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Case study on impression management
The importance of impression management
Importance of impression management
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Impression Management Impression management is a social phenomenon that occurs in our daily life both consciously and unconsciously. “It is the act of presenting a favorable public image of oneself so that others will form positive judgments.” (Newman 184) Our first impressions of a person are always based on physical appearance and we compare them to the norms of our society. We can all admit to the initial meeting of a person and first noticing their age, gender, race, or other ascribed characteristics. Our cultural norms are ideas such that fat is “ugly” which are very different across societies and time. Also, impression management is an idea of how individuals interact in different social situations. “Sociologists refer to dramaturgy as the study of social interactions as theater, in which people (“actors”) project images (“play roles”) in front of others (“the audience”).” (Newman 169) This is our human need for acceptance and way of managing the impressions we give others and perform what we think people want to see. Our social life is governed by this concept but it only works with effective front-stage and back-stage separation. Our front-stage is the visible part of ourselves that we allow others to see unlike our hidden back-stage self. A common example of impression management and a personal experience I have encountered with this is working at a restaurant. I was a hostess and as I seat the family of 6 with 2 young children, I anticipate the reaction of the server as they sit in their section. The server approaches the table with a big smile on their face as if it was the highlight of their day to serve the table. I watch throughout the night as they run back and forth to this table while trying to keep up with the... ... middle of paper ... ...r-status positions in our society. As a young, female college student, I have many ambitions and hopes for my future that yes, do include a family and caring for my children but also a serious full time career in meteorology. I do not believe that there should be any inequality based on sex or stereotypes that will hold me back from full-filling my goals and moving forward in any position even if seen as primarily “men’s work”. Works Cited Newman, David. 2010. “Seeing and Thinking Sociologically.” Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life: 8th edition, edited by D.Newman. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, Sage Publications Company. Block, Fred. 2006. “The Compassion Gap in American Poverty Policy.” Pg. 242-250 in Sociology Readings 8th edition, edited by David M. Newman and Jodi O’brien. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, Sage Publications Company.
Kendall, D. (2012). Sociology in Our Times, 9th Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781285309682
Hughes, Michael, Carolyn J. Kroehler, and James W. Vander Zanden. "Sociology | Chapter Summary." McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. .
Murray, Jane Lothian, Linden, Rick and Kendall, Diane. (2011). SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES, Fifth Canadian Edition by Nelson Education Limited, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, USA.
In Erving Goffman’s, Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), he starts with the famous quote by Shakespeare saying, “all the world’s a stage and all the men and women are merely players. They have their exits and their entrances: and one man in his time plays many parts.” This quote gives a simplified example of what the theory is. The theory analyzes how individuals have different sides for the multiple platforms they align themselves with. When an individual places himself among others, he tends to act differently than if he were alone (Goffman, 1959). Humans are concerned with how we are viewed and how our status is perceived. Goffman (1959) says that there are two different ways that our expressiveness is shared, the expression he gives and the expression that he “gives off”. The verbal signs that an individual gives is the interaction that he knows will form an attachment with the receiver of the message. The expression that he gives of is when he creates a particular type of character for the specific reaction he wants from his audience (Goffman, 1959). Goffman explains that humans have the tendency to alter their public selves to avoid embarrassment or being ostracized. He also found that there is no exact number of times this can happen, and that individuals will take whatever corrective measures to create the identity they want to portray for a particular
...ebate." Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. Ed. John J. Macionis and Nijole V. Benokraitis. 8th ed.Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2009. 370-74. Print.
First impressions are created by a composite of signals given off by a new experience (Flora, 2004). The judgment of these impressions depends on the observer and the person being observed (Flora, 2004). When you meet someone for the first time it takes about three seconds to be evaluated by the observer (Mind Tools, 1996-2011,). During this time the person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, and how you dress (Mind Tools, 2996-2011,). Impressions are important to us because they are impossible to be reserved and the set the tone for all the relationships that follow (Mind Tools, 1996-2011).
According to Goffman’s Dramaturgical Analysis, impression managements as efforts to create specific impression in the minds of others. In simpler terms it is how we portray ourselves to others. Along with impression management is impression formation. This is what we do with the information others give us, or in other words, the impression people make on us. These two are used daily because you are constantly interacting with a variety of people, like in this exercise.
This was an intriguing discussion of the sociological perspective because it discussed how ordinary people might go about debunking the truths of their societies. Examples of researching newspapers, talking to authorities, and questioning preset customs and definitions, much in the way we can redefine the concept of "love", makes sense when superimposed upon a living society like ours. Berger identified the methodological nature of the sociological perspective in that it is not a distinct way of seeing others, but a means to examine others through a multifaceted scope.
The social psychology phenomenon that I have chosen is the spotlight effect. The spotlight effect is the belief that others are paying more attention to one's appearance and behavior than they really are (Myers, 2013). This phenomenon occurs more in adolescence and in situations such as public speaking or if a person has a change in appearance (i.e. a blemish or a “bad” haircut). The spotlight effect particularly interests me because I have experienced this phenomenon and I have seen many of my friends and family members experience it as well. I feel that it is fascinating that people feel that others are paying more attention to them than they actually are and that we see ourselves as center stage (Myers, 2013).
“However, to develop our sociological vision we must do just that: We must be willing to look at our own society with cool detachment, careful observation, and scientific analysis. We must examine the groups we live in- our family, our neighbours, our classmates, our nation- as if we had just set foot in a new and strange land.” (Goode, 1977, P. 3) In this essay I intend to demonstrate my understanding of the ‘Sociological Imagination’, as well as critically discuss what C. Wright Mills meant when he spoke about the ‘Sociological Imagination’.
Schaefer, R.T. (2009). Sociology: a brief introduction, 8th edition. New York, New York, USA: McGraw-Hill.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” A first impression is a person’s initial mental image of another person. It is formed upon the very first meeting of two people. Everyone makes and receives first impressions. Our physical appearance is the biggest factor that influences others’ first impression toward someone else.
[10] Kendall, Diana, et al. Sociology in Our Times. ITP Nelson and Co. Toronto, 1997. 126.
Dalai Lama said “Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.” (Dalai Lama, n.d.) Some people are of the belief that first impressions are lasting and hard to overcome if they are bad. As a leader a person can’t judge solely on the basis of a first impression nor can they ignore them. A lot can be gathered from first impressions and that knowledge should be kept while obtaining a better understanding of that individual. In the class example an extroverted and introverted scenario of John was given. Let’s explore how first impressions strike people, take a look at how the picture of John changed from one reading to the next. Lastly, looking to see if the picture of John in the mind’s eye changed if the scenarios were read in a different order, introvert to extrovert?
First impressions are what set the tone in any situation, personal or professional, and ultimately determine how we proceed behaviorally in that situation. Within a matter of seconds, a person will make their assessment of another person or a situation – an assessment that will carry through the remainder of the relationship. And while what we say may have an impact on how another person perceives us, studies have shown that much of our first impressions are based on body language.