Culture Flashcards
(3 cards)
Simmel [1908] (1971) “The Stranger.” in Georg Simmel: On Individuality and Social Forms
General theory and methods
“The stranger” is a sociological form that represents a type of relation defined by [ ]. The stranger’s [ ] makes them [3 qualities].
Stranger is also a form of [ ].
“The stranger” is a sociological form that represents a type of positive relation that is defined by special proportion and reciprocal tension between remoteness and nearness (familiar and unfamiliar), a relation based on “merely universal human similarities”. Someone closeby who is far, and someone far who is near. The stranger’s proportion of remoteness and nearness makes them (1) an objective participant in social life, (2) free from prejudice, and (3) relatable in abstract (imagined and generalized) commonalities.
The stranger is also a form of interaction. “Factors of repulsion and distance work to create a form of being together, a form of union based on interaction.” People interact with “the stranger” who is positioned within bounded conditions, i.e., a trader in a market exchange
Goffman (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
General theory and methods
Reality is constructued through [ ]. 2 types of impressions of individual in interactions. Which one does Goffman emphasize and why? How do people manage their [type]? Why does it matter?
Lived reality is constructed through interpersonal interaction. People work together to create a shared understanding of reality; dominant societal tropes and values shape their interactions, and these interactions in turn uphold and reinforce societal structure. During any interaction, there is a difference between the impression an individual** “gives” and that which they “give off.” Goffman calls the latter “the more theatrical and contextual kind, the non-verbal, presumably unintentional kind,” and he argues that this second kind of self-presentation is the more important of the two, as “this mask is our truer self, the self we would like to be**” (19).
* We assess the impressions that others “give off” in order to gauge whether they’re for real — whether their stated values and intentions align with their affect and actions.
* We also look for conformity to standardized “fronts,” which are widely accepted means by which to define social situations. A given social front can become institutionalized as a “collective representation” and “a fact in its own right” (27).
* In a given setting, an individual’s appearance and manner must match our expectations in order for a particular front to be upheld. People dramatize what they are doing around others, stage managing the impression they most want to convey based on their definition of the situation and motives. Societal values and accepted fronts often inform people’s choices, and the performance of everyday social tasks therefore often takes on a ceremonial quality, celebrating societal values. Although there is no objective reality, there is a difference between a sincere performance (in which an individual believes that she is acting according to the truth) and a cynical one, which is often on a continuum.
Berger and Luckman (1964) The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge
