Individuals in Society
We are a singularity, but always connected to a broader social context
Contents
Construction of the individual happens in 3 ways:................................................................................2
Our lives exist in 3 cycles that also shape us......................................................................................2
Social Life...........................................................................................................................................3
Gendering..........................................................................................................................................3
Livelihoods.........................................................................................................................................4
Voice..................................................................................................................................................4
Values................................................................................................................................................4
Processes of socialisation..................................................................................................................5
Asymmetries of power.......................................................................................................................5
Personal troubles and public issue....................................................................................................5
Goffman (1974): Performances.........................................................................................................5
Everyday life..........................................................................................................................................7
Observing the world..........................................................................................................................7
Signifying VS Doing............................................................................................................................8
Being in a crowd................................................................................................................................8
People in motion...............................................................................................................................8
Displays..............................................................................................................................................8
Situations...........................................................................................................................................9
Spaces and places..............................................................................................................................9
Social Sorting.....................................................................................................................................9
The logic of social interaction..........................................................................................................10
The world according to Goffman.........................................................................................................10
Examples of students performing....................................................................................................12
On Rereading The Presentation of Self: Some Reflections (Anthony Giddens 2009).......................13
Criticisms of Goffman’s World.............................................................................................................13
Neglects asymmetries of power:.................................................................................................13
What about adjustment and change?..........................................................................................13
What about public traumas?.......................................................................................................14
Theories are too US-centric.........................................................................................................14
Defence of Goffman............................................................................................................................14
Private world................................................................................................................................14
, He describes power in everyday life............................................................................................14
Sociology of adjustment..............................................................................................................14
Private power..............................................................................................................................14
Private Worlds.....................................................................................................................................14
Private and social cultures...................................................................................................................15
Worlds of communication............................................................................................................15
Imagined Communities....................................................................................................................15
Socialisation.........................................................................................................................................15
The idea of sociology: we are ALL living in an unequal, interconnected, patterned
and evolving world.
Inequality
Is it inevitable or temporary? Is it necessary? Why does it exist? Some believe it is in the nature of
people and the world.
Interconnected
Everything is interconnected, and these interconnections are deep.
- Divisions of functions: Some people study while others are working etc
- Division of roles: the roles you’re expected to play as a youth, women, man etc
- Divisions of labour
New tech has connected the world in different ways.
Patterned
Clusters people together in countries, cities, institutions, factories etc
Patterns don’t just happen spontaneously
Organisations, associations and bureaucracies
What are the dominant patterns? Race, gender, class?
Contrary patterning
Evolving
Change happens
Conflicts + problems Transitions and revolutions (technological, industrial etc)
We are only where we are now due to change.
Patterning, evolution, interconnection are ALSO interconnected.
, The vision of sociology
To explicate (explain), analyse and advocate
Explicate: Humans cannot be simply explained. Meanings need to also be considered.
Analyse: the patterns, power, change / transformation, conflict
Advocate: our values (biases) ; our visions (what we believe to be true: not just our opinions) ;
solutions/strategies (why is there poverty etc. policies, participation in movements)
What will make the world better? Can we point the way?
Developing a science of predicting human behaviour in order to understand what controls us and
prevent crises.
Construction of the individual happens in 3 ways:
1. Constructed by other people
Family, friends etc
Talk about us, show us where we go wrong or right, present us to the world in a certain way
An external image of ourselves influences how we actually feel about ourselves
2. Constructed by ourselves
How we respond to pressures, childhood, adulthood etc
Writing ourself into existence
But we don’t always write the truth
Write about what’s meaningful to us
We edit ourselves in order to present ourselves as the person we want to be
3. Constructed by institutions
Rules and regulations play an important role in shaping our lives
Set standards of excellence, failure and normalcy
Self is externally constructed, internally created, and shaped by institutions
Our lives exist in 3 cycles that also shape us
1. Natural cycles
Not fully under our control
Birth, growth, death
Imposes needs and drives that influence the animals in us
Innate
2. Social cycles
Each society marks and celebrates growth/critical moments in life differently
Birthdays, religious holidays, rites of passage
3. Time-bound cycles
Timetables, calendars, terms
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anyiamgeorge19. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R213,93. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.