11,377 research outputs found
Interacting for the environment:Engaging Goffman in pro-environmental action
Whilst there are profound disagreements about how more sustainable forms of living might be achieved, most research on pro-environmental action recognises it as a fundamentally social challenge â demanding shifts not merely in individualsâ attitudes and behaviours, but also in social norms, contexts and practices. Despite the social nature of the challenge, perhaps the most fundamental social medium â social interaction - remains under-theorised in this area. To address this gap, this paper applies Erving Goffmanâs understandings of social interaction to an ethnographic case study of a pro- environmental change initiative called Environment Champions. The analysis shows that social interaction plays a crucially important role in shaping responses to pro-environmental change processes that has the potential to both help and hinder the spread of pro-environmental action. The paper concludes by exploring how Goffmanâs ideas develop and extend current debates about pro- environmental behaviour change
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'We're not like that': Crusader and Maverick Occupational Identity Resistance
This article explores the occupational identities of hairdressers and vehicle mechanics working in small and micro-firms. Using qualitative interview data from two UK cities, it examines the ways that workers expounded, reflected on and discursively reframed public perceptions of their occupation. A novel distinction between two types of identity reframing is proposed. âCrusadersâ are workers who reject characterisations as inappropriate for the occupation at large, whereas âmavericksâ accept that popular characterisations apply to other workers but differentiate themselves. The analysis identifies differences in occupational identity resistance strategies (crusader or maverick) when workers interact with two different publics: customers and trainees
Narratives of self and identity in women's prisons: stigma and the struggle for self-definition in penal regimes
A concern with questions of selfhood and identity has been central to penal practices in women's prisons, and to the sociology of women's imprisonment. Studies of women's prisons have remained preoccupied with women prisonersâ social identities, and their apparent tendency to adapt to imprisonment through relationships. This article explores the narratives of women in two English prisons to demonstrate the importance of the self as a site of meaning for prisoners and the central place of identity in micro-level power negotiations in prisons
Thanks, but no thanks: women's avoidance of help-seeking in the context of a dependency-related stereotype
The stereotype that women are dependent on men is a commonly verbalized, potentially damaging aspect of benevolent sexism. We investigated how women may use behavioral disconfirmation of the personal applicability of the stereotype to negotiate such sexism. In an experiment (N = 86), we manipulated female college studentsâ awareness that women may be stereotyped by men as dependent. We then placed participants in a situation where they needed help. Women made aware of the dependency stereotype (compared to controls who were not) were less willing to seek help. They also displayed a stronger negative correlation between help-seeking and post help-seeking affect - such that the more help they sought, the worse they felt. We discuss the relevance of these findings for research concerning womenâs help-seeking and their management of sexist stereotyping in everyday interaction. We also consider the implications of our results for those working in domains such as healthcare, teaching and counseling, where interaction with individuals in need and requiring help is common
Interaction between clients and physiotherapists in group exercise classes in geriatric rehabilitation
The aim of this paper is to explore how older people construct their interaction in group exercise classes in geriatric rehabilitation and what is their contribution to the interaction. Discourse analysis was employed and data, consisting of seven videotaped group-based exercise sessions, were collected from 52 older people (aged 66â93 years) and nine rehabilitation professionals in seven rehabilitation centres. Four discourse categories were found. In âtaciturn exercisingâ, older people remained verbally silent but physically active. In âsubmissive disagreeingâ, older people opposed the professionalsâ agenda by displaying reluctant consent to proposals. In âresilient endeavouringâ, older adults persisted on their course of action, regardless of the disapproval of the professionals. In âlay helpingâ, older people initiated spontaneous encouragement, but also gave verbal and physical assistance to their peers. Older people's meaningful contribution to interaction, whilst it may challenge the institutional flow of activities, can constitute an integral part of the re-ablement process of rehabilitation
Unsettling Appearances: Diane Arbus, Erving Goffman and the Sociological Eye
Both the photographer Diane Arbus and sociologist Erving Goffman were fascinated by the way we present ourselves to others and this paper sets out how each understood the drama of human interaction. It begins by exploring how their work parallels some developments in the sociology of deviance, and notes how Goffman was one of the earliest critics of this field, before briefly sketching out Arbusâs controversial career and then turning to a more detailed look at three of her images. It concentrates on how the gap between intention and effect, or what Goffman terms the difference between the impressions we âgiveâ and those we actually âgive offâ, are at the core of her work and this sociological insight animates her compositions. The paper then describes how their work unsettles ânormal appearancesâ and provides rich resources for understanding human conduct
Infinite-dimensional Compact Quantum Semigroup
In this paper we construct a compact quantum semigroup structure on the
Toeplitz algebra . The existence of a subalgebra, isomorphic to
the algebra of regular Borel's measures on a circle with convolution product,
in the dual algebra is shown. The existence of Haar functionals
in the dual algebra and in the above-mentioned subalgebra is proved. Also we
show the connection between and the structure of weak Hopf
algebra.Comment: 17 page
Does My Stigma Look Big in This? Considering the acceptability and desirability in the inclusive design of technology products
This paper examines the relationship between stigmatic effects of design of technology products for the older and disabled and contextualizes this within wider social themes such as the functional, social, medical and technology models of disability. Inclusive design approaches are identified as unbiased methods for designing for the wider population that may accommodate the needs and desires of people with impairments, therefore reducing âaesthetic stigmaâ. Two case studies illustrate stigmatic and nonstigmatic designs
Stigma narratives: LGBT transitions and identities in Malta
This article is available open access through the publisherâs website at the link below. Copyright @ 2011 A B Academic Publishers.This article considers narratives of transition experiences of a group of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) young people in Malta. The article draws on Goffman's concept of stigma and uses this to explore transitions in a society that retains some traditional characteristics, particularly the code of honour and shame, although mediated by aspects of modernity. Interviews were undertaken with 15 young people with the goal of producing narratives. The article analyses the experience of stigma, its effects and how young people manage its consequences. It concludes by drawing attention to the pervasive nature of stigma and the importance of structure, agency and reflexivity in youth transitions. In particular stigma remains an important feature of societies in which hetero-normative sexuality remains dominant
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