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Social exchange theory case study
Social exchange theory paper
Social exchange theory case study
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Throughout the lifetime of an average human being, one will meet thousands of people, form hundreds of acquaintances, make many close friends, and have multiple romantic relationships. The idea that what encourages an individual to voluntarily turn an acquaintance into a close friend, or into a romantic partner, is that the relationship is seen as profitable is called the Social Exchange Theory. The basis of Social Exchange Theory is that individuals tend to choose to form or continue relationships where the rewards outweigh the costs of the relationship. I chose the Social Exchange theory for analysis because I saw a direct application of it in my recent personal life. Throughout this paper, I will be analyzing the application of this theory …show more content…
An important part of this theory is that factors considered costs and rewards are completely subjective. In other words, something that may be a cost to one person could be considered a reward to another. Some examples of potential costs of a relationship are time consumption, depending on the partner, exclusivity of the relationship, being tied down, and stress and worry about the potential fallout of the relationship. A few examples of potential rewards of a relationship are companionship, acceptance, support, intimacy, and having a confidant. Another key point of this theory is that although people do feel it’s necessary to reciprocate these rewards, the distribution doesn’t need to be symmetrical. There can be different rewards reciprocated for different …show more content…
We disclosed our concerns about a new romantic relationship at this point in our lives to each other which was extremely helpful. Bruno told me that he was worried about causing me to miss out on the full freshmen college experience and I explained to him some of my concerns such as a possible fall out. I noticed with every concern one of us brought up, the other countered it with a possible reward. In the end, we decided the pros outweighed the cons of us being in a committed relationship. After this, we both told each other what we would require or ask of the other person such as spending time with each other, providing support and advice to each other, etc. This depicts not only another calculation of the costs and rewards of starting a relationship but also illustrates the nonsymmetrical reciprocation of rewards we wanted from each
Social exchanges sometimes involve an unavoidable time lag between promise and delivery (Macy & Skvoretz, 1998)
John Updike’s “A&P” is a great short story to evaluate the complexity of human relationships and the challenging values of the world. The story is from the narrator’s point of view. The story setting takes place at a market where Sammy and his fellow co-worker witness three women come in and captivate their attention. The most beautiful girl, named “Queenie”, truly gets Sammy’s attention. The three girls were wearing nothing but bathing suits, which leads to the the manager causing a scene at the register. The narrator is so upset that the manager acted harshly towards the women that he quits on the spot and walks out of the market. Throughout the story, there are various complexions and values arise in the narrator’s mind.
I have learned that, interpersonal relationships are difficult to maintain. I often ask myself why, relationships require so much work. Why do I, stay in a relationship where the bad outweighs the good? The social exchange perspective argues, according to Monge & Contractor, as cited by West & Turner that “People calculate the overall worth of a particular relationship by subtracting its cost from the rewards it provides.”
The definition of the Social Exchange theory in very simple language is a model describing an exchange of benefits. In the case of the Social Exchange theory, these benefits need not be monetary or tangible, but certainly could be, if that was what was needed (Molm, 2006, p.30). According to Linda Molm, “People depend on one another for much of what they need and value in social life, and they provide these benefits to each other through the process of social exchange” (Molm, 2006, p.24). The longer definition and the focus of the Social Exchange framework as defined by Linda Molm are “the benefits that people obtain from, and contribute to, social interaction and the opportunity structures and interdependencies that govern those exc...
The first phase of our relationship involved adjustment to our new roles as Boyfriend and Girlfriend, and the feelings that accompanied it. This occurred quickly; for my part, I had not been more than casually involved with a woman for seventeen months, and was feeling the pressure and judgment of a society that expects its members to engage in heterosexual courtship at my age. Jaimie was in the process of terminating a mutually destructive relationship and had experimented with several unsuccessful liaisons;...
Travis Hirschi presented a social bonding theory in 1969. The main idea of the social bonding theory is that each and every individual has a drive to act in selfish and even aggressive ways that might possibly lead to criminal behavior. Social bonding theory is somewhat have similarities with the Durkheim theory that “we are all animals, and thus naturally capable of committing criminal acts” (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 162). However, the stronger a person is bonded to the conventional society, for example, family, schools, communities, the less prone a person is to be involved in criminal activity. The great example of this would be the serial killer Nannie Doss. Since early age she did not have any bonds either to her family with an abusive father or to community she lived in. Most of the time during her childhood she was isolated from any social interactions with her schoolmates or friends.
In my earlier development in high school, I had talked with a school counselor about the broader social structure of college, which has become realized as part of my emerging social development into adulthood. Emotionally, I am learning to talk more with my friends at school, which offer s a much more mature interaction than the emotional connection I had with friends in high school. I can cry, express deep emotions, and reflect on my feelings with greater trust and freedom in college. Finally, I am involved in a relationship with a guy or girl (depending the customer’s sex identity), which is providing a more profound understanding of intimacy and healthy sexual relations at the collegiate level. I am searching for a long-term commitment from a partner, which defines my maturation from the process of “dating” in high
For my honors assignment, I chose the TED talk “The secret to desire in a long-term relationship” by couple’s therapist Esther Perel. As I read down the list through my options for the assignment write up, this one caught my attention right away. I feel as though this article specifically lured me in because I could relate to it the most, taking that I have been in a long-term relationship for seven years. I felt that choosing to write about this TED talk would be beneficial to me in hearing what Esther Perel had to say on the topic that may affect someone just like me, and to also connect to all that we have learned in FSHD 237 this semester.
In this paper I will be discussing two theories that my classmates and myself have learned about during this semester. The main objective is to explain, compare and contrast the theories using the information that we have learned inside of our text books. The two theories that I have chosen to use are the social bonding theory and the self-control theory. I chose these theories because these were the two that I was most interested in during my time of study.
...; With the use of applying this theory to an episode as a demonstration, an application, and then an explanation, it is easy to see how the Social Exchange theory is related to everyday situations. Not only can the theory be applied to amorous relationships, but to that of friendships. The utility of the theory is seen in just about every type of interaction and is key to better understanding why relationships, friendships, or any mutual interaction, for that matter, turn out being costly or rewarding.
In the social process theory, three areas are covered. The three are social learning theory, social control theory, and social reaction theory.
Emerson, E. M. (1976) Social Exchange Theory. Annual Review of Sociology Vol. 2 (pp. 335-362)
In 1969, Travis Hirschi developed what is known as Social Bond Theory. Hirschi built on the work of other social control theorists and was able to provide a better picture of what social bond is. In Social Bond Theory there are four basic elements that make up social bonds. They are attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. It is these four bonds that all humans hold and ultimately determine conformity or deviant behavior(Agnew, 1985).
Are relationships in high school truly worth the potential heartache? Answers to this question vary, ranging from the enthusiastic “yes!” to the skeptical view of which cutting off one’s own third toe makes more sense to indifference. Yet, how can the value of a relationship be determined when the tumult of everyday teenage life may result in the potential loss or gain of a new relationship every week? One view may be relationships teenagers enter into are valuable practice for later in life, teaching those which engage in them how to interact with members of the opposite sex in a way which leads to marriage or family. Others, however, state the truism being a significantly low percentage of high school romances result in marriage. Although some may say the benefits outweigh the risks, relationships in high school are not feasible for many and may not be worth the effort put into them.
... relationships, increase self worth and set appropriate boundaries in order to achieve future goals.” (Huber)