symbolic interactionism and inequality

Power in Symbolic Interactionism via Social Exchange Theory. Thus, social stratification is a result of these individual interactions. It integrates a bargaining theory of power into symbolic interactionism, and alters the symbolic interactionist discussion of power by putting it into a context of social exchange . While the women largely stay at home, the male members of this kin group help each other to gain high paying jobs within the same industry as her husband with one becoming quite wealthy. [3] Also, similar processes can develop with a tight knit group of friends from high school or college. In it, gifts can be used to benefit the whole community through philanthropy, but they also may serve to create patrimonial relationships. The purposes of these oppressions are boundary maintenance processes to indicate that the oppressors belong to a superior group and the subordinates belong to a less worthy group. It is a form of group exchange where one person gives to another, who then in turn gives to a third person. In row 5 (items 13, 14, and 15) people may be of low rank because of accidents or bad luck. This does not mean that all social mobility in families is tied to generalized exchange. In row 6 (items 16, 17 and 18) lower status persons with perhaps certain abilities and talents that they themselves recognize view their low status as being due to discrimination and bias coming from higher status persons. Most often, more distant others are in restricted exchange relationships. "Symbolic Interactionism, or Interactionism for short, is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology Interactionists focus on the subjective aspects of social life, rather than on objective, macro-structural aspects of social systems For the interactionist, society consists of organized and patterned interactions among individuals. Therefore structural sources of redefinition are ignored." (Term paper on Symbolic Interaction Theory, 2008). 202 Patterson Office Tower It integrates a bargaining theory of power into symbolic interactionism, and alters the symbolic interactionist discussion of power by putting it into a context of social exchange and types of social mobility. She informally entertains family and friends in a manner that reflects her idea of prevailing respectable social norms of her communitynothing more and nothing less. Afterwards, he says that no payment is necessary, but: Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. In a sense, they are saying I want my social mobility back or I dont want others to be rising above me with their own social mobility. On the other hand, those on the bottom may make the claim that upward mobility has no effect on others at the top, but relationally, this is not the case. However, Strauss does not go far with this conception of bargaining as it might appear in political action. More market exchange, often among strangers, is restricted exchange where one expects immediate payback. Social networks of kin and association in social mobility settings can occur in different formats according to bonding and bridging capital. There is a bond but it is contingent on tit-for-tat exchange. In row 4 (items 10, 11 and 12), people with low rank view their social position due to their lack of ability, and they engage in accepting the other imposed upon them by higher ranking people. This generalized exchange does not demand immediate payback and helping one may lead to them helping another so that the initiator of the exchange does not expect immediate payback. And the Kennedy example, which of course is well known, shows how promotion can even lead to the Presidency of the United States. These reactions will also relate to the processes of positive, negative, and neutral generalized others discussed in the previous section. Symbolic interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on meanings attached to human interaction, both verbal and non-verbal, and to symbols. All of the families used internal generalized exchange which can be referred to as bonding capital (Putnam 2000, 2020). Through your interactions with the letters 'dog', you see this as a furry, four-legged canine. George Herbert Mead does not say much about power in his social psychological theory, and when encountering the topic, the authoritative symbolic interactionist text by Sandstrom, Lively, Martin and Fine (2014: 177-184) after a very brief review of the concept largely embraces the social exchange theory of Richard Emerson (1962) that sees power as dependency. Also, Richard Titmus in the The Gift Relationship (1997) describes the difference between exchanging blood based on it being a gift or being paid for the donation. Eventually, they become upper-middle class by maintaining both their kinship and business ties by emphasizing positive family and business generalized others. However, in this book, I find that they can be profitably put together or synthesized. The end result is a more nuanced and extended theory of power in society with elements of motivation at the individual and group level. Eventually, they become upper-middle class by maintaining both their kinship and business ties by emphasizing positive family and business generalized others. But again, the social mobility boundary is fought most between row 3 of the vulnerable high-status people, and row 6 of the discriminated against but talented low-status persons. When searching the word "socialization", the definition found was as follows: "a continuing process whereby an . But again, the social mobility boundary is fought most between row 3 of the vulnerable high-status people, and row 6 of the discriminated against but talented low-status persons. Thus, the social mobility process is not just a reaction to blockages, but it is a creative process of external valuation through generalized others, and internal identification through self-processes. The two types are when the groups overlap or they do not. Exchange theory then leads to bargaining processes, which will be discussed more fully in chapter 9 on the macro-level. One could make a similar comment about the Bush family as a political dynasty (Baker 2008). This is presented in table 5.2 along with material from Jonathan Turner and Jan Stets (2004). Group to group generalized exchange can occur also through mutually exclusive groups (item 10) or overlapping groups (item 11). Generalized exchange looks to the betterment of the group as a whole, while restricted exchange is about the individual gaining for themselves. Following Goffman and bridging Mead and Athens, there seem to be two modes of behavior: (1) a general form of sociation where people generally intend to get along with each other as friends and associates, and (2) a strategic form of interaction that looks more like bargaining behavior where one has a sense of seeking specific monetary or other gains. Nonetheless, Athens does present symbolic interaction with an initial approach to power, which this theory sorely needs. For an auto example, Ford Motor Company has had many Ford family members running the company; however, General Motors has had only one Sloan in the form of Alfred P. Sloan who had no children and his foundation operates on the East Coast. This section interrogates the concept of power and its weak presence in symbolic interactionist theory, and then goes into the theory's conceptions of inequality. The daughter complains to her grandmother, who has been an underpaid domestic for many decades to a prominent old and respected family. Further examples can be seen in the development of trade unions. For instance, if the exchange takes place repeatedly over time, norms evolve about the relationship. Among her kin, she aims to keep the family together for over 50 years with parties with over 60 people. And the subordinates react to oppressive othering in a number of different ways. Thus, the social mobility process is not just a reaction to blockages, but it is a creative process of external valuation through generalized others, and internal identification through self-processes. In row 6 (items 16, 17 and 18) lower status persons with perhaps certain abilities and talents that they themselves recognize view their low status as being due to discrimination and bias coming from higher status persons. The symbolic interaction theory basically addresses two issues. These people are very self-confident and quite connected. Second, Beverly Johnson comes from an ethnic and lower-middle-class family and marries a man whose family has a prominent background. For instance, Anselm Strauss (1978; Strauss et al. All too often, the processes of the generalized other are portrayed as supportive othering such as mothers and fathers interacting with their children in the socialization process. The purposes of these oppressions are boundary maintenance processes to indicate that the oppressors belong to a superior group and the subordinates belong to a less worthy group. Symbolic interaction has a particular weakness concerning a concept critical to political sociology and that is the concept of power. The two types of behavior have two different types of exchange. In every day go along with the flow and follow established norms of proper conduct, citizens pursue a form of generalized exchange whereby the good of the community is pursued. (2000) provide a more nuanced view of oppressive othering by viewing different attributions with external and internal reactions from generalized others. How does symbolic interaction theory explain inequality? Gender Inequality, Functionalism and Symbolic Interactionism. [2] Later on, Don Corleone does call in the favor to take care of a dead body using the mans funeral parlor. Communicationthe exchange of meaning through language . The second type of exchange is generalized exchange. The conflict theory garners most individuals into two classes that stimulate inequality. Although Boston elites tended to discriminate against the Irish, some Irish social entrepreneurs become more powerful over time. The merit-based high-status persons and the low-skilled degraded low-status persons will most likely stay where they are in the social structureone feeling superior and the other deferential. Or if the exchange is to take place over a long period of time, perhaps for loans and bond purchases, the arrangement is firmly structured with a contract that covers many different aspects of the exchange. Gender inequality refers to the inequality between men and women, or the unequal treatment or perception of a person based on his or her gender. Consequently, it is also important to focus on the higher status persons who are subject to downward mobility because they will also be highly defensive, resistant and even violent. Each one of these families utilized various aspects of generalized exchange in what they perceived as their social mobility prospects. They then become one of the largest legal firms in a 10 state area. And lastly, Joseph P. Kennedy was the son of a successful Irish businessman. The end result is a more nuanced and extended theory of power in society with elements of motivation at the individual and group level. However, when groups are involved in strategic action then these calculations, in as much as they can be made, become quite important. The other form of strategic exchange is much narrower in scope and as a result it is called restricted exchange. 2014: 46-47; Reynolds 1987). More recently, Monica Whitman (2021) has shown that a strong norm of reciprocity will have powerful effects leading to social trust and generalized exchange for the betterment of the group. The mother reluctantly buys the dress for the ecstatic daughter, but angrily tells her mother (the daughters grandmother) that the scion has underpaid you for years, and that this is exactly what keeps us in our place.. 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