For instance, Anselm Strauss (1978; Strauss et al. 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. In table 5.1, I present eleven different exchange relationships divided between restricted and generalized exchange, but I will only go over the main points. It is a form of group exchange where one person gives to another, who then in turn gives to a third person. There are two types of exchange that can be applied to symbolic interactionism. Social exchange theory and symbolic interactionism are often thought of polar opposites, and in some ways they are. This is presented in table 5.2 along with material from Jonathan Turner and Jan Stets (2004). In a formula this might be: Your Power = 1 / Others dependencies on you, The others power = 1 / Your dependencies on the other, Relative power in = (Your power) (Others power). Collins theory is based on people being unequal in their resources, which links to power resources theory but he is a bit vague about the connection. Group to group generalized exchange can occur also through mutually exclusive groups (item 10) or overlapping groups (item 11). Instead Athens prefers to see the pursuit of power as the basic motivating force for human beings and their groups. 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. And the subordinates react to oppressive othering in a number of different ways. Inequality and Social Mobility in Symbolic Interactionism. Social networks of kin and association in social mobility settings can occur in different formats according to bonding and bridging capital. 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. The grandmother mentions the specific dress that the young girl wants at the most expensive boutique in town, and the scion she works for says, I know the owner of the store; I can talk to her. The grandmother then tells her granddaughter that the dress has been marked down by 70% of the original price so that it is the same price as the department store dress. And downward mobility is much more painful than lack of mobility. [3] Also, similar processes can develop with a tight knit group of friends from high school or college. 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. It is a form of group exchange where one person gives to another, who then in turn gives to a third person. However, a weak norm of generalized reciprocity (i.e., restricted exchange) will create weaker social bonds. Symbolic interaction has a particular weakness concerning a concept critical to political sociology and that is the concept of power. The firm of Wilson and Wilson become quite successful, and eventually the younger brothers and two children who become lawyers then expand the business to six other states. [2] Later on, Don Corleone does call in the favor to take care of a dead body using the mans funeral parlor. After describing the couples, the author develops a symbolic interactionist model to explain how the respondents made sense of their violence. They see four factors as being important in the creation of inequality: oppressive othering, boundary maintenance, emotion management, and subordinate adaptations (Schwalbe et al. And the subordinates react to oppressive othering in a number of different ways. In row 5 (items 13, 14, and 15) people may be of low rank because of accidents or bad luck. Most often, more distant others are in restricted exchange relationships. They are not as subordinated as those with degraded status, and they may achieve some limited mobility. 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. There are some strong inclinations toward bargaining theory in symbolic interactionist theory. There are two types of exchange that can be applied to symbolic interactionism. However, I want to move Schwalbe et al.s view of inequality further in the direction of social mobility. Symbolic interaction has a particular weakness concerning a concept critical to political sociology and that is the concept of power. Sometimes these exchanges are made more long-term, but they are carefully guarded by contracts assuring each partys interests are protected. Each one of these families utilized various aspects of generalized exchange in what they perceived as their social mobility prospects. Their internalizations are highly manipulative and can often be violent because they are located closest to the boundary between high and low status, and they know it. Gender Inequality, Functionalism and Symbolic Interactionism Decent Essays 868 Words 4 Pages Open Document 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. Thus, social mobility is not just achieving skills by merit, but it is also about self-work or personhood about countering and converting elite processes of oppressive othering with generalized others. Generalized exchange was promoted by Malinowskis Kula Exchange in The Argonauts of the Western Pacific, and by studies of gift exchange with specified shells as the gift. While her husbands father dies soon after they are married, she entertains guests with the purpose of advancing her husbands sales career in business machines. More market exchange, often among strangers, is restricted exchange where one expects immediate payback. In network terms, these processes are more reliant on strong ties than weak ties (Granovetter 1973). Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to particular effects of communication and interaction in people to make images and normal implications, for deduction and correspondence with others. The daughter complains to her grandmother, who has been an underpaid domestic for many decades to a prominent old and respected family. The whole process of oppressive othering is linked to highly charged emotions on the part of both the oppressors and the subordinates. However, there are some people who are always in the restricted exchange mode (e.g., what have you done for me lately?). The merit-based elites may protect the less able elites, and the discriminated subordinates with abilities may encourage the deferential people with hope. In the bottom half of the table that describes low status, there are also three reactions. 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. For instance, if the exchange takes place repeatedly over time, norms evolve about the relationship. Their generalized others will have fewer long-term relationships and rely on a constant influx of new exchangers. . The grandmother mentions the specific dress that the young girl wants at the most expensive boutique in town, and the scion she works for says, I know the owner of the store; I can talk to her. The grandmother then tells her granddaughter that the dress has been marked down by 70% of the original price so that it is the same price as the department store dress. 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. The study found that when the self or other became an object of reflection, emotions and behavior were discussed . The end result is a more nuanced and extended theory of power in society with elements of motivation at the individual and group level. Trust may develop. Eventually, they become upper-middle class by maintaining both their kinship and business ties by emphasizing positive family and business generalized others. Chapter 11 "Gender and Gender Inequality" examines some of the arguments of feminist theory at great length. Nonetheless, Athens does present symbolic interaction with an initial approach to power, which this theory sorely needs. Power in Symbolic Interactionism via Social Exchange Theory. 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. Symbolic Interactionism, Inequality, and Emotions. In another way, a gift may be given to the taker, but the giver extracts a promise of a favor in the future. Beverly Johnson combined bonding and bridging capital to maintain family solidarity and to advance her husbands career (since the husbands father died early, this limited greater bridging capital) both through the absence of the father and the tendency for widows sociality being restricted (i.e., there is no husband to promote and her lowered income makes the husbands mother a bit downwardly mobile). Similarly, Josh Pacewicz (2016) shows how the old rich partisans made philanthropic gifts to keep town members in their debt, but these donations are small fractions of their total wealth. Third, the eldest son of a middle-class family, George Wilson, becomes a personal injury lawyer and is quite successful. After a successful business and political career, he promoted his sons as politicians. For example, an individual receiving unemployment insurance promises to be ready and able to work, and to search for work and fail in order to receive the benefit. This is when direct reciprocity is not expected except in a rather indirect way. And lastly, Joseph P. Kennedy was the son of a successful Irish businessman. However, theories of political sociology cannot assume unrelenting social mobility for everyone since most social mobility is relational. It is also discussed in a rather ethnomethodological form in Josh Pacewiczs Partisans and Partners (2016), though the gift relationship large resembles these other generalized exchange forms. While her husbands father dies soon after they are married, she entertains guests with the purpose of advancing her husbands sales career in business machines. But Athens does point to a critical weakness of symbolic interactionism as he comes up with a contrary view of the good socialization process described by George Herbert Mead, which is the process of violentization thesis. One important type of restricted exchange involves an important time dimension (see 2 in Table 5.1). Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction. In simple terms, people in society understand their social worlds through communication the exchange of meaning through language and symbols. Inequality and the Self: Exploring Connections from an Interactionist Perspective Leon Anderson Ohio University David A. 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. Interactionists often consider the question of how power is exchanged in a situation. In their fearful position, they intensify their oppressive othering through discrimination with high intensity and emotion. They engage in counter-othering which is the angry rejection of the imposed reflected appraisals of high-status people that intend to demean and reject them. 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. Inequality and Social Mobility in Symbolic Interactionism. But it is the high ranking but protected people and the low-ranking discriminated people who are the most likely to engage in social mobility conflicts. 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