MDSA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Narcissism, Symbolic Interactionism, Tragic Hero
Critical Media Studies: An Introduction (2nd edition)
Study Guide (Chapter 11)
11. Sociological Analysis
Sociological Theory: An Overview:
Symbolic Interactionism: suggests that the character and conduct of people’s social interactions are
powerfully shaped by the symbolic meanings they assign to objects. Individuals act according to their
interpretation of the world.
Premises (Blumer)
The first premise is that human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings that
they have for them.
Meaning is derived from social interactions one has with his fellows, religion, media . It is not
simple/neutral but contextual and contingent
These meanings are handled in and modified through an interpretive process used by the
person in dealing with the things he encounters. It is a formative process using meaning as
aguide for action based on experiences.
Dialectical Tension
Agency: The capacity of humans to act purposively and according to their own volitions.
Structure: Any social feature that constraints or limits agency.
While media audiences exercise agency in both the interpretation and use of media, media texts
impose structures that limit how audiences can reasonably interpret and use media.
Dramaturgy (Goffman): Our self; sense of who we are is not a stable, independent entity; but a
performed character we are endlessly staging and restaging in the presence of others. Identity is a
product that emerges through social interaction.
Impression Management: The art of successfully staging a character or “part” of enacting a
performance that creates the desired impression of the self-“an idealized self that fits appropriately
into the requirements of the context.
Performance
Stages: A person’s degree of pubicness. Front stage refers to performances that occur in
full view of an audience. Back stage refers to a place reserved only for the performer.
People do many things in public stage than front.
Setting: The scene or situation in which the performance is ocuring. Location, décor,
furniture, physical layout. We have to accept the rules, practices and place unspoken limits
limits and contraints on performances of self.
Part- personal front: describes the pattern of actions tat define the character being
performed. Involves image-appearance and manner-posture expression.
Team: The troupe or cast of players that share in a performance. Aset of individuals whose
intimate co-operation is required if a given projected definition of the situation is to be
mandated.
Social Media (Facebook): everything an idiviadual does or does no do is about impression
management. Profile pages front stage and inbox back stage.
Narcissism
Identity
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