Self and Society Exam 2
Professor Collett's article "Students Who Strip: The Benefits of Alternate Identities for Managing Stigma"
"Strippers are generally deemed deviant as they engage in "a perceived behavior or condition that is thought to involve an undesirable departure . . . from a putative standard" (Archer 1985:748). Strippers choose this line of work; they choose to engage in erotic dance, to undress (not always) in front of an audience. Their decision to engage in these acts deviates from society's moral standards.
Stereotype Threat
*anxiety fostered in the stereotype will end in actions confirming the stereotype (racial difference in test performance and athletic performance video)
Line
*expression (verbal and nonverbal) of one's view of the situation and evaluation of the participants
Being Out of Face
*participating in an interaction without having a line ready (can't respond/ didn't expect) Example: In Sex and The City scene where the man was making comments to the woman and she turned around and basically told him she needed to get laid. He was not expecting her to respond in that way so he paused and was without a line and responded he was married after becoming out of face in while trying to maintain a his perfomance of masculinity
Face-work
*sustaining lines, saving face, avoiding losing face; we try to maintain our own and other's faces with the Rule of Self-Respect (for us) & Rule of Considerateness (for others). All to avoid or fix embarrassment. 3 types: -Avoidance: don't partake in a certain situation -Corrective: actively preventing, making jokes, providing account -Aggressive: self-serving
Emotional Management
*the evocation or suppression of emotions to fit normative emotional expectations -Feeling Rules -Surface/ Deep Acting >Behavioral Strategies (for surface)~ physiological changes, expressive gestures, situational selection, action >Cognitive Strategies (for deep)~ reappraisal, suppression, distraction, rumination
Face
*the positive social value a person effectively claims for himself by the line of others assume he has taken an image of self delineated in terms of approval of social attributes
definition of the situation-Goffman
*to know what to expect from each other in the interaction. 3 types: 1) Frame: where it happens 2) Identity: who is there and how it is situated 3) Appropriate Behaviors: affects our interpretations and attributions of what happens and must be agreed upon for successful interaction
Sources of Embarrassment
- lacking skills necessary for anidentity - violation of privacy norms - awkwardness or lack of poise - another's embarrassment
Lareau Parenting Styles
-Natural Growth~ lower class (Harold); child oriented free time; authoritative power; fear of institutions; sense of constraint -Concerted Cultivation~ upper class (Alexander); adult driven activities with no free time; negotiation and response with language; use of institutions; sense of entitlement
2 types of self presentation
-Self-enhancement: enhancing the positivity of one's self-concept, or by reducing the negativity of one's self-concept -Self-depreciation: making others comfortable by downplaying their abilities.
Reject Sterotypes and Redefine Selves
-Strippers: *look at dancing as a means to an end *manage appearance while not dancing *have an alternate identity outside of stripping that they base their identity *often share true selves w/ customers -Mobile homeowners * -Getting Angry to Get Ahead:
Responses to Embarrassment
-exaggerated reassertion of our identity -apologize, provide an account, or another aligning action -aggression
MMA Reading
-scripting (event schema)-plan, rehearsing reduces fear -Framing: shapes our thinking and feelings -Othering (implicit: creating a powerful virtual self) (oppressive other: view others as inferior) >> athletes do identity work Emotional expressions: stare down, anger >>>manage their own emotions as well as others
The Corrective Process (for saving face)
1) The Challenge: participants call attention to a threat to face/ misconduct 2) The Offering: the offender gets a chance to correct for the offense a. redefine the offensive act or himself b. apologize to/ compensate the injured c. punish himself 3) Acceptance: the offended persons accept the offering 4) Thanks: the offender expresses gratitude for being forgiven --> when all these steps occur, the expressive order is reestablished/ legitimized as sacred
What are the three types of mindlessness?
1) Trapped by Categories: rely rigidly on categories or distinctions -Example of door vs. 8x7 piece of wood 2) Automatic Behavior: often tied to habit -Example:when the barista says enjoy your coffee and you reply "thanks, you too) 3) Acting from a Single Perspective: highly specific instruction -Example: the couple gets stuck in the corn maze and calls the police because they were given strict instruction to find your way through instead of just following the light and crossing over the corn rows)
Types of Emotions
1. Affect 2. Mood 3. Sediment 4. Emotions
Types of Face Work (all to avoid embarrassment)
1. avoidance- ignoring or don't put yourself in a situation 2. Aligning process-disclaimer,apology, account 3. aggressive process (self-serving)- when we lose face we want someone else to lose face too. >>>>If we fart and someone calls us out causing us to lose face we turn and blame them for doing it or say at least I don't pick my nose. 4. Corrective process-laugh and address the problem
What are the three types of stigma?(Goffman)
1. blemishes of individual character 2. Physical stigma 3. tribal stigma
Overcome sterotype threat
1. recognize it exists 2. remind yourself that thats aren't measures of IQ 3. consider your own self-worth; you are not a sterotype
7 self presentation tactics
1. self-disclosure 2. managing appearances 3. ingratiation 4. altercasting 5. emotion management 6. aligning actions 7. face work
Distancing
2 forms of distancing: bordering and fencing individuals separate the self from those they consider to be less worthy. It is a method used to deflect stigma Example:
Getting Angry to Get Ahead
> Status affects way anger can be expressed > Front stage interactions of controlling anger >>>leads to impression management
Rules of Denial & Women & Clit
> we ignore certain things on purpose >
Schema
A mental structure we use to organize and simplify our knowledge of the world around us
Which of the following is an example of the use of protective practices, or tact, as described by Goffman in The Presentation of Self?
A. A server at a restaurant, while attempting to signify being a competent employee, trips and spills food on her customers in front of her boss. B. A seaman apologizes profusely after he comes back home because, after becoming so accustomed to swearing when communicating with his coworkers at sea, he inadvertently used the f-word when asking his mother to pass the butter. C. A guest shows up at his host's home a week before he said he would be there. Instead of pointing out his mistake, the host welcomes him in and shows him to the guest room. D. While at a club, a man named Kyle decides to engage in conversation with Sarah to distract her, so that Kyle's friend Joshua can attempt to hook up with Sarah's friend Emily.
Biases in Attribution
Actor-observer bias Observer had different perception than the actor about what is going on Example: When a car cuts someone off. People watching have a perception about the driver, while the driver has a perception like he didn't see the car that the observer doesn't know about.
What are our 3 Selves?
Authentic self - (who we really are) Ideal self - (an image of who we want to be) Tactical self - (who we think others want us to be) Example: Carl Situation~ Jessica didn't really like Carl= authentic Jessica wanted to like Carl because he was smart and would treat her well= ideal Carl wanted to be with Jessica and Jessica knew he wanted her to be his girlfriend so she thought she should be= tactical
Jerry is engaged in an important work meeting. While the president of his company is speaking, Jerry's stomach rumbles loudly. No one present acknowledges the incident and the meeting carries on without interruption. According to Goffman's conception, what type of face-work is this
Avoidance Process- tactful Blindness
How do feeling rules rely on socialization?
Because socialization is about teaching kids what is socially expected of them, feeling rules fit into this category. Kids don't automatically realize what tactful blindness is in a public bathroom or that they should be happy at parties. These feeling rules are internalized through socialization through areas such as observation and conditioning.
Categories and Schemas: games & shows
Berenstein Bears & sesame street: categorize to see what fits and what doesn't Old Maid: categorize people
Tactful blindness: Cahill Reading
Definition: we save people's faces by pretending to ignore them, so that they can recover themselves. Example: Ignoring unfavorable smells or sounds coming from a stall next to you in a public bathroom
Disclaimer
Example: When someone says "No offense but..." before they proceed on saying something potentially offensive
Front Stage/ Front Region (Goffman)
Formal; Self-presentationarea of social interaction where people perform and work to manage other individuals impressions of them *where performances are given to an audience, norms are followed, and efforts are made to not discredit an impression or identity Examples: In the Girl Hunt men presented themselves as a masculine identity In Getting Angry: black men would present a united front to offset group schemas about black men who get mad easily.
Process of Socialization
How they are socializing them to learn to be productive members of society
Back Stage/back region (Goffman)
Informal; area where you can rehearse and rehash behavior with less societal pressure to conform; *where impressions are openly constructed, use of props, creation of plan, and normality of person's behavior
Lareau
Invisible Inequality: looked at socialization of 2 types of homes in study
Why is our 3 selves important to Goffman?
It is the first step in determining who we will be in the situation, our authentic self, ideal self, or tactical self
How is Mead's discussion of generalized other applicable to the discussion of backstage behaviors in public bathrooms?
One way it's applicable is through the symbolic interaction of washing hands. Sinks in public bathrooms are put in the area that everyone can see so that people will be able to publicly acknowledge that they are thinking of others' wellbeing when they wash their hands free of the "profane." People will wash their hand even if nobody else is in the restroom, which shows they are conscious of the social expectations put upon them even if no one else is there to witness them do it.
Working consensus
Shared definition of the situation and agree on each others roles. Goffman
Four components of emotion
Situational Ques- something happening in our environment that we interpret as in need of a response Example: I see a snake Expressive gestures: action or expression to situational que Example: I scream Physiological state: Changes that occur within the body Example: Heartbeat increases, sweating, breathing hard Emotional label: The way I feel Example: I'm scare
Group Schema
Sterotypes In group/out group; race gender groups you associate with them Example: Doll Test showed group schema of white and black dolls and the feelings associated with the group schema the girls felt.
Deep Acting-Goffman/Hothschild
Trying to feel a required emotion (funeral). Ex.Link with Closure Talk we try to feel a certain way in order to grieve properly to get closure
Agent of socialization
Who is socializing them Example: Parents
Concept Schema
a mental group of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
self-schema
a self-given label that carries with it a set of qualities Example: list of things we identified ourself with
Acting from a single perspective
act based on a highly specific instruction Example: During a corn maze you are specifically told to follow maze to get out. People called 911 b/c they followed instructions when they could have walked thru corn to get out
Impression Management
act of presenting public image so others form positive judgements of you
blemishes of individual character
character traits perceived as weak will, domineering, or unnatural passions, treacherous and rigid beliefs, and dishonesty, these being inferred from a known record Example: mental disorder, imprisonment, addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, unemployment, suicidal attempts, and radical political behavior.
Surface acting-Goffman/Hothschild
emotional labor that consists of managing or faking one's expressions or emotions. *Hothschild talks about "The Managed Heart" where people do emotional work that require them to have certain emotional presence. Waiter, airplane attendent Example: acting happy about getting a gift even if you hate the gift
Account
explanations offered to mitigate responsibility AFTER performing acts that threaten identities • excuses or justifications Example: The reason I failed the test was because my wifi was out all weekend and I couldn't study my notes on my computer.
Mood
general condition that characterize our experience and emotional orientation for days or hours
Closure Talk
gives a short cut to deal with the situation in managing our emotions.
role schema
how people in certain roles are expected to behave according to their role Example: President, teacher, priest
Identity Work
how we construct our identities in everyday life (verbally, physically, textually, symbolically, behaviorally)
A fundamental attribution error
immediately focus on internal causes of behavior and to discount external factors.
Altercasting
imposing/ casting identities and roles on others Example: Mom calls son a good boy because she wants to play the role of a good mother
tactical self
in impression management, who we think others want us to be.
Sediments
longer than emotional state; tied to an object but not cause of emotion rather emotional about object
Relational Emotion Competence
lonlieness, empathy (put yourself in one's shoes) Example: look at why the person did what they did
Attribution
looking at what actually caused something to happen Example: girl gets out of dads car and forgets to get money so reaches in car window to get money wearing a short skirts and cops pull up....thinking she is selling sex and the dad is buying a prostitute
Aligning Actions (Impression Management)
making questionable behavior acceptable by lining up behavior that is inconsistent: -Disclaimers -Apologies -Accounts
Affect
most general term of emotion not classified by personality trait positive, negative, neutral
feeling rules
norms regarding the expression and display of emotions; expectations about the acceptable or desirable feelings in a given situation Example: A woman should feel extremely happy that she is expecting (pregnant); in an individualistic emotion culture like U.S.
Apology
often combined with account to ease/help Example: I'm sorry I failed my test, it's just that my wifi was out all weekend and I wasn't able to study on my pc
emotional deviance
one is unable to effectively manage emotions to meet expectations for that given situation, their emotions are out of line with how we should feel in a situation
negative interpersonal ritual
person's right to privacy rather than honoring them out of respect for who they are. IDK CHECK THIS AGAIN FOR ACCURACY
Types of Schemas
person, role, self, group, event
Physical stigma
physical or mental impairments Example: missing a leg
Self-presentation
presenting the person we would like others to believe we are
Saving-face
preserving one's reputation, credibility, or dignity. how we reclaim face when it has been lost 1. Corrective Processes (excuses) 2. Avoidance Processes (skipping class)
Individualistic Emotion Competence
pride, anger
Saving Face
process of attempting to maintain a positive self-image in a relational situation Example: In Sex & the City when she farted she saved face by using avoidance process of not communicating to the man for a while
Cognitive strategies for emotion management
reappraisal, distraction, suppression, nomination to suppress negative thoughts by putting them aside and being positive Example: I broke up with my boyfriend and feel really sad, to deal with it I'll focus on downplaying how great the relationship was and that it's not a big deal
Person Schema
representations of a certain person's traits and actions. Example: my mom not everyone's mom; she is a great cook and if she made food that tasted horrible I would be shocked
self-disclosure
revealing one's feelings and behaviors to others - reciprocal -Women tend to self-disclose more than men •In part because they self-disclose to otherwomen. •Also because they disclose more to people they have a relationship with. •Usually produces liking, but one can disclose too much.
Event Schema
set of behaviors that are performed the same way each time; also referred to as a cognitive script Example: Prof Collett's mom expectation's for how a date should unfold with the the date to come out of the car and meet the mother before taking off. She was referring to a particular script of what she considers a date.
Stigma
severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs thought to be against societal norms
Emotions
short-lived reactions related to goals
Behavior strategies for emotion management
situation selection, action, expressive gestures, change physiological symptoms To change deep emotion Example: psyching people up, going out with friends
tribal stigma
stigma of group identity that comes from being of a particular race, nation, religion, etc. These stigmas are transmitted though lineages and contaminate all members of a family.
Euphemisms
taboo is when you don't refer to a topic, but it's not strictly prohibited to refer to it, so euphemisms are used to refer to it when talking about denial
Automatic behavior
the performance of routine tasks or habit Example: When the cashier at the movie theater says, "Enjoy the movie!" and you reply "Thanks, you too!" Example: Driving to school every morning without directions is an example of which type of mindlessness
Ingratiation
the process whereby people flatter, praise, and generally try to make themselves likable to another person, often of higher status
Managing Appearances
using props (glasses, fake eyelashes, hair extensions, changing how one looks with hair, clothes, makeup, shaving, etc.
Focus of Attention Bias
we focus attention on affects attribution Example: We see someone running from the source of gun shots. We immediately create suspicion about the person since they caught our attention during the incident. Example: If someone farts while in an asile and leaves then someone else comes down the asile and see only you and smells a bad smell they will believe it is you
Passing
when people with a stigma that is not known about (the discreditable) "pass" in public as someone "normal" (i.e., s/o without a stigma) Example: In Marvasti Reading
target of socialization
who is being socialized Example: child
ideal self
who we want to be
Rule of considerateness
worry about others face; puts others in an awkward position
Rule of Self-Respect
worry about your own face
Socialization in individualist cultures
young children tend to be trained in individualistic emotions (e.g., anger, pride) that occur within people and socialized to express their emotions. Their individualistic cultural upbringing also affects their source of happiness (e.g., individual accomplishment/benefit).
Socialization in collectivist cultures
young children tend to be trained in relational emotions (e.g., empathy, shame) that occur between people and socialized to be less emotionally expressive. Their collectivist cultural upbringing also affects their source of happiness (e.g., group cohesion or harmony, joint accomplishment/benefit).