As human beings, we interact with and socialize with others on a day-to-day basis. These interactions that we have settled down in and take for granted are much more than just a part of our daily routine. The manner in which we connect with other humans can communicate various messages, all through the usage of body language and nonverbal cues. To truly perceive this, I have conducted a social observation of a group of people in a college campus, paying close attention to their behaviors, gestures, and even facial expressions. The purpose of this observation is to analyze and dissect the manner in which people socialize with each other, and attempt to distinguish between simply observing as opposed to concluding with opinionated interpretations.
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84). This plays into the social interaction between male 1 and females 1 and 2. Male 1 was continuously trying to entertain and make females 1 and 2, which can be interpreted as a means for him to project his internalized “me.” His behavior may also relate to Charles Horton Cooley’s concept of the “looking-glass self” which is the “self image that result from our interpretation of other people’s views of us” (p. 83). Perhaps he is always known to be the “funny one” in the group, so because others see him that way, he is trying even harder to uphold that view and represent himself in that specific way that others perceive him. Although he may be trying very hard to be humorous, the rest of the group may just view his behavior as his regular social routine or social interaction. This is known as “interaction guided by the ordinary, taken-for-granted rules that enable people to live, work and socialize together,” which includes nonverbal cues and symbols (p. 94). The self-consciousness of female 2 relates to the concept of presentation of self and a person’s front and back stages. The presentation of self is how humans create impressions of themselves to control a certain social situation. A front stage, as defined by Erving Goffman, is a “stage” where we as people show ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to others, almost as if we are social actors, whereas a person’s back stage is when people do not have to present themselves in a constant state of “acting” (p. 96). Female 2 is presenting herself on her front stage when she is socializing with her peers because she is heavily focused on her physical appearance and how she is viewed by
84). This plays into the social interaction between male 1 and females 1 and 2. Male 1 was continuously trying to entertain and make females 1 and 2, which can be interpreted as a means for him to project his internalized “me.” His behavior may also relate to Charles Horton Cooley’s concept of the “looking-glass self” which is the “self image that result from our interpretation of other people’s views of us” (p. 83). Perhaps he is always known to be the “funny one” in the group, so because others see him that way, he is trying even harder to uphold that view and represent himself in that specific way that others perceive him. Although he may be trying very hard to be humorous, the rest of the group may just view his behavior as his regular social routine or social interaction. This is known as “interaction guided by the ordinary, taken-for-granted rules that enable people to live, work and socialize together,” which includes nonverbal cues and symbols (p. 94). The self-consciousness of female 2 relates to the concept of presentation of self and a person’s front and back stages. The presentation of self is how humans create impressions of themselves to control a certain social situation. A front stage, as defined by Erving Goffman, is a “stage” where we as people show ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to others, almost as if we are social actors, whereas a person’s back stage is when people do not have to present themselves in a constant state of “acting” (p. 96). Female 2 is presenting herself on her front stage when she is socializing with her peers because she is heavily focused on her physical appearance and how she is viewed by