Com 111 Week 7
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com_111_week_7_course_material.docx
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The self- an ever-changing system of perspectives that is formed and sustained in communication with others and ourselves
an individual’s conscious, reflexive experience of a personal identity separate and distinct from other individuals
How do we know about our self? Others
Generalized others- the perspective of society and how that shapes us
Particular others- the individuals who matter to us and how their perspectives shape us
· Family
· Friendships
· Romantic Relationships
Two ideas about the self
Looking glass self- Cooley
We act like mirrors for each other. In other words, we imagine how we look to others and we imagine other people’s judgments of us. We experience some kind of feeling about ourselves based on our perception of other people’s judgments
Dramaturgy- Goffman- The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Dramaturgy- analyzing social life in terms of similarities to theatrical performance
In the dramaturgical perspective the self is not a unified singular self. It is fractured and constantly being remade depending on the social situations that we are in at the time
Definition of the situation- an agreement with others about what is going on in a circumstance.
How do we define situations?
In our own heads
Interactions
Impression Management – the process by which individuals attempt to control the impressions others form of them.
Setting-
Front stage- the region where we deliver our public performances
Backstage- where we rehearse and prepare for our performances
Offstage- where individuals are
Race
Both race and ethnicity are social categories.
Ethnicity is a fixed group membership.
Race is a socially defined concept.
Racial categories vary over time and between cultures.
Race vs. ethnicity (in the social sciences)
Race is a culturally defined characteristic – a social construct.
Things that exist because we tacitly agree that they exist.
Like? money, citizenship, Fish argued that balls and strikes
After WWII social scientists began to realize that the concept of race was used as a justification for terrible practices discrimination, slavery, genocide
Eugenics-movement that advocated for the increased reproduction of people with desired backgrounds or traits, and the decreased reproduction of people with less desired backgrounds and traits
Even in the post slavery US
eugenics policies often (but not exclusively) targeted people of color. Among the
most well known of these experiments were the Tuskegee experiments in the Deep
South.
In mapping the human genome scientist have basically upheld this view. Stating that there is no scientific basis for race. Biological variation does not show that there are genetically defined races.
Race is a social construct and thus varies based on regions and countries.
In the U.S. what is the primary characteristic we base race on?
We had institutionalized racism in the U.S. based on skin color through slavery and the 1-drop rule –used to justify everything from voting rights to participation in athletics.
Ethnicity
Ethnic groups are a group of people of the same descent and heritage who share a common and distinctive culture.
Symbolic Ethnicity- ethnic identity that is only relevant on specific occasions and does not significantly impact everyday life
St Patrick’s Day, cultural displays at Christmas
Situational Ethnicity- ethnic identity that can be either displayed or concealed depending on its usefulness in a given situation
Both are only available to individuals that are more mainstream, i.e. white. African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders all have many fewer chances to display these identities
Gender
Gender vs. Biological sex
-Biological sex is the type genitalia that you have. In general, this is really an either or thing: male or female.
- A small, but still significant number of infants are born intersexed- having chromosomes or characteristics that are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female
This can include ambiguous genitalia – female large clitoris or fused labia, or male very small penis or empty scrotum –, hermaphroditism- meaning there is testicular and ovarian tissue present in an individual, this is extremely rare and almost nonexistent in humans, ovotestes – gonads that are not specifically male or female and feature aspects of both ovaries and testes
- Doctors and parents then must make a decision on how to proceed with the child. Do you leave it as is?
-Gender is a social construct – something that is given meaning because we agree that it has meaning, it is constructed through a group’s tacit agreement in its meaning
The performance of gender and sexuality
-As I mentioned above, there is nothing innate about our gender roles. Rather, they are social constructs that we perform. People become uncomfortable if these roles are not performed “properly”.
-Performativity- Judith Butler- gender is like a script that is rehearsed.
-For Butler gender is not something that one is but rather something that one does. Butler believes that gender is something that constrains us
-Gender is based on learned roles within cultures and societies
Socialized through
· Family-starts before you are born
· School-
· Peers-
· The Media- what kids
-Most cultures (including the dominant US culture) have two gender roles: Masculine and Feminine
-These correspond to the two biological sexes.
-Americans tend to find this idea confusing and uncomfortable because we so closely link the biological to the social (sex=gender).
There tends to be a lot of discomfort with transsexual- someone who identifies with the other sex and undergoes surgical procedures to alter their sex to fit this self image – cognitive dissonance and transgendered –someone whose sense of gender doesn’t fit into socially defined gender categories-- individuals in our society
Socioeconomic class
Social capital- the value of our social networks
Upper Middle Lower class
Direct definitions and self-fulfilling prophecies
Direct definitions- communication that explicitly tells us who we are by labeling us and our behaviors
Social Comparison- rating ourselves relative to others with respect to our attributes and qualities
1. Are we alike people or dissimilar
2. How do we rank up with certain individuals based on qualities?
Chap 10
Personal Relationships- commitment between irreplaceable individuals who are influenced by rules, relationship dialectics, and surrounding contexts
Social Relationship- one in which participants interact according to general social roles rather than unique individual identities
This is most of our daily interactions
Scripts
Relationship rules- the rules that guide partners on how to communicate and interpret each other’s communication
Informal rules
Relationship Culture- the private world of rules, understandings, meanings, and patterns of interacting that partners create
Context-
Environment- American Dad
People-
Relationship Dialectics- tensions that are normal in close relationships
Autonomy/Connection- the desire to be connected but also separate
'Autonomy–connection'
This refers to the independence one needs or wants from the romantic other, on the contrary also, how dependent the romantic partners are to one another. For example; a couple has been together for an extended period of time and one partner feels the need to distance themselves for a while, the other partner experiences need or dependency, therefore creating tension. There needs to be a clear decision on the amount of connection within a romantic relationship for it to work. Time and activity segmentation are both connected to autonomy–connection by different uses of balanced tension. Exclusive selection and reframing are also important to a healthy romantic relationship. All the following aspects are critical to ensure the needed attention to both individuals.
'Comfort'
This occurs when autonomy and connection are in balance and both individuals operate with an understanding of the boundaries of the other. Both are comfortable with the space the other is giving or taking and not only agree with each other but are happy and find the status of the relationship enjoyable. This also allows for change within the relationship, giving up something to benefit the other spouse or partner.
'Time segmentation'
This is the balance of time during everyday life in accordance with your romantic partner. How much time is spent together and how much alone. It also deals with setting aside time for each other to keep the balance of the relationship positive. Time segmentation can vary depending on schedules of the partners. This is based on the time that is spent away from one another or together, not the activities performed.
'Activity segmentation'
This is when activities are used to separate the partners to fulfill their independent needs or allow them to do what they want for a short period of time. An example would be a guys/girls night out. It can also be activities that are performed together when time allows. These activities are meant to keep the tension in a positive state. This could possibly mean an activity that one spouse enjoys but the other does not. The next activity will be one of the opposite’s preference, turning around the role of who is comfortable, causing positive relational tension.
'Exclusive selection'
This refers to the selection of either being connected with a spouse and acting as one or being dependent and acting on one’s own terms. When this concept is misunderstood, relational tension becomes unbalanced and the relationship tends to fall apart on a personal level, whether visible or not. Couples are more stable where both agree on the degree of closeness in the relationship and are less stable when they cannot agree.
'Reframing'
This is the idea that parts of the relationship need to be evaluated and looked at in a different way. When parts of a relationship are reframed, it can make the relationship stronger,causing issues to be looked at in a new light. It can go the other way too, positive aspects of a relationship might not be as beneficial as perceived. This concept allows for flaws to be addressed.
Openness/Closedness- openness in tension and privacy
Openness with: Refers to an individual’s self-disclosure of information to another. In this idea, three types of information are shared: information deemed to be personal, the individuals feelings or personal opinions, and information regarding one individual's relationship with the other.
Openness To: Often this form of Openness is labeled as being attentive or responsive. People respond in cognitive, affective, and behavioral ways.
Closedness with: Describes the type of nondisclosive talk that occurs between individuals. It is most often identified as “small talk”, being primarily superficial. The talk is oriented around conversation that requires little or no self-disclosure, allowing for a controlled level informational privacy.
Closedness to: Some people experience stress and discomfort when listening to others’ problems. In response to this, some individuals attempt to distance themselves in order to discourage others from confiding in them.
Favoritism and impartiality: The desire to be treated fairly and impartially versus the desire to be seen and known as “special”.
Example: As a professor, creating an attendance policy but making exceptions for students who participate in class and have good grades.
Novelty and predictability: desire for the relationship to be predictable versus the desire for it to be original and new.
Example: Relying on a fixed schedule for board meetings, but needing variations in the meeting itinerary to keep you interested and inspired.
Instrumentality and affection: The desire for affection to be genuine versus the desire for affection to be motivated by benefits and perceived advantages of the relationship.
Example: Being in a romantic relationship based on love and affection, but maintaining it for benefits such as financial security.
Equality and inequality: The desire to be considered as equals versus the desire to develop levels of superiority.
Example: As a female in the military, wanting treatment equivalent to that received by their male coworkers, but requiring special barracks and adjusted assignments
Dealing with dialectics
Neutralization- negotiates a balance between these forces
Separation- address one need but ignores another
Cyclical alteration- varying between one and another
Segmentation- negotiating between the dialectics for different issue and activities
Reframing- redefining contradictory needs as not in opposition
