it.
It is characterized as a form of social distancing.
Secondary adjustments characterize unwillingness to adhere to role expectations.

Ethnomethodology

Ethnomethodology studies how people interpret and make sense of social norms and interactions.
Individuals frequently use preexisting shared norms and understandings to interpret or adhere to actions of others.
Breaching experiments disrupt patterns of social interaction

Breaching Experiments

Individuals purposefully disrupt everyday social interactions to illustrate the underlying assumptions.
Observation of reactions can showcase the extent that interactions are built on assumptions.

Emotional Labor

Hochschild introduced the concept of emotional labor in the 1970s.
Emotional labor involves producing or suppressing emotions to meet job expectations.
Significant amounts of emotional labor are required across numerous social roles (particularly feminine ones).

Goffman and Hochschild

Goffman had a profound impact on Hochschild's conceptualization of emotions.
Goffman's perspective highlights how interactions rely on particular emotional performances given the social setting.

Goffman and Hochschild 2

Emotional work (deep acting) is important and significant, as are feeling rules and emotional labor.
It plays several roles in shaping social interactions, creating and maintaining societal structures. (e.g. flight attendants).
Emotional labor and feeling rules often influence interactions, resulting in both individual and collective psychological responses.

Emphasized Femininity

Female flight attendants enact expectations and roles associated with womanhood, such as nurturing, caring, and sensitivity to others in their interactions and performances.

Emotional Labor in the Workplace

Service-based jobs often involve significant emotional labor.
Employees may experience stress from emotional labor.

Emotional Labor in the Workplace 2

Research has shown that men are not immune to crying and feeling emotions over work, but the context of who it is in front of can change the overall behaviour shown. (e.g. back stage/ washroom versus front stage)

Discussion Questions

How do feelings impact emotion, work, and emotional responses?
What are the implications for individual identities?
Social inequality and societal structures influence individuals.

Conclusion

Social life is a form of enacted behavior, and individuals enact self-presentations within particular social contexts.
Individuals strive to maintain order to avoid disruption from various social encounters.
Elements such as emotional labor, feeling rules, and resocialization are frequently used to promote and maintain social control.

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Description

Test your knowledge on key concepts in sociology related to emotions at work. This quiz covers theories from Goffman, Soares, and others, exploring emotional labor, role performance, and social status. Perfect for sociology students aiming to understand the interplay between emotions and social roles.