Week 6: Navigating Everyday Life – From Socialization to Social Interaction PDF

Week 6 Navigating Everyday Life – From Socialization to Social Interaction Sociology 1210 Dr. Elisabeth Rondinelli Announcements Study guide now up in Week 7 Learning Objectives understand socialization and how it works outline key concepts of symbolic interacti...

Week 6 Navigating Everyday Life – From Socialization to Social Interaction Sociology 1210 Dr. Elisabeth Rondinelli Announcements Study guide now up in Week 7 Learning Objectives understand socialization and how it works outline key concepts of symbolic interactionist theory outline key concepts of Goffman’s Dramaturgical Analysis What is socialization and how does it work?  Socialization is lifelong process through which people are taught explicitly and implicitly how to behave and think in line with the norms and expectations associated with social roles Socialization is an RECALL! Roles are particular sets of expectations that are associated with a social ongoing process status Anticipatory socialization: we prepare for future life roles by observing the occupants of other statuses (our parents, for instance) and imagining what the role requires  Community Socialization Agents Workplace groups School Media Peers Government the self Corrections & Family developing in rehabilitation interaction (law)  Achieved What’s being Ascribed Status Worldviews passed down? status Sanctions Beliefs + Rewards Language Norms +Symbols the self developing in Inherited Values interaction Inequality  What is symbolic interactionism? Symbolic Interactionism – a theoretical approach Symbolic Interactionism – a theoretical approach Micro-theory of society – not looking at macro scale systems, but with the micro elements of social life and social interaction Pays attention to social interactions in everyday life, especially attentive to how we use language, how we interact, how we reproduce norms Seeks an understanding of the details of how our self is developed through the process of socialization and social interaction The self: a person’s distinct sense of identity Sociologists track the impact of ‘nurture’ (not ‘nature’) on the self We believe that the self is social; there is no self that exists outside of and which is not impacted by: a social status/location/standpoint a socialized role and the inherited elements of these roles a specific historical context processes of social interaction Who am I, Elisabeth, outside of my relationship to my family, my job, my friendships, my gender, the historical period in which I live, my education, etc.? Yet! Every self is ‘distinct’ and we have agency: the ability to reflect, make decisions and act in spite of social constraints; there is always room for unpredictability, self-expression, resistance (and sociological training encourages this critical agency) Charles Horton Cooley: Looking-Glass Self We imagine how we appear to others and then react to this speculation (even if inaccurate) Our sense of self is not based on some internal essence of For this person: our sense of self is impacted individuality; it is dependent by how we interpret other people’s responses on our social relations to us; tends to be so powerful yet inaccurate Erving Goffman and the core elements of dramaturgical analysis Erving Goffman (1922-1982) Remember when I talked about how smart we are? ‘Choose your self- presentations carefully, for what starts out as a mask may become your face’ (1956, 150) ‘The self is a dramatic effect arising from a scene that is presented’ (252) Dramaturgical analysis: the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance Theatrical Nature of Social Interaction Similarity between theatre and social life We occupy a status and perform a ‘role’ Surrounded by ‘props’ Success in an interaction depends in part on ‘audience’ We follow something like a ‘script’; but also improvise We engage in various scenarios on various ’stages’ in a given day/stage of life/lifetime  5 core elements of dramaturgy Definition of the Impression Frontstage/Backstage Situation + Management Misidentification Managing our Misrepresentation Audience I. Front Stage and Back Stage front stage: area where performance is given back stage: where actors do the preparatory work; where we let off steam, relax, cast off our performative selves II. Impression Management impression management: ongoing effort to create specific impressions in the minds of others involves manners, appearance, speech, non-verbal gestures tact: the impression management you perform on behalf of others to help them save face III. Definition of the situation & misidentification definition of the situation: the ability to interpret and perform in a way that matches a particular scenario misidentification: when you are unable to interpret and perform in a way that matches a particular scenario; ie. you get it wrong! IV. Misrepresentation misrepresentation: knowingly presenting a false version of ourselves; it is a normal part of everyday interactions often involves idealization: exaggerating your value, morality, competencies, intelligence in order to impress others We vary in our judgements of ‘imposters’ If it is for the sake of others, we tend not to If it is for personal gain, we condemn We are empathetic to those who try to cover up a stigma V. Managing our Audience We have to adjust our performance to our audience segregated audience: principle that those who see us engage in one role, should not see us engage in another role We play one role to one audience at a time Week 8 Key Concepts socialization impression management anticipatory socialization tact Symbolic Interactionism misrepresentation the self misidentification agency idealization looking-glass self segregated audience dramaturgical analysis front stage & backstage