Social and Cultural Theory
Quiz 3—Mead, Blumer, Goffman, and Theoretical Overview
Respond to the following questions in at least three paragraphs. (20 points each). Each of the following questions is based on a reading from Kivisto.
Summarize Mead’s discussion of the “I” and “me,” first defining the terms and then indicating how in conjunction they come to constitute the self. How does Mead’s behavioristic view of the self, i.e., the process of developing a self, apply to contemporary Western societies, especially in considering the rise of the internet age and social media? (Turner p. 406-414, and Kivisto p. 179).
What exactly does Blumer have in mind when he contends that we ought to view “society as symbolic interaction?” From Blumer’s symbolic interactionist perspective, what is the place of human agency and how should we understand social structure (Kivisto, p. 242)?
Describe in your own words what Goffman means by “front,” and provide an example from your own life and/or a contemporary example. What does sincerity indicate about a person’s presentation of self. (Kivisto, p. 249).
Short essay response. At least five paragraphs. (40 points)
Compare and contrast the three major theoretical foundations of sociology, citing at least one theorist for each: structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Which one do you think is most useful in understanding the social world (particularly your research topic) and why? (Kivisto, p. 242, & prior readings from this semester).
