Showing papers in "Symbolic Interaction in 1979"

Characteristics And Types Of Participation In Social Worlds

Abstract: The concept of social world is given greater analytical power by categorizing differential participation through a typology of social types—strangers, tourists, regulars, and insiders. These trans-situational social types are examined in terms of their commitment, relationships, experiences, and orientation to social worlds. Social worlds are also discussed in terms of three qualities of interaction—relevance, accessibility, and receptivity.

Political Activist As Participant Observer: Conflicts Of Commitment In A Study Of The Draft Resistance Movement Of The 1960's*

Abstract: In studying the draft resistance movement of the 1960's the author combined sociological observation with active and politically committed participation in the movement. The resulting conflicts of loyalty were rooted in basic characteristics of the movement, and of field research as a way of being in and experiencing the world. There were conflicts between political and research goals in daily decisions about how to allocate time and energy, and in larger choices about whether to take risks and to more fully join the community of fate of the movement. The role of researcher became a retreat, expressing limits to involvement and risk-taking, and providing a point of outside leverage which full participants lacked. The movement's ways of defining and interpreting experience ran counter to the more detached and routihizing perspectives of sociology. Conflicts between being a committed participant and an observing sociologist culminated in a sense of betraying the movement, and raised basic questions about uses, organization, and types of knowledge.

A Dramaturgical Analysis Of Movement Accommodation: Building Idiosyncrasy Credit As A Movement Mobilization Strategy*

Abstract: Addressed in this paper are two problems that have received little empirical attention in the social movement literature: the problem of outward-reaching strategies and tactics and the problem of movement adaptation and accommodation to its environment of operation. The paper sheds some empirical and theoretical light on these two problems by examining how a contemporary religious movement in America has strategically sought to establish a viable, accommodative relationship with the larger society by attempting to render itself respectable and legitimate in the public eye. The findings suggest that movement accommodation might be best understood as an outward-reaching strategy aimed at securing “idiosyncrasy credit”—which is conceptualized as a movement-related resource that has the property of allowing a certain amount of idiosyncratic behavior or nonconformity.

Power: A Conceptual Framework*

Abstract: Symbolic interactionism lacks a coherent conception of power This paper defines power in a manner consistent with the interactionist perspective Power is conceptualized as a collective transaction characterized by a division of labor, movement toward a common end, and flexible coordination between opponents Power is distinguished from other types of collective transactions by asymmetrical interaction, a conflict of interests between opponents, and the intentional production of compliance Some implications of considering power as a collective transaction are then examined

Comic Relief In Everyday Life: Dramaturgic Observations On A Function Of Humor*

Abstract: The comic relief of the theater has an everyday analog. It is seen in the momentary humorous respites from the seriousness or lengthy concentration on a collective task commonly found in certain spheres of daily life. These respites facilitate the completion of that task by refreshing the participants. Observations of social comic relief made during a series of rehearsals and performances of an amateur theater company are reported. The nature and function of this sort of humor is considered, first in theater, and then in other similar settings. A comparison of social comic relief as a function of humor with selected philosophical and psychological relief theories of humor follows. A concluding section considers the place of creativity and wit in social comic relief.

The Intcractionist Study Of Social Organization: A Note On Method

Abstract: A symbolic interactionist approach to the study of social organizations is specified. Materials are drawn from an on-going investigation of the American liquor industry, which is treated as a fragmented organization. The core actors, activities and interactional locales of the industry are identified. The problems of establishing a historical baseline for a case study are discussed, as are the problems of confronting archival data, locating informants, and establishing interactive linkages. The stages in writing a case history of an organization are presented and illustrated with examples drawn from the American liquor industry.

Role Selection: The Influence of Internalized Vocabularies of Motive

Abstract: The notion of internalized vocabulary of motive is introduced in an analysis of role selection that also incorporates the concepts person, self, identity, and role-taking. The selection process is described as being influenced by the person's attempt to assemble a role pattern which provides an overall source of validation and satisfaction for an internalized vocabulary of motive. The role-choice implications of the balance of satisfactions among what are called operating dominant roles, model dominant roles and ephemeral roles are considered, and a measurement technique is suggested. It is argued that what appears to be conformist role enactment by a person can actually be a creative act of role selection. The role taken “as is” can effectively contribute another component to an idiosyncratically balanced role array assembled and enacted by the individual.

Influencing Common Sense Interpretations Of An Urban Setting: The Freeway Coffee Shop*

Abstract: This paper attempts to make explicit the process and strategies by which one urban setting (a freeway coffee shop) attempts to guide, influence, and direct the interpretations of passersby. In this way, we might begin to see how urban settings and organizations construct and manage impressions which facilitate the codification schemes of urbanites. Finally, the approach suggested in this paper is one which will hopefully contribute to the broader study of urban social organization. The data were collected through informal conversations, unstructured interviews, and participant observation.

Children's Interaction With Commercials*

Abstract: strongly advocated conceptualizing the role of the child as an active entity in the viewing environment. Unfortunately, traditional research strategies in the communications field are better suited to the study of static relationships and passive receivers. This study approaches child viewing behavior from a symbolic interactionist perspective, utilizing naturalistic methods to examine the interactional nature of the child/television relationship. Behavior specimen records as suggested by Denzin (1973) are presented as illustration and in support of the view of the child as active in the television environment. These data are drawn from observation of nine selected family groups during otherwise natural viewing conditions in their homes. While the study has focused on commercials as specific elements, it is also concerned more broadly with the character of the viewing experience for the child. The selection and review of literature in the area of child/television advertising is a challenging undertaking. While there is a growing body of literature in the field, it is focused on rather narrowly drawn questions, e.g., commercial content, understanding of commercials linked with various sociopsychological variables (including exposure levels, family education, intelligence, attitudes and beliefs). Most relevent here are those studies which examine children and television commercials in relation to parent-child interaction and children’s consumer learning. Again, the questions are narrowly drawn, being primarily concerned with the judgments about advertising and its dysfunctional effects rather than an understanding of the role of commercials in the world of the child. It is ironic that while concern with parent-child interaction surrounding television commercial viewing is an area of relatively recent scholarly interest and research effort, advertising practice has long recognized the importance of the strategy of making buyers of the parents by selling the child.

Laughter and Symbolic Interaction

Abstract: DAVIS’ STIMULATING PAPER throws out a challenge and justifies a renewed interest of Symbolic Interactionists in humor. Although I do not agree that SI is “a passe’ almost establishment paradigm,” and although I see no signs of a flagging interest in Mead, I see Davis’ characterization of the essence of humor as quite in keeping with the SI focus on the active, innovative nature of persons. So I agree with him. But I would go further. It is indeed true that when we see the fundamentals of our organized world suddenly questioned as by “status transfer,” we will often laugh. And perhaps the distancing that he refers to does protect us from being engulfed in it. But quite as often we do not laugh-we weep, we shake with fear, we become angry at those who allow such a thing to happen, and if the disorganization continues for long we experience unbearable tension to the point where we yawn to help relieve it or even avoid the situation. Sometimes we laugh till tears come into our eyes and sometimes we become so frightened that when we look around and see how frightened others are too, we break out in uncontrollable laughter at how silly we all look. The intertwined character of these emotions has been carefully studied by Jackins and Scheff, and I think the case for the relationship among them is quite strong. Both Jackins (1965,1973) and Scheff (1976,1977,1978,1979) (and I) take the view that such emotions overwhelm us unless we can discharge them by weeping, shaking, bristling, yawning and laughing. And the distancing phenomenon is quite as important in all cases. If we are too close we get swept up in our grief, fear, anger or tension and become rigid and unable to function at all. If we are too far away we do not experience the disorganization at all. So not merely distancing, but an appropriate distance is called for-close enough to experience the disorganization but far enough away to feel safe enough to deal with it by some form of discharge. On laughter itself, it seems to me that the experience of incongruity is not enough. There is a famous old story told of the humorists who go to a special place in heaven and proceed to tell each other their favorite stories. They discover that all jokes can be classified into 84 types with 10 jokes each. After awhile they decide to speed up the process of telling a joke, a man simply calls out “18, No. 4,” or “47, No. 5.” A comedian dies and goes to heaven where he is introduced to this system. He listens as numbers are called out and people break immediately into laughter. Then he hears one rather diffident person suddenly call out: “22, No. 6” but no one laughs. The man tries again “66, No. 10” and again no one laughs. Someone takes the newcomer to one side and explains sadly: “Stay away from that guy. He just doesn’t know how to tell a joke.”The suggestion here is that skill is necessary, but there is much more than a psychological dimension. Crucial is the social setting within which a joke is told; e.g., the fact that a Jewish audience will accept and laugh at Jewish jokes when told by a Jewish comedian at a B’nai B’rith fund raising luncheon or the sorts of social subtleties to which Rose Coser calls our attention in humor on hospital wards.

Secondary Popular Culture

Abstract: In the context of “primary process” assumptions concerning mass distributed culture, the idea of “secondary process” assumptions is developed. A secondary popular culture process (1) is focused on the time period after “legitimate” distribution is conventionally considered complete, (2) treats “finished” cultural materials as raw materials, (3) takes for granted the design and actualization features of “legitimate” production and distribution (which is tantamount to “sacredness”), (4) “turns over” nationally (and internationally) produced wants (“markets”) at the local level for local profit, and (5) creates localized occupational, professional, and stylistic identities which are unanticipated consequences of the centralized producer's work. The idea is then illustrated through a brief discussion of the author's research concerning local popular music performers.

Interactional Considerations In Studying American "Indians" The Case Of Adolescent Self-Esteem*

Abstract: This paper argues that symbolic interactionists must recognize the necessity to not overgeneralize their data and to accurately reflect the natural environment of “lndianness” when investigating the empirical reality of the American “Indian’s” social world. Data pertaining to the self-esteem of Arapahoe and Shoshone adolescents living on Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation are discussed as a case in point. Arapahoe and Shoshone youth attending integrated high schools, as a racial and numerical minority, were found to have relatively high levels of self-esteem. The implications of this finding are reviewed. THE RESEARCH LITERATURE on measures of self-esteem among racial minority groups in American society is changing. Early findings pertaining to the self-esteem of blacks, for example, indicated that blacks tend to view themselves in a more negative fashion than whites (cf., Clark and Clark, 1950; Dreger and Miller, 1960; Proshansky and Newton, 1968). Recent research concludes otherwise and suggests that blacks, especially black school children, have relatively high levels of self-esteem (cf. Baughman, 1971; Rosenberg and Simmons, 1972; Powell and Fuller, 1973; St. John, 1975; Simmons, 1978). Whether this change is due to new ideologies emphasizing

Work Setting And Behavior—An Empirical Examination Of Building Construction Work*

Abstract: This paper will examine the relationship between the inanimate physical work setting of the building construction project and the behavior patterns of the building construction tradesmen who work there. A construction project is a unique variety of behavioral setting; it is a transitional work setting (Riemer, 1975a). Each day as the building progresses it changes in physical structure and provides a new basis from which to build. Building construction projects differ from factories or office buildings since workers are continually confronted with a changing work milieu. Most existing research has taken place in permanent work settings where the longitudinal interdependence of setting and worker behavior has been neglected. The transitional nature of the building construction project can best be portrayed by describing the more salient changes that occur during the phases of the building sequence. In the beginning of the “roughing phase” the site is leveled, surveyed and excavated. Concrete footings are poured and weight bearing columns and concrete block walls are raised on these footings. The basement is capped off (in this case with pre-cast concrete planks), and the rough carpentry work begins. The building is “framed out,” and plumbing, heating and electrical systems begin to be roughed in. Outside the building, the various “life line” systems (electric, gas, water, sewer, and telephone) are brought over and connected to the building. Once completed, the site is backfilled and leveled to finish grade. As the roughing phase continues, drywalling is installed creating the rooms and other internal regions of the building. When sewer and water linesare completed, the basement floor is leveled and poured with concrete. During this period the external walls and roof of the building are completed while the internal roughing work continues. Before the roughing work ends, the “finishing phase” begins. Walls are painted, telephones are installed and wallpaper is hung. Outside the landscapingis being done, and roadways are being completed. Electrical and plumbing fixtures are installed along with cabinets, carpeting and appliances. The final phase consists of testing and inspecting the systems of the new building and putting on the final touches of paint, stain and fretwork. When the last of the cleaning is complete, the building is complete. Just as the physical structure of the building changes from its inception to completion, so do the workers and the working conditions facing them. In the beginning of the “roughing phase” few workers are present on the site, and their working conditions are crude and primitive. Few basic conveniences are present

The Interrelationship of Process And Content in Field Work

Abstract: This paper discusses how the process and content of field work are deeply connected in the continual back and forth movements between concrete data, topical and generic conceptualizations, and disciplined abstractions. Consensus and conflict between researchers and those researched are at the heart of such movements. My experiences as researcher in-process were similar to the experiences which others in the settings were having; those others' experiences formed the bases of the content of my studies. Important process and content dimensions included: 1) alienation and sociability in singles bars; 2) seriousness and playfulness alone and with others in health spas; and 3) rituals accentating and mitigating the stigma of overweight in group dieting.