Theorizing Society

The most prominent factor in our daily lives is societal interaction. From the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep we are inundated by it. Whether work, school, church, or other personal activities we are constantly interacting with others which in turn helps shape our self-identity and world views. In this manner the most important factor in communication is society. Society helps us to understand ourselves and the world around us while creating a culture of shared meanings and understandings.

In order to better understand the importance of society in communication scholars have come up with several theories including symbolic interaction, standpoint, social penetration, and social exchange. These theories explain the significance of society in communication as well as help shed light upon why and how society shapes our interpersonal relationships. Symbolic Interaction Theory

According to Julia T. Wood "symbols are the doorway to meaning...and the nucleus of communication."(Wood p.50) Expounding upon this idea she also claims that "communication is the process of creating meaning by interacting with and through symbols. "(Wood p.50) Symbolic Interaction Theory states that we assign meaning to symbols in communication and those symbols in turn relate directly to our interactions in society. According to Theorist George Herbert Mead, "it would be impossible to have a society or to share meanings with others if we didn't have agreements about what symbols mean."(Wood p.51)

Symbolic Interaction assumes individuals to be both active and reflective participants in social interaction; having base in the self and its relationship to society. This leads into the idea that humans have a mind and a self. According to Mead mind is "the ability to use significant symbols, which are symbols that have common social meanings." (Wood p.25) In this manner we use symbols to represent our thoughts and ideas in order to developing our own perspectives, yet mind allows us to merge our unique meanings for symbols with those of society developing shared meaning. Self, on the other hand, is "the ability to take the self as an object." (Wood p.25) In other words, we have the ability to both act as the subject and observe ourselves as objects in social interaction. The self is also made up of two complementary components, the I and the Me. The I is the subject of our actions, while the Me is our socially conscious entity allowing us to be objective. Through societal interaction we are exposed to "perspectives of the generalized other", or the overall viewpoint of society, which aids in development of mind and self and allow us to understand and participate in social life.

Symbolic Interaction is the key element in my interpersonal communication. From my spoken language to my self-identity and the ability to socialize, nothing takes place without the use of symbols. There would honestly be no communication without our ability to use symbols. Therefore, symbolic interaction is the most important resource in not only interpersonal communication, but communication as a whole. Standpoint Theory

According to Webster's Dictionary a standpoint, synonymous with point-of-view, is "a position from which objects or principles are viewed, and according to which they are compared and judged." Therefore, Standpoint Theory (an extension of symbolic interaction) states that the social groups with which individuals interact affect their views of society, relationships, and communication style. According to Julia T. Wood, "the social, material, and symbolic circumstances of a social group shape how members perceive, interpret, and act toward events, situations, others, and themselves." (Wood p.27)

This is a theory that I understand well in my personal life. Being a student and member of many social groups (including the military and the LDS church) I have come to know standpoints. These standpoints have in turn influenced my ideas, views, and opinions. In many ways I have simply adopted the shared views of these social groups because I feel I can relate to them. These standpoints also play a part in my marriage being that my wife and I share some views and opinions related to social groups. However, we don't share all standpoints which becomes a hindrance at times. Particular problem areas for us have come in terms of nationality and family. Being that my wife is Brazilian and I am American there are obviously differences in cultural standpoints which in many cases conflict. In terms of family life and social class my wife and I are also very split being that I come from a single-parent household with little money; whereas she comes from a traditional middle to upper class family in which only her father worked. However, we diligently pursue a dual perspective in order to understand one another and hopefully overcome these barriers someday. Social Penetration Theory

In 1973 Psychologists Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor developed the Social Penetration Theory (Wood p.131) stating that relationships progress from non-intimate to intimate through self-disclosure in a linear manner. Altman and Taylor referred to people as onions, explaining that people's personality, like onions, are layered. Peeling off one layer will reveal another until you eventually reach the core. With social penetration people gradually peel off one layer of personality at a time until eventually reaching the core. There are four stages of Social Penetration.

The first stage is orientation when individuals meet for the first time and people reveal their superficial layers. Self-disclosure happens at the public level, meaning what an individual allows the public to know about themselves. Information revealed is generally limited to biographical and personal preference information.

The second stage is exploratory affective exchange when a person peels of a layer or two, revealing their middle layers and personality begins to emerge. Self-disclosure is still at the public level, but more comfortable. Information revealed expounds upon orientation, also including deeper aspects.

The third stage is affective exchange when an individual comfortably reveals their inner layers of personal and intimate information. Self-disclosure is on a personal level, partners begin to understand one another and idioms, such as "cutie" or "baby", may be used. Information revealed at the personal level could include aspirations, fears, and fantasies as well as basic concepts of self.

The final stage is stable exchange when an individual is comfortable with open expression of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors revealing their core personality. Self-disclosure is on a very intimate level and individuals have a deep understanding of their partner. There is not much self-disclosure due to the high level of intimacy, in fact theorists even believe that there is very little misinterpretation at this level.

Being married for almost four years now I look back and recognize the path that my wife and I traveled to get where we are today. It is clear that our passing through the social penetration stages, revealing layer upon layer as we got to know one another, was more of a subconscious phenomena. Therefore as we continue to strive for pure stable exchange in our marriage I will remain grateful for, yet perplexed by the confounding process. Social Exchange Theory

Based upon economic principles Social Exchange Theory states that the worth of a social relationship is driven by a cost versus reward system which is evaluated by the social exchange or communication between the individuals involved in the relationship. In other words, we seek a "good" relationship that offers many rewards and doesn't involve heavy costs. (Wood p.42) This concept is very simple and true to life being that people seek the things that benefit them and shy away from things that don't.

In my personal life this concept holds true as well. I married my wife because the reciprocal rewards of her companionship and support greatly outweighed any disadvantages in our relationship. In turn our marriage has now lasted for almost four years and will continue to last as long as it remains more beneficial on both sides and the inherent rewards overpower the consequences.

When all is said and done society factors into all aspects of our lives, interactions, and communications. It regulates the symbols and shared meanings that we have, influences our point-of-view, determines the acceptable communication patterns that regulate relational development, and helps us determine whether a relationship is worthwhile or not. With most of our time being spent in societal settings there is no doubt that if plays a major role in our daily lives, helping to shape and influence our character and personality. This is why societal interaction is the most important factor in communication. After all without society there would be no need for communication.

Bibliography

Wood, J. (2000). Relational Communication: Continuity and Change in Personal Relationships. 2^nd Ed. Canada: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

West, & Turner. (2003). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. 2^nd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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