Ethnomethodology and symbolic interaction perspectives differ in their approach Essay

Ethnomethodology and symbolic interaction perspectives differ in their approach. Explain how these perspectives differ  Ethnomethodology and Symbolic interaction are both sub-categories in the social theory of interaction. Interactionism focuses on the details of people’s everyday lives and how people use symbolism to communicate but also to maintain our character and the impression others have of us as individuals. Both perspectives study similar parts of social interaction and look at behavioral and social norms in modern society. However they differ slightly in both their approach to analyzing social norms but also have different perspectives on the basis of modern social norms. Symoblic interaction studies and theorises the way in which individuals in society act towards each other based on the meaning that they have for different actions and processes. The meaning we attach to certain actions is the product of the individual’s previous social interaction and therefore the individual continues to handle and modify their own interpretation during all their social encounters. One of the founding theorists of the symbolic interaction was Herbert Blumer and he suggested that we attach meaning to the actions of other individuals and therefore we do not only respond to the actions of the individual but also to the meaning we attach to that action. Therefore people behave and react, in social interaction, because of what they believe and not by what is taking place at the time. Thus the construction of society is based on human interpretation of social action and therefore social bonds are only formed through two individuals interpretation of behaviour. The theory and meaning of Ethnomethodology can be formed by breaking down the word into its component parts. Ethno meaning people, method meaning method and ology meaning the study of makes Ethnomethodology the study of the method of people. A better definition of the theory is the study of society in everyday life and the analysis of the use of knowledge, actions and interpretations in social situation. Ethnomethodlogists are interested in understanding how an individual makes sense of the social world and is  linked to phenomenology. Harold Garfinkel emphasised the use of language and communication as way of analysing the way people make sense of their environment. This focus on language and communications gives us one of the key differences in the approach of both theories. Whilst Ethnomethodology puts emphasis on the role of language and communication, symbolic interaction puts greater emphasis on actions and interpretations of the individual in social interaction. The nature of meaning of social interaction is fundamental in both symbolic interaction and ethnomethodology. The definition of meaning and how it used and analysed is considerably different between the two perspectives. In symbolic interaction meaning is the interpretation given by the actor to the setting they are in therefore the meaning is the product of the individual’s social interactions but is interpreted on during the interaction. Blumer says ‘meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he encounters’1. Despite ethnomethodologists agreeing with symbolic interactionists that meaning is formed in social interaction they differ in the fact that they insist that meanings only exist in certain circumstances and that developing and changing through differing forms of social interaction. This difference in the interpretation of meaning results in different views on certain types of research method and what data is used and the validity of that data. In ethnomethodology the focus is put on the social interaction or communication, they are studying, whilst it takes place and therefore video recording, live observation and audio recordings are used as the key methods of research and analysis. However in symbolic interaction there is much more focus put on field notes and post social interaction recollections such as interviews and group discussions which in the field of symbolic interaction is valid enough to gain the point of view of the actor. This is in stark contrast to ethnomethodology who believe that the actor’s point of view is irrelevant in sociological study. There is much criticism of the symbolic interactionist method as there is no set structure in their methods  and they rely heavily upon the actor to give his or her point of view which is conside red not valid by the ethnomethodologists. Both the theories have different perspectives on the role of the actor in a social interaction and he or she makes sense of their setting. Symbolic interactionists believe that the individual is the fundamental part to the processes and meaning of social interaction. Roles and identities are therefore attributed by the actor in social interaction and the social interaction happens in an internalised orientation where the actor can also take on the role of the other and has appreciation for the role of the other. Ethnomethodology has an alternative theory to the role of the actor and disagrees entirely with the role of the actor that is given by symbolic interactionists. Counter to symbolic interaction theory, ethnomethodology suggests that is not the actor that dictates the setting and meaning of a social interaction rather that the setting is self-organised and that organisation gives the roles of the actors and the others rather than it being chosen by their own consciousness. As w ell as this ethnomethodologists rarely refer to the â€Å"actor† in social interaction but rather chose to refer to each individual as a â€Å"member†. As such the â€Å"members† in a social interaction do not build it themselves rather they become a product of the interaction, this is in contrast to symbolic interaction where the actor builds the interaction from the inner self. In symbolic interaction each social interaction happens in a particular context and this can either be a lay context or a professional context. All contexts in symbolic interaction can be defined using ethnographic investigation by studying the context features of that interaction. Ethnomethodologists on the other hand believe that context is a product of the interaction and that any contextual features of an interaction are not clear beforehand but become clear during the interaction. Ethnomethodoligists such as Garfinkel do not believe that the symbolic interactionism’s view of context does not give and accurate description of every form of interaction and therefore the use of context in Ethnomethodology is merely an extra interactional feature. Ethnomethodologists study behavioural norms not only by looking at the individual interactions, like symbolic interaction, but by attempting to break these norms and studying how society and the individual react. Through this theory Ethnomethodologists believe you get a clearer consensus of what is the norm as people find it difficult to describe what is the norm as most of it is in the sub-conscious. Ethnomethodlogists believe that it is only when these norms and behavioural patterns are broken that the norms become more apparent as people are not become accustomed to react to the new form of behaviour. A famous example of this method was when college students in the US were asked to act like guests in their own homes. They were told to be impersonal but formal and to study the reaction of their parents and family. After explaining the experiment to their parents many parents described different reactions. Some parents believed they wanted something, others thought it was a joke and some believed they were hiding things. This experiment allowed the students to see that even informal norms that we take for granted in the home are carefully structured and by disrupting these norms they become clearer. However Ethnomethodology and Symbolic Interaction do have their similarities and despite their different approaches they do study the same area from similar perspectives. Both theories study the micro world of interaction theory and despite the fact that both are criticised for having a very narrow field of research they do look at very similar things. Although there is one area in which symbolic interaction is studied in the macro world and that is in Goffman’s study of ritual. Despite the fact that both theories study the perspective from the micro world, Ethnomethodology is rarely studied outside of two areas, the first being the household and the second being conversational. Ethnomethodology puts great emphasis on the role of communication in social interaction and therefore limits the field of study they can look at. Symbolic interaction covers a much broader field of study in the micro world. It does not only look at communicational interaction but also at the action and interpretation of the forms of social interaction. In conclusion it is obvious that these perspectives differ on how they  approach the subject of social interaction but there differences do not mean that they are not very similar fields of study. Mary Gallant suggests that both ethnomethodology and symbolic interactionism share a ‘verstehen’2 approach and that they both ‘interpret behaviour by taking actors’ meanings into account’3. However where they differ is in their approach to the topic of social interaction and therefore they gain different kinds of understanding due to the fact that they are seeking answers to different questions. This is due to the fact that Ethnomethodology studies social interaction from a largely ‘phenomenological’4 viewpoint and looks at how individuals look at the real world with particular focus on communication and speech. Whereas symbolic interactionism is part of the ‘critical tradition’5 and looks more at how people give meaning to the wo rld around them. Despite the fact that as Dennis suggest the Ethnomethodological approach means that the symbolic interactionists focus on actor, meaning and context is ‘unnecessary’6 it does see it as a ‘valid sociological perspective’7. So although there are many differences in the perspectives the theories have on social interaction they do have similar ways of looking at the world and they do both study the same micro field of sociology. Word Count 1675 Bibliography 1. Blumer, Herbert. Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. Univ of California Press, 1986. 2. Dennis, Alex. â€Å"Symbolic Interactionism and Ethnomethodology.† Symbolic Interaction 34.3 (2011): 349-356. 3. Denzin, Norman K. â€Å"Symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology: A proposed synthesis.† American Sociological Review (1969): 922-934. 4. Gallant, Mary J., and Sherryl Kleinman. â€Å"SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM VS ETHNOMETHODOLOGY.† Symbolic Interaction 6.1 (1983): 1-18 5. Goffman, Erving. Interaction ritual: Essays in face to face behavior. Aldine Transaction, 2005. 6. Mead, George Herbert. Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Vol. 1. University of Chicago press, 2009.

Comitatus & Chivalry

Comitatus and Chivalry are two concepts that resounded all throughout the Medieval Ages. However, while the two are closely related, there is a clear difference between them. Between the two, Chivalry is perhaps more recognized, but not necessarily more widely-practiced. Bennett in his book, Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare, traces the origin of Comitatus to reign of Emperor Diocletian where Germanic and Roman commanders were assigned a comitatus, soldiers who held â€Å"direct allegiance to their individual commander, rather than to the army as a whole.(2001, 81)The term later on evolved to describe the dynamics that exists between a warrior and his Lord. Comitatus holds that while both are still in the battlefield, actively fighting, neither lord nor warrior can leave the scene of battle for any reason. Both entered the battle, and both should leave at the same time. This may be where the â€Å"leave no man behind† phrase comes from. This agreement that exists betwe en Germanic Lords and his subordinates is believed to have given rise to the feudal system, where the serfs owed loyalty to their feudal lord.Some scholars maintain that there is no break between the original comitatus of the Roman Empire and the vassals of the Middle Ages (Powicke, 1949, 92) Chivalry describes the virtues practiced by the knights of the Middle Ages. It is hard to place a specific definition to chivalry, but it is a moral and social code which advocated honor, courage, and respect. When we talk of chivalry, we conjure images of a knight in shining armor, ready and able to rescue us from our dire circumstances (Frantzen, 204, 1)Comitatus is a code that binds soldiers to their commanders, while chivalry is a code that binds men to the principles of honor and virtue, wherever they may be. While both concepts refer to relationships and values, comitatus is more about loyalty and courage in battle, while chivalry is more about loyalty and courage in all aspects of life. Chivalry presupposes comitatus, but comitatus does not necessarily mean chivalry.

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Autism - Essay Example In many children, autism develops before the age of 3. A relationship between autism and psychology has been established by defining and associating their dynamics. Psychology is a field of study that deals with the human mind. The study of psychology has helped in the understanding and treatment of autism through methods such as psychotherapy, applied behavior analysis, and developmental psychology. Both psychology and autism deal with the brain and are complementary in nature. Psychology is largely used to understand the dynamics of autism, and develop methods to treat it. Psychologists use several types of therapies to treat autism. Autism impairs the communication and interaction skills of children (Cohen, 2002). Consequently, children become psychologically affected for being different from other children. Inability to communicate and interact effectively causes them social anxiety and depression that has far-reaching psychological implications (PubMed Health, 2012). Psychologis ts use various variations of talk therapy to correct strained communication skills. A psychologist is able to help autistic individuals improve their communication skills, overcome anxiety and depression, and learn how to interact effectively with other people (Flusberg, 1999). ... One of the roles of psychologists is to diagnose and recommend treatment methods for autism (Flusberg, 1999). Therefore, autism cannot be effectively diagnosed and treated without the services of psychologists. They aid autistic individual to eradicate depression, anxiety, and preservative behaviors that affect them adversely (Corsello, 2005). Psychologists accomplish these roles because they fully understand the effects and consequences of autism. On the other hand, psychologists also help victims to manage their lives, improve social interactions, and understand various social cues that determine the effectiveness of communication. Autism and psychology are related through the methods used to treat the disorder. These methods include psychotherapy, applied behavior analysis, and developmental psychology. Psychotherapy is a method that involves use of talk as a way of solving a patient’s emotional problems (Corsello, 2005). Psychologists use methods such as role-play and expo sure therapy to assist autistic individuals (PubMed Health, 2012). Applied behavior analysis manages the disorder by teaching autistic individuals new behaviors that replace existing behaviors that could have resulted from the effects of the disorder. Psychologists use rewards to teach patients certain behaviors thus conditioning them in ways that eradicate the disorder (Corsello, 2005). Development psychology deals with aspects of child development. A direct link can be established between this branch of psychology and autism because autism interferes with the normal development of a child’s brain while psychology studies the functioning of the brain. It forms the foundation for autism remedies such as relationship

Depend on the information that will given which 1) a narrative memoir Essay

Depend on the information that will given which 1) a narrative memoir of a vacation, journey, or experience. Use first person I and either chronological order or flashback of events - Essay Example I remember meeting an old school friend, on the first day of school in August 2004, who also happened to join the same high school. We had made a few acquaintances by then. Introducing those across gave us the opportunity to get together after classes and have a chat. I was happy enough with a trusty bunch of friends, having a sport to put my passions into was just an add on. Before I knew it, I found myself always playing football, the most popular high school sport (Mueller et. al p. 57), in the free time. I was quite popular as a goalkeeper among my friends because of my extreme saves. That was all I liked – being popular, but only among my friends, rather than in the clichà © sense of being popular, for extreme things I could do with confidence. There was nothing I could remember better than flashbacks of playing football in the previous year. Starting the final year we got a match set up with a seventh grade team. This seemed quite boring because I was of the opinion that this - rather unmatched - match was set up because there was no other team available. Little did I know from my previous year’s football passion that I and my friends were not the only ones who loved the game - there were others, who took it much more seriously than our time killing passion approach. The match, that we expected to be very uneventful, soon proved to be a spectacular match. As I remembered saving goals day in and out with my friends, my tunnel vision world started spinning out of focus when I saw the seventh graders score goals after goals on me; passing the football with a single touch kick. As I thought of the scores I had dived to save all year back, I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy being beaten by seventh graders. A me mory of being beaten is a lesson on the game I thought I had passion about, I learned there is always someone out there who takes your passions much more seriously than you. But what makes you unique is your own ability to learn

Event Study for Efficient Market Hypothesis- Ex dividend Data Dissertation

Event Study for Efficient Market Hypothesis- Ex dividend Data - Dissertation Example Anomalies in the expression of the standard, tax centric theory of stock performances have been noted and described. While a tax centric hypothesis has explanatory power, this study examines evidence that there are additional forces of corporate governance, ownership concentration, and market capitalization that can adjust the performance of dividends independent of taxation. This study is a meta-analysis describing the Western standard for market forces pertaining to dividend taxation, on the assumption that stock prices must be adjusted to less than the amount of the dividend in order to compensate for taxation. Yet comparison with Asian markets introduces exceptions to that premise. Ultimately, more data is needed in order to falsify the tax centric hypothesis, however this principle is a subject to modification and interference by other market forces that influence the behaviors of investors and the performance of stocks. EVENT STUDY FOR EFFICIENT MARKET HYPOTHESIS – EX DI VIDEND DATA Table of Contents Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p. 2 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p. 4 Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p. 7 Chapter 1: Literature Review †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p. 8 Chapter 2: Korean Markets †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. p. ... 31 Introduction Since the advent of tradable stocks on the national and international markets there has been a great deal of calculation and speculation in regards to the relationship between stock returns and dividend yields, both in the informal imagination of financial advisors, as well as in the formalized literature therein. Decades ago, popularize models of tax effects created the presumption that higher risk investments were necessary to compensate for returns that incurred greater taxes. Returns on investments should be risk adjusted with respect to stocks. This would compensate the investor for higher rates of taxation through higher dividend yields. This is necessary due to higher levels of taxation of dividend income as compared with capital gains income. (Brennan, 1970 p.417-427) To be specific, dividend income refers to profits yielded by a publicly traded corporation. In which case of course, the profits can be turned back into the business, to invest in facility enhanc ements, or possibly salaries – in which case they qualify as retained earnings. Or they can be distributed to shareholders who provided initial investments that contributed to the company's initial success. All in respect to the initial contribution based upon the value and number of shares purchased by a particular investor. (Sullivan and Sheffrin, 2003) these may take a variety of forms, such as currency cash dividends, Stock/scrip dividends that constitute additional shares of the Corporation, or property dividends, which can take a variety of forms including shares of another corporation or other assets or services. (Sullivan and Sheffrin, 2003) In many cases, taxation rates are higher for dividend income compared with capital gains. To be specific, we are referring to capital

Postmodernist Approach to Burial practice Research Paper - 2

Postmodernist Approach to Burial practice - Research Paper Example Notions of the people particular to God, heaven, hell, witches, spirits and souls are also leaded by the same. Conception of the related believes of the individual and society has the consequences on the rituals performed. It is around 10,000 years back that the death ritual is performed among the few earliest rituals of society. Variable practices are followed by the people of diversifying beliefs and one of the main reasons acting behind the burial practice of the people seems to be the one practiced by the ancients of particular group of people [CE11]. From Southern Iberia at Abrigo do Lagar Velho, the human burial of Upper Paleothic was discovered as an evidence of early modern humans in the European society [CD99]. Burial ritual is the found to be the most transformed ritual of the modern society and is very diversified in its nature depending upon a lot of social, cultural and religious factors but some of the anthropologists find the burial ritual as an only ritual which remained the same in practice in respect of the change in human behavior and the growth of the healthy cultural values [JC10]. Two of the postmodernist approach to burial practice includes cremation and embalming [LA04]. Cremation practice is followed almost all around the world. Problem of overcrowded cemeteries in the modern societies is thought to be resolved by the same process. Although cremation practice is relatively low in the American society and is declared as forbidden in the Orthodox Judaism community. Roman Catholic Church recently approved its practice in the Christian community and Hindus are the one who practice cremation strongly as compare all other school of thoughts. Muslim community is also not of the view of burning human and the scattering the ashes in the rivers due to potential health hazards. Cementation practice has involved no rich cultural heritage unless and until

The issue of nursing shortage Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The issue of nursing shortage - Coursework Example Many of these aging nurses are moving to primary care setting. As a result, the healthcare institutions are in dire need for more nurses, especially those who give specialized care to the patients. The number of complaints from nurses that they are working for long hours is an indication of the escalating problem of nursing shortage (Balogh-Robinson, L., 2012). In order to supplement for positions for those who have left the service, the existing nurses are working for long hours. Some healthcare sectors have set up incentives to motivate the nurses to work for extra hours. This is an indication that the demand for their services is increasing in order to cover for the shortage. In order to address this shortage, the government should embark on a process of employing new nurses. There are very many nurses that are remains unemployed in the society. Therefore, for the government to close this gap and avoid putting too much pressure on the current nurses, it should employ new nurses and expand the training institutions for nurses in order to ensure that the nurses being released to the market meet the set requirements (Chapman & Utica College,