SOC 001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Erving Goffman, Symbolic Interactionism, Norm (Social)

• School: University of Vermont
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 001
• Professor: Thomas E Macias

Document Summary

Veblen we derive competitive satisfaction from the costliness and wastefulness of a product. Norms established standards of behavior maintained by a society. Erving goffman: norms reflect our desire to fit in" in any social setting. Formal norms: generally written; specify strict punishments, laws. Informal norms: generally understood but not precisely recorded; informal shame and praise. Sanctions penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm. Values collective notions of what is good, desirable, and proper- or bad, undesirable, etc. There are qualitative differences between mediated (imagined) and unmediated forms of culture. There can be no self apart from social interaction. Symbolic interaction requires we imagine how others perceive us (reflexivity). The self emerges from this social process and requires a social language. Language allows us to be both subject ( i ) and object ( me ). Language allows us to have internal conversations (to think). Generalized other recognition of social norms and appropriate behavior.