MACS 110 - April 2

reality is socially constructed

involves stocks of social knowledge and typifications

socially acquired knowledge that helps us to cope with life

ie. Moving somewhere else: you are lost temporarily so you need to develop new stocks of social knowledge

typically in such a situation, this is how we should act - with errors due to inexperience

to illustrate  the stocks of social knowledge or typifications

social construction of reality

his morning "dance" that eh does to get ready = well developed stocks of knowledge

stocks of social knowledge

wrote the "presentation of self in everyday life"

said that all the world's a stage and we are just actors upon it

social context for our behaviour which conforms to specific role expectations

going into a relaxed mode (back stage)

going into serious mode (front stage)

• Downshift
• - who you are to people
• - the self you put on to people
• - where the acting occurs

• Upshifting
• - who you really are
• - for preparation and relaxation

to illustrate front and back stage

Women, be aware of expected social rules within given frames

these are Goffman's ideas

George Gerbner - late 1960's

- studied violence and other aspects as presented on the #1 medium of the times - TV

- the idea that tv cultivates certain values among heavy viewers

Heavy viewers think the world is meaner than it really is

Difference between heavy and light viewers is not that great. But like a 2 degree cooling of the weather, the effect can be widespread