The Social Character of Sympathy (Candace Clark) (1/15)

definition of sympathy/3 step model

1) Empathy: Putting yourself in another person's shoes, understanding what the person is going through 2) Sentiment: Caring about the other person, being moved by their situation and circumstance 3) Display: Showing a kindness to that person in hopes of helping or easing a pain

sympathy as "safety valve"

Besides cementing relationships and building network ties, sympathy contributes to social control by offering limited, temporary reprieves. It serves as one of society's critical "safety valves," because the sympathizee gains a temporary release from everyday role expectations. sympathy offers reprieve and understanding from normal rules. i.e. a boss gives grieving workers time off. A student who engenders the teacher's sympathy may not have to meet formal course deadlines. A defendant in a trial who calls forth the jury's sympathy may escape labeling and punishment. The drunk driver described in the preceding section was absolved from blame because of others' sympathy. THE PURPOSE OF SAFETY VALVE IS SOCIAL CONTROL

sympathy as social control

Since sympathy lets people "off the hook" occasionally, it can make conforming to group norms easier and promote commitment to the group. That is, one who has gotten off the hook may feel relieved—but also grateful and obligated to keep off the hook (by conforming to group norms). i.e. if you get an extension from a professor, you probably wont ask for another ever again bc you feel badly

socioemotional economy

a system for distributing valuable but intangible resources. I.e. emotional support/emotional labor. You expect to get it back, an equal exchange.

obligations associated with sympathy

people are compelled to do things for each other to show that they care, there is a duty to care because it acts as sympathy

sympathy deviants

they break the typical norms of sympathy I.e. responding to a horrible situation and not being sympathetic enough, or sympathizing too much for the wrong situation

emotions as scripts/feeling rules/social logic

sympathy acts as a script for how we should act when we want to relate to other people in their pain, helping others through what they're feeling (provides a guide for what is socially acceptable)

social bridge

sympathy as a partnership, both sides working to receive or extend sympathy, a relationship

sympathy transactions

you can use the socioemotional economy definition to also think about sympathy transactions in the same way...how do we give and get sympathy from one another?