Social interactions

            Today’s society is made up of people from different backgrounds with different beliefs, customs and traditions. As part of our day to day activities, human beings often interact with one another for various reasons. Although these interactions involve different people with different identities, people try as much as possible to respect each other’s differences so as to peacefully co exist. In a world where diversity is a common factor, people have the strong desire to establish and sustain their personal identity and not be influenced by others. However, there are occurrences where, intentional or not, people end up to conforming to behaviors that may go against their personal identities. This is common in institutions such as schools, hospitals, churches or military barracks to mention a few. Although people still maintain their personal identity, interaction with others forces individuals to act in a way that is deemed appropriate by the majority. Social roles and interactions that take place in society therefore play a major role in influencing the nature of the face to face interactions that people engage in especially while at an institution.

            In order to peacefully co exist, human beings have come up with ways of setting aside differences and created symbols that are well recognized by all individuals and act as representations of specific elements within society. Through these symbols, people with different beliefs, cultures and identities are able to communicate in a manner that is appreciated or understood by everyone[1]. Some of these symbols include pictures, sounds, hand gestures and physical objects that reflect the beliefs, ideas and thoughts of members of the community. These symbols are interpreted the same regardless of the person demonstrating them. If, for example, a person places a hand over the chest while the national anthem is being played, this is seen as a sign of respect. A nod of the head is seen to symbolize a yes while shaking the head is interpreted to say no. Shaking of hands is interpreted as a way of saying hello while clapping hands is a symbol that shows appreciation. Through these symbols, people are able to interact in social settings in a way that everyone understands. Although everyone is given the freedom of choosing when to use these symbols and when not to, being in an institution often takes away this freedom as one feels the need to abide by the laws or regulations set by the institutions[2].People are taught that specific symbols have specific meanings and that there is a certain way people are expected to behave depending on a symbol. People’s behaviors are therefore greatly influenced by the symbols present around them especially in an institution.

            In Asylums, Goffman discusses what he refers to as symbolic interactionism and its impact on how people interact in society[3]. He argues that human interactions are affected by a front stage and a back stage mentality that people use when interacting and trying to understand the world around them and themselves better. Goffman believes that in most social interactions, human beings perceive a form of theater setting constituting a front stage and a back stage. Individuals play different roles in accordance to what is expected of them at times even taking the role of an audience[4]. While in the front stage, people are pushed to only perform actions or social interactions that are appropriate and accepted by the audience. The individual is aware that his actions are being watched and as a result, he will ensure that his way of interaction is in line with the expectations of the audience. The back stage on the other hand allows the individual to be himself because there is no audience watching. Here, a person can step out of character and act however he pleases or just be himself without being influenced by the audience[5].

            Goffman’s attempt to explain social interactions became clear upon my visit to Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. After observing the people in the health facility, I discovered that both patients and doctors alike had different ways of interacting. When doctors and nurses were interacting, the atmosphere was friendly, jovial and more casual. When talking, colleagues would stand close to each other, exchange laughs and at times laugh at each other’s jokes. However, when the same doctors or nurses had to interact with patients, there was an atmosphere of professionalism and even though they remained friendly, there was little touching or laughing unless it was necessary. In this scenario, one could say that interactions between doctors were more on the side of the backstage while interaction with patients was on the front stage. When interacting with patients, doctors had a role to play which required them to be professional. Because of this, all communications made by the doctors took a more serious tone as this is what was expected of doctors. The patients played the role of the audience and the doctors had to behave in a manner that was expected and pleasing to the patients. The patients on the other hand seemed more calm and listened keenly to doctors. They would often lean in close when the doctors were talking possibly to ensure that they did not miss anything that was said. While the conversation between colleagues was two sided, conversation between the doctors and the patients were mostly one sided as the patients mostly nodded or gave short answers in reply.

            Goffman argues that people’s behaviors are greatly affected by locations when it comes to social interactions[6]. The type of interaction is determined by the role that an individual is expected to play, other people involved in making that role and the audience. Because of this, all impressions that people give are in accordance to the specific roles they are expected to play and the expectations that the audience will have of the individual playing that role. The audience on the other hand is expected to assist in helping others perform their roles so as to ease the process of social interactions[7]. While at the health facility, I observed that doctors and nurses played different roles when interacting with patients. The nurses, although friendly, tended to lean more on the professional side of the conversation. Their way of communicating with patients included asking short questions so as to understand the patients’ reasons for visiting the health facility. Patients on the other hand gave direct and detailed information and in doing so, helped the nurses perform their role. The interaction between doctors and patients was however different. Doctors tended to be more social, greeted the patients with a smile and even attempted to make small talk. Since the role of the doctors was to help the patients, they tried to make them at ease. This facilitated better social interaction as patients felt encouraged to interact with the doctors.

            According to Gambino, people create a social identity by presenting a front which is in line with the part that society expects them to play[8]. The front is something that all people portray especially when engaging in social interactions. In the case of my visit to Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, everyone in the institution was demonstrating the font associated with the roles they were playing. In the case of employees in the management position, their front demonstrated professionalism and strictness. Whether in communication with each other, with doctors and nurses or with patients, their role required them to remain professional at all times and this is what they portrayed. Their front was strengthened by the suits they wore which differentiated them from other members of staff. In the case of doctors and nurses, white overalls doctor coats and blue attires constituted of their wardrobes. Although they demonstrated some form of professionalism, their front was more casual as the role they were expected to play required them to interact with the patients. When it comes to social interactions, the front helps to determine how interactions will occur and what is expected of everyone involved in the communication[9]. Doctors presented a professional, yet welcoming front and this made it easier for patients to engage them in conversations to explain their purpose for visiting the institution.

            Goffman argues that total institutions have a way of influencing social interactions due to their ability to bend the rules that exists in outside society. In some cases, institutions could affect and even temporarily change an individual’s self identity. Doctors, for example, have to adopt a role that is prescribed by the health institution which requires them to wear uniforms and observe professionalism at all times. People holding high position on the outside world are forced to take the role of a patient whenever visiting a hospital and in such a scenario, the doctor is the one in charge. As such, although every individual has a desire to maintain their personal identity, society has a way of creating rules that dictates how people are expected to carry themselves especially in institutions. Goffman’s theory of a front stage therefore has relevance in that people often move in between the front stage and the back stage at different times throughout their social interactions. However, one can easily retain a personal identity by simply going back to their true nature when alone or, as Goffman would put it, in the back stage.

 

 

Field Note

My field assignment required me to visit an institution and observe how social roles and inequalities studied in class occur in a normal setting and the effect that they have on social interactions. To accomplish my task, I visited Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center where I made observations of the type of social interactions that people engaged in while at the health institution. Since the institution is among the biggest heath facilities in the area, there were a lot of interactions between staff members, patients and families. This was an advantage as it gave me a lot material and sources to conduct my study on how institutions affect social interactions and how they are different from the outside world.

As per the requirement of the field work, I was accompanied by a friend who helped me in making observations and gathering information for the study. His input was very helpful as it helped to create diversity of the findings. After evaluating the information, I was able to make the conclusion that institutions greatly influence the nature of social interactions. They determine when hand gestures are appropriate, the level of professionalism and even the tone that people use. While people have personal identities, they are often required to suppress them, especially in scenarios that may be deemed inappropriate and this is what facilitates successful social interactions.

 

 

 

References

Bellah N, Madsen R, Sullivan W, Swidler A and Tipton M, (2007) “Habits of the heart:    Individualism and commitment in American life” University of California Press

Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth      century united states” National Center for Biotechnology Information

Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental         patients and other inmates. New Brunswick (N.J.: Aldine Transaction.

 

 

[1] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[2] Bellah N, Madsen R, Sullivan W, Swidler A and Tipton M, (2007) “Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life”

[3] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[4] ibid

[5] ibid

[6] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[7] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[8] Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth century united states”

[9] Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth century united states”