image: GIF from D. Witt ( link ) George Herbert Mead's approach to social psychology is an of import contribution to the novel pr...
image: GIF from D. Witt (link)
George Herbert Mead's approach to social psychology is an of import contribution to the novel pragmatism inwards sociology (link). Mead puts frontward in Mind, Self, together with Society: From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist a innovation of the self that is inherently social; the social surround is prior to the individual, inwards his understanding. And what this way is that individuals larn habits, attitudes, together with ways of thinking through their interactions inwards the social environments inwards which they alive together with grow up. The individual's social bear is built upwardly out of the internalized traces of the practices, norms, together with orientations of the people roughly him or her.
Erving Goffman is 1 of the sociologists who has given the greatest attending to the purpose of social norms inwards ordinary social interaction. One of his key themes is a focus on face-to-face interaction. This is the key topic inwards his book, Interaction Ritual - Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior. So rereading Interaction Ritual is a proficient way to gain some concrete exposure to how some sociologists holler back well-nigh the internalized norms together with practices that Mead describes.
Goffman's key concern inwards this mass is how ordinary social interactions develop. How do the participants shape their contributions inwards such a way equally to Pb to a satisfactory exchange? The ideas of "line" together with "face" are the key concepts inwards this volume. "Line" is the performative strategy the private has inside the interaction. "Face" is the way inwards which the private perceives himself, together with the way he perceives others inwards the interaction to perceive him. Maintaining human face upwardly invokes pride together with honor, piece losing human face upwardly invokes shame together with embarrassment. So a cracking bargain of the assay extended past times the histrion inwards social interactions has to do amongst maintaining human face upwardly -- what Goffman refers to equally "face-work". Here are several key descriptions of the purpose of face-work inwards ordinary social interactions:
By face-work I hateful to designate the actions taken past times a soul to brand whatever he is doing consistent amongst face. (12)
The members of every social circle may last expected to own got some noesis of face-work together with some sense inwards its use. In our society, this variety of capacity is sometimes called tact, savoir-faire, diplomacy, or social skill. (13)
H5N1 soul may last said to have, or last in, or keep human face upwardly when the line of piece of occupation he effectively takes presents an icon of him that is internally consistent, that is supported past times judgment together with bear witness conveyed past times other participants, together with that is confirmed past times bear witness conveyed through together with personal agencies inwards the situation. (6-7)So Goffman's persuasion is that the vast bulk of face-to-face social interactions are driven past times the logic of the participants' conceptions of "face" together with the "lines" that they assume for the interaction. Moreover, Goffman holds that inwards many circumstances, the lines available for the soul inwards the circumstance are defined past times convention together with are relatively few. This entails that most interactional behaviour is scripted together with conventional equally well. This line of piece of occupation of thought emphasizes the coercive purpose played past times social expectations inwards human face upwardly to human face upwardly encounters. And it dovetails amongst the persuasion Goffman frequently expresses of activeness equally performative, together with self equally dramaturgical.
The concept of self is a key focus of Mead's move inwards MSS. Goffman besides addresses the topic of self:
So far I own got implicitly been using a double Definition of self: the self equally an icon pieced together from the expressive implications of the total time period of events inwards an undertaking; together with the self equally a variety of instrumentalist inwards a ritual game who copes honorably or dishonorably, diplomatically or undiplomatically, amongst the judgmental contingencies of the situation. (31)Fundamentally, Goffman's persuasion inclines against the notion of a primeval or authentic self; instead, the self is a build dictated past times guild together with adopted together with projected past times the individual.
Universal human nature is non a really human thing. By acquiring it, the soul becomes a variety of construct, build upwardly non from inner psychic propensities but from moral rules that are impressed upon him from without. (45)Moreover, Goffman highlights the reach of self-deception together with manipulation that is a purpose of his innovation of the actor:
Whatever his seat inwards society, the soul insulates himself past times blindnesses, half-truths, illusions, and rationalizations. He makes an "adjustment" past times convincing himself, amongst the tactful back upwardly of his intimate circle, that he is what he wants to last together with that he would non do to gain his ends what the others own got done to gain theirs. (43)One thing that is really interesting well-nigh this mass is the terminal essay, "Where the Action Is". Here Goffman considers people making choices that are neither prudent nor norm guided. He considers miserable banking company robbers, a dark journalist mistreated past times a highway patrolman inwards Indiana, together with other individuals making risky choices reverse to the prescribed scripts. In this setting, "action" is an chance for risky choice, counter-normative choice, throwing fate to the wind. And Goffman thinks at that topographic point is something inherently attractive well-nigh this variety of risk-taking behavior.
Here Goffman seems to last breaking his ain rules -- the theoretical ones, anyway. He seems to last allowing that activeness is sometimes not guided past times prescriptive rules of interaction, together with that at that topographic point are human impulses towards risk-taking that brand this variety of behaviour relatively persistent inwards society. But this seems to betoken to a whole category of activeness that is otherwise overlooked inwards Goffman's move -- the actions of heroes, outlaws, counter-culture activists, saints, together with ordinary men together with women of integrity. In each example these actors are choosing lines of bear that intermission the norms together with that continue from their ain conceptions of what they should do (or desire to do). In this honor the pragmatists, together with Mead inwards particular, seem to own got the to a greater extent than consummate innovation of the actor, because they exit room for spontaneity together with inventiveness inwards action, equally good equally a bird of independence from coercive norms of behavior. Goffman opens this door amongst his long terminal essay here; but evidently at that topographic point is a cracking bargain to a greater extent than that tin last said on this subject.
The 1955 novel together with movie Man inwards the Grey Flannel Suit seems to illustrate both parts of the theory of activeness inwards play hither -- a highly constrained plain of activeness presented to the human being of affairs (played past times Gregory Peck), punctuated past times occasional episodes of behaviour that intermission the norms together with expectations of the setting. Here is Tom Rath speaking honestly to his boss. (The whole cinema is available on YouTube.)
COMMENTS