Symbolic interactionism and the dramaturgical model Flashcards
What is the “i” and “me” in sociology?
+ who created it?
.“I” refers to the subject, that is, the acting subject that constantly interprets, reflects, and acts
“Me” refers to the object that “I” sees through the thoughts of others that are reflected in their behaviors or words towards “Me”
“I” reflects and acts on “Me,” but at the same time “I” can act only because it has a self, that is, “Me.”
“Me” or self is produced within this process and forms the basis for one’s self-awareness and self-knowledge and thus informs one’s actions.
Please remember the words human agency
George Herbert Mead
What is the looking-glass self?
+ who created it?
Our image of ourselves is shaped through our “imagination of our appearance to … other[s],” our “imagination of [their] judgement of that appearance,” and how we feel/what we think based on that imagination
Charles Horton Cooley
What is socializing
+ who created it?
Socialization refers to the process of learning how to make sense of the meanings that are constantly communicated to us and how to act based on these meanings.
George Herbert Mead
What is the generalized other and who created it?
The generalized other basically refers to “the community and society in which we live” (Dillon 2020: 258).
Conceptions and expectations about our actions and interpretations of the gestures, actions, and words of others
G. H. Mead
What is the definition of the situation? + who created it
the set of conceptions and expectations regarding a particular situation, collectively produced and shared by a community or society
H. Blumer’s main ideas about symbolic interactionism?
- not a fan of macro-scale stuff cause it ignores human agency
-Symbolic interactionism views society “as consisting of acting” units and “the life of … society … as consisting of their actions”
-Symbolic interactionism focuses on the “concrete and empirical actions” of acting units in their interactions with one another
-Meanings humans attribute to objects, situations, actions, etc. are socially produced within everyday interactions.
What is the social condition of humans according to H. Blumer?
Actions take place within and with respect to situations
What is E. Goffman’s dramaturgical model?
The whole worlds a stage and the people are actors in it
What are social roles?
patterns or sets of behaviours that are taught to and expected from individuals according to their positions in society. As such, these roles are defined and scripted by society. However, whether or how we will perform these roles within the specific situations that we engage in is not necessarily predetermined.
What are the three conclusions of the dramaturgical model?
-The presentation of self: Our selves are made and remade in and through the social roles that we play. When performing a role, we also present ourselves, or a certain image of ourselves, to others.
-We perform our roles in the actual or imagined presence of, and in relation to, others. Consequently, our selves are social and relational.
- Social life consists of “the ongoing … enactment of role performances” in and through everyday interactions, and social relations emerge from, and thus are structured by, these performances.
What is a front?
The entire set of the props that we use and the looks and behaviours that we display to others constitute our front.
What are interaction rituals?
Interaction rituals refer to “the institutionalized … ways of behaving” in social situations.
What is the ritual of subordination?
Rituals of subordination refer to the ritualized behaviours that characterize certain interactions and that signify social hierarchies based on class, race, gender, etc.
What is impression management?
Goffman’s dramaturgical model sees humans as strategic actors who engage with their audiences in calculated ways.
The aim is to leave a good impression on their audiences by managing the ways in which they present themselves to them.
Front vs backstage?
Front stage is where actors interact with others, perform the roles that they undertake, and engage in impression management.
Backstage is where actors can unwind, stop managing their impression, and avoid embarrassment even when they don’t act properly.
