User:Nolejam9/sya4010virtualsocialidentity

Virtual Social Identity is ones portrayal of certain anticipations and normative expectations that is thought to be desired. Constructing ones virtual social identity is largely building a stereotype around a set of attributes that we anticipate will be found in others that belong to a certain category or group. The concept is basically “reputation”. A positive reputation is formed on the basis of the desired positive attributes by which individuals or organizations become known. Many times the attributes we associate with virtual social identity differ greatly from the actual attributes one possesses (the actual social identity). This is part of Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical view on social interaction. In Goffman’s 1963 book Stigma-Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity he introduces the use of virtual social identity. The book deals with the effects of varying degrees of social and self-identity awareness during various social settings.

Understanding Virtual Social Identity
Goffman’s dramaturgical view on society is loosely base on metaphors incorporating theater terms. The ultimate goal as actors (us) is to be liked by the audience using any means necessary including manipulation. According to Goffman (1963) “society establishes the means of categorizing persons and the complement of attributes felt to be ordinary and natural for members of each of these categories.” On first impressions one will be judged. The identity given during the interaction process will be tested on the standards of social classification and identification. Once this is virtual social identity is established by a working consensus that identity will remain with them for the rest of the interaction and feature interactions.

Interaction in Virtual Social Identity
These interactions, even if only momentary, carry a greater importance that just cataloging ones social identity. Goffman believes that all identities are linked into ones person identity. This has to do with the assumption that the individual can be differentiated from others around by attaching some form of social fact. Goffman calls these “identity pegs.” Like today’s ATM card pin numbers, these help differentiate like identities. The identity peg, though treated as proper evidence of personal identity, is not considered adequate evidence of personhood. “Gaps” in understanding Virtual Social Identity Discrepancies between the virtual and actual social identity can cause a “gap”, and this leads to disappointment in the expectations between perceived attributes and the anticipated attributes that are associated with the social category the person was assumed to belong to. The social category or group that the person is being judged on is nothing more than a stereotype. The anticipations and expectations about that group/stereotype become the attributes ones are measured on. The attribute is neither a creditable nor discreditable thing by itself. In context with the stereotype it becomes a dynamic measuring stick for all. Stigmas and Virtual Social Identity These negative ‘gaps’ are Stigmas. Stigmas are any social or physical quality that disqualifies someone form acceptance. When an individual acknowledges these stigmas, shame is experienced. This shame causes the person to truly perceive there lack of attributes. The stigmatized person lone motive in life now is acceptance and the lack of it. Direct confrontation using a virtual social identity is required. This forces conscious calculation of one impression made. This can lead to self-consciousness that may perpetuate the cycle of stigmas and virtual social identity.

== '''Using Virtual Social Identity in Today’s Society ''' ==

Goffman’s idea of virtual social identity is still a widely accepted theory. Its concepts are being used in the study of many parts of society. The ideas have touched fields from anthropology to criminology and have admires such as Randall Collins and Makowsky. Interactions Research Virtual social identity is widely used today in fields like interaction research. The goal of this research is to understand how behavior is constructed so that it makes sense to others. Researchers use Goffman’s “interaction order” and virtual social identity for the bases of their international model of communication. Basically these ideas help researchers understand the social interactions that Goffman believes makes human social life possible by taking others’ responses into account.

Criminal Use of Virtual Social Identity For the longest time criminal minds have studied serial killers in order to understand them. Most of the focus has been on descriptions of physical characteristics that these killers have in common. Recently some literature has been published taking a different view. “Fractured Identity Syndrome” (FIS) has been introduced which is a combination of Cooley’s Looking Glass Self and Goffman’s Virtual and Actual Social Identity. The purpose is to consider what causes serial murderers to abandon normal modes of behavior.

Psychology Use Many psychiatric professionals use Goffman’s terminology including Virtual Social Identity. If virtual social identity is the emphasis of goal-oriented or strategy nature of actors’ self-presentation, then this obviously fits directly into people’s low self-esteem issues. By understanding one’s virtual social identity and how/why/where it came about then psychologist can make great strides in helping said person.

Professional Use Many organizations and companies are using Virtual Social Identity when considering partnerships with other organizations and companies. Also many companies are evaluating their own reputations in order to strike confidence in stakeholders. A company’s reputation affects things like customer loyalty, corporate social responsibility/ corporate social performance, and corporate citizenship. By using Virtual Social Identity companies can manage the attributes they want to highlight, and differentiate themselves in key areas from competitors.

Critics of Virtual Social Identity
Being that Virtual Social Identity is a fairly new concept in the field of sociological theory, the reviews have been of the mixed variety. Many of Goffman’s collogues and the increasingly older generation of sociologist tends to disagree with the idea. On the other hand the younger generation has taken a larger interest in the idea.

H.G. Blumer Blumer is probably one of the most outspoken critics of virtual social identity. It most be noted that Blumer is know as a contemporary exponent of symbolic interactionism. Many are quick to equate the two as equals. Blumer believed that the idea of virtual social identity narrowed the area of human group life. The face-to-face association excludes vast sums of human activity. The idea ignores the macrocosm that is social interaction. Virtual social identity overlooks the important content of human encounters and is only concerned with the forms expressed in the encounter. He also says that far-fetched to assume that self-awareness in virtual social identity encounters are the major concern of the individual.

Sources

Habermas, Goffman, and Communicative Action: Implications for Professional Practice, by James J. Chriss American Sociological Review © 1995 American Sociological Association http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1224%28199508%2960%3A4%3C545%3AHGACAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6

Appraising Goffman, by Simon Johnson Williams The British Journal of Sociology © 1986 The London School of Economics and Political Science http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0007-1315%28198609%2937%3A3%3C348%3AAG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z

E. Goffman, The Presentation of Self in Everday Life, New York Doubleday Anchor, 1959

E. Goffman, Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1963

Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity.(Review)Eugene Weinstein Author(s) of Work: Erving Goffman; The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 70, No. 5. (Mar.,1965), p. 636. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9602%28196503%2970%3A5%3C636%3ASNOTMO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P

Fractured Identity Syndrome: A New Theory of Serial Murder,Stephen T. Holmes,Richard Tewskbury, M. Holmes. http://ccj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/15/3/262

http://www.arasite.org/goffstig.html

http://www.ishkbooks.com/stigma.pdf