Symbolic Convergence Theory

study of human life, groups, and societies (Giddens et al. pg 4). According to Sally Raskoff, “Sociology and other sciences can help us attain perspective about things we don’t understand” (Raskoff, par. 10). Sociology allows for individuals to apply theories and perspectives to understand why things happen, such as cyber bullying and suicide (Giddens et al. pg 9). Sociology also focuses on breaking free from personal situations and putting things into a wider context (Giddens et al. pg 6). This…

In comparing and contrasting the presentation of the self through Erving Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life to Max Weber’s Bureaucracy and The Types of Legitimate Domination, they portray how one’s own self is shaped by society and to what extent people are free from society. As Weber tends to look at how hierarchies are impacted by the institutions of society and the leaders that are conditioned to fill those roles, Erving Goffman takes a unique perspective on the formation…

What is considered as the term ‘the gaze' can be constructed of how a society views individuals or even a group of individuals of the same qualities. An individual's perception can affect the functionality of society and civilisation. By assessing the gaze, we can determine how groups of individuals will be treated. It is common that the different groups of minorities that make up society, for example- homosexuals, will stand out of the ‘norms' that make up our everyday lives which can, in turn,…

as a social institution contributes to the structure of society. There are three main theories that are used to investigate the influence of society on families at the micro and macro levels, these paradigms are the structural functional…

Communication is the study of social science, a collaborative construction and negotiation of meaning between the self and others as it occurs within cultural contexts. It is the process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express ideas, thoughts, feelings, and so forth, to someone else. The goal of this discourse community is to inform members of the community about new research ideas and understand how people use messages to generate meanings…

SIT maintains that people use different processes to define their social reality and their own position in relation to others (Ellemers & Haslam, 2012). These processes are social categorisation, social comparison and social identification. Social categorisation is the process of deciding which group you or others belong to and is a psychological process that provides a way of responding to complex social situations. Individuals think of people in terms of certain social categories in order to…

way to justify the mistreatment of someone because of their race. You’ve seen that side of race being used heavily in the United States just for that reason. This paper will analyze the idea of race in society from a functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist point of view. From a functionalist perspective, race in society serves a purpose, as to give someone something non-material to call their own. Something that a whole group of people share in common, and can interact with each…

important to keep in mind how perspective shapes the reality through which information is analyses. Sociologists have formed different perspectives to attempt to explain behavior in particular social situations. Symbolic interactionism, phenomenology/ethnomethodology, and feminist theory perspectives all take different approaches and angles towards trying to answer questions about behavior and reality in society. No one perspective is seen as correct, but all are seen as useful. With the…

It is said without a doubt, that pop culture has profound influence on our lives every day. From advertisements before YouTube videos to the ads that sponsor our favorite radio station, we are surrounded by pop culture. Whether the effect is subliminal or prominent, there is no denying it. From a young age, we are subject to our environment. Things don’t just “go in one ear and out the other,” they stick and we learn from them, we are influenced and socialized because of them. As we grow up,…

Sociology is the study of the structure of society, human relationships, and the behavior of organized groups. It analyzes social worlds and the individuals that live within them (Dykstra-Crookshanks 2017). These studies include a wide range of subjects such as culture, gender, ethnicity, and race. Our world is filled with social issues and movies are a way for filmmakers to portray social conflicts. These movies can be made to increase awareness of issues or to simply make a statement about…