Interactions That Trigger Self‐Labeling: The Case of Older Undergraduates

Deviant or stigmatizing labels are associated with various negative outcomes. Although self‐labeling theory proposes that one can self‐label as deviant without first being labeled by others, most labeling research focuses on people whom others have already labeled. Using the case of undergraduates aged twenty‐five and older, I identify three subtle forms of interaction—contextual dissonance, reminder cues, and third‐party communication—that trigger self‐labeling and are associated with negative reactions, even absent others' direct negative feedback or prior labeling. I also show that each form of interaction may systematically relate to specific kinds of negative reactions. I discuss possible reasons for these patterns, as well as how these findings may affect self‐labeling theory and policymaking decisions in higher education.     

Prisoner Citizen: Carl Upchurch,Labeling Theory,and Symbolic Interactionism

The life of Carl Upchurch offers a personal example of labeling theory and symbolic interactionism in action. According to labeling theory, behaviors are explained by the reactions received from audiences. Three of the audiences that respond to the behavior of an individual are society at large, agents of social control, and significant others. Upchurch demonstrated how deviant behavior became normal and how being labeled deviant made normal behavior difficult. Symbolic interactionism stresses the importance of learning and social interaction and sees people as being proactive rather than reactive, active and not passive. Through his love of books, Upchurch took charge of his life and moved from being a prisoner citizen to an educator.     

A Sociology of No‐Self: Applying Buddhist Social Theory to Symbolic Interaction

Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis within sociology. This article contributes to this discourse by introducing the Buddhist ideas of anatta (no‐self) and prattyasamutpāda (interdependence) as analytic frameworks to deconstruct and rethink the self within sociology. We argue that the sociological self, most clearly articulated by symbolic interactionism, is premised on a self‐other dualism. This dualism leads to a conceptualization of the self as constantly threatened and anxious. Using these Buddhist concepts we propose an alternative interpretive schema, a sociology of no‐self, for analyzing social interaction and understanding the roots of social angst.     

Exploring Stigmatization and Stigma Management in Mental Health Court: Assessing Modified Labeling Theory in a New Context

Drawing on Link and colleagues' modified labeling theory, this article examines whether the stigma management strategies defendants anticipate using after mental health court exit are associated with their reported experiences during court. Using survey data from 34 mental health court graduates, we find that respondents generally perceive the mental health court as procedurally just, did not experience stigmatizing shame, and anticipate using the inclusionary coping strategy of education over the exclusionary strategies of secrecy and withdrawal. Moreover, findings reveal that the anticipated use of stigma management strategies is associated with mental health court experiences in that procedural justice is associated with inclusionary coping strategies, while stigmatizing shame is associated with exclusionary coping strategies. We conclude by encouraging researchers to further explore the role of stigmatization and shame in specialty court contexts and to continue investigating these defendant perceptions of these courts' process.     

Theory for Community Practice in Social Work:

The effort is made to revitalize the search for practice theory which will inform and guide the community practitioner. Ecological theory is used to identify a generic model of community practice and analyze member cohesion in the three traditional modalities. The theory of energy in human ecology is developed to set the stage for an energy assessment, and the selection of strategic energy patterns in phases of organizing. Theoretical propositions with practice implications are offered for research on the relationship between strategic energy-patterns of organizing, energy costs, specialization of function, and styles of intervention.     

On the Elementary Neural Forms of Micro‐Interactional Rituals: Integrating Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Into Interaction Ritual Theory

Randall Collins's interaction ritual (IR) theory suggests social solidarity as hardwired in the human neurological capacity for rhythmic entrainment. Yet, this article suggests that IR theory may benefit from being tied more firmly to recent neurobiological research, specifically Stephen W. Porges's polyvagal theory that proposes autonomic nervous system functioning as a basis for emotions and social behavior. In this perspective, IR theory does not sufficiently acknowledge the human nervous system as a system involving a phylogenetically ordered response hierarchy, of which only one subsystem supports prosocial behavior. The ritual ingredients of mutual attention and shared mood may, moreover, be specified as part of a social engagement system, neurally regulating attention and emotional arousal via a face–heart connection. The article suggests that this social engagement system provides part of the neural basis for rhythmic entrainment. The polyvagal theory furthermore challenges IR theory to reconsider the importance of individual biological differences—ritual success may not merely be ascribed to interactional effects, but also to reciprocal causality between situations and neurobiological properties of ritual participants.     

Coordinating Theory,Evidence, and Practice:

Concern about the harmful effects of industrial toxins has resulted in growing numbers of citizens fighting against toxic exposure in their communities. This paper describes key concepts derived from theories used to examine collective action in response to the threat of toxic exposure. These concepts are defined, synthesized into a theoretical framework, and illustrated. The framework provides an organizing perspective that social workers can use to respond to the problem of toxic exposure. The framework is one step toward advancing theory and research for organizing communities to respond to toxic exposure and other social problems when collective action is a viable response.     

Predictors of Safer Sex on the College Campus: A Social Cognitive Theory Analysis

Abstract

In April and May 1989, the authors surveyed a sample of students enrolled on four college campuses in New Jersey (N ? 923) concerning their HIV transmission-related behavior, knowledge, and a variety of conceptual variables taken primarily from social cognitive theory that were thought to be potentially predictive of safer sexual behavior. Analyses of sexually active, unmarried students' responses indicated that men expected more negative outcomes of condom use and were more likely to have sexual intercourse while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, whereas women reported higher perceived self-efficacy to practice safer sex. Regression analyses indicated that, among the factors assessed, stronger perceptions of self-efficacy to engage in safer behavior, expecting fewer negative outcomes of condom use, and less frequency of sex in conjuction with alcohol or other drug use significantly predicted safer sexual behavior. Enhanced self-efficacy to discuss personal history with a new partner was associated with a greater number of risky encounters. Implications of these findings for intervention efforts with students are discussed.     

Perceptions of Self and Collective Efficacy in Community Organization Theory and Practice

The concepts of learned helplessness and locus of control have been shown to be reliable predictors of both individual and group behaviors across a wide variety of social situations. Little effort, however, has been directed at understanding the variables associated with these constructs which influence the decision of a disempowered group to take social action when faced with adversity or challenge. This paper analyzes the concepts of perceived self and collective efficacy and discusses how these variables in individual and group behavior impact organizing. The concepts of perceived and collective efficacy are drawn from social learning theory and, within the paper, are hypothesized as the linch pin between various conflict theories. It is argued that once disenfranchised persons are recruited into social action organizations, a certain amount of resocialization must occur that transforms perceived helplessness or personal inefficacy into learned hopefulness with its associated motivation to take action. The role of group leadership in promoting collective efficacy is discussed.     

Applying Current Theory and Research in Career Exploration to Practice

This article provides a selected review of two lines of recent research on career exploration, with a specific focus on applications for counseling practice. The first line of research deals with identifying the antecedents of exploratory activity focusing on the role of internal factors in motivating self- and environmental exploration. The second line of research addresses the application of information processing biases to career exploration. The article describes relevant counseling interventions that are derived from recent theory and research and concludes with a summary of six goals to consider in designing career exploration interventions for individual and group counseling.     

Framed Encounters with Conservation and Mining Development: Indigenous Peoples' use of Strategic Framing in Suriname

While studies on the use of framing as a strategy for social movements have proliferated in the past 20 years, little is still known about how and why the frames vary across social movement actors and/or events. This article addresses this knowledge lacuna by comparing and contrasting Indigenous peoples' use of rights and identity frames in response to conservation and development events in Suriname. The variation in frames, and possible reasons for these variations, was compared across actors and events by considering (1) alignments of the global Indigenous rights movement with different movements and organizations over time, and (2) participants' level of involvement with national and global Indigenous rights movements. Evidence of strategic frame variation in this study demonstrated Indigenous peoples' ability to creatively and strategically pursue their interests by asserting their collective identity and rights in encounters with conservation and development projects. They accomplished this through the presentation of frames that called into question the logic and fairness of protected areas, their innate capacity to protect the environment, as well as their rights to land, and economic interests in mining. The greater use of rights frames by participants reflected networks generated with human rights organizations. Frame inconsistencies were apparent across conservation and development events that indicated uneven levels of involvement with Indigenous rights movements, which may yet produce unintended consequences for Indigenous communities. However, this case could also signal new possibilities for Indigenous peoples in terms of greater maneuverability in being able to assert their rights and negotiate their identities in relation to conservation and development, and ultimately to gain more power and autonomy over their own affairs.     

An Interactional Space of Permanent Observability: WeChat and Reinforcing the Power Hierarchy in Chinese Workplaces

Does digital media empower or disempower workers? In existing studies on how information and communication technologies influence work, researchers investigate work–life boundaries and how workers use digital media to obtain more control. This article focuses on how digital media influences daily interpersonal interactions in the workplace: how does social media use influence workplace hierarchies and power dynamics? Based on 56 in‐depth interviews with WeChat users in Chinese workplaces, I find that lower‐ranked individuals were compelled to constantly express loyalty and appreciation, and publicly submit to their superordinates by clicking “like” or commenting on their WeChat posts. They also had to provide immediate and polite responses to their superordinates in WeChat group chats after work hours or to non‐work‐related issues. The distinctive features of online interaction—lack of physical interaction spaces, recordability of past conversations, and n‐adic nature of online disclosures—created an environment where past encounters were omnipresent and accessible, and placed workers under permanent observability. This social interaction environment leaves little room for forms of resistance and, in response, employees retreat into cynical performances of submission. This study finds that, under certain circumstances, WeChat use actually intensifies workplace hierarchies and power dynamics, thereby sharpening social inequality, rather than eliminating it.     

Framing Symbols and Space: Counterrecruitment and Resistance to the U.S. Military in Public Education

Despite recent federal laws providing military recruiters unprecedented access to public schools and student information, sociologists have given scant attention to the militarization of education or the military counterrecruitment movement in the United States. Semistructured in‐depth interviews with counterrecruiters reveal five framing campaigns used to resist the armed forces' efforts to dominate the symbolic discourse in public schools: 1) the rendition of information, 2) educational space, 3) heroic military narrative, 4) educational mission, and 5) vocational vision. Analysis examining the interaction of space and social movement framing reveals how counterrecruiters compete with military recruiters over the U.S. public education's foundational values and symbols. This article advances our understanding of the counterrecruitment movement in U.S. public schools and how space influences social movement framing through the concepts of spatial legitimacy, spatial authorities, and spatial protocols.     

A Social Fields Theory of Pilgrimage: African American Christians in Israel and Palestine

What is pilgrimage and how should we understand its social significance? Traditional analyses of religiously motivated travel have focused on praxis and ritual. Contemporary analyses have further analyzed pilgrimage as a site where religion, politics, economy, and cultural production converge. This article argues that such convergence is best understood as the product of overlapping and interacting social fields and that particular pilgrimages—as sites of contestation and negotiation—take shape in the interstitial spaces between fields. Using the case of African American Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine as the “Holy Land,” this article examines the relationship between overlapping fields and the negotiation of competing interests on pilgrimage. It suggests cultural framing work as a mechanism by which actors manage tensions between these fields and their interests.     

Corporate Social Responsibility in Romania: From Theory to Practice

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered as an appropriate tool for enhanced competitiveness of Romanian and foreign-capital companies in the domestic market, but also as a means to improve community responsibility and availability of the locally operating Multinational Corporations and for all large, medium-sized and small enterprises with public or private (Romanian or foreign) capital. As CSR is a new and challenging concept for a post-command economy, a learning process was initiated and fostered by various actors. The paper offers comments on the perception of CSR by local managers and academia as well as considerations on how to implement CSR in the specific business environment of an EU candidate country.     

Corporeal Interactions in VRChat: Situational Intensity and Body Synchronization

Erving Goffman's work on interaction in everyday life focuses on joint spatio-temporal and face-to-face situations and denies the constitution of social situations via mediatized interaction. In contrast, we argue that shared immersive media such as Social Virtual Reality enable intense, delocalized forms of co-present interactions that constitute closeness and intimacy. By discussing Goffman in the context of current works that open up his perspective for mediatization, we present an understanding of social situations that focuses on intensity and synchronized embodiment—physical, digital, and corporeal. On the Social VR platform VRChat, synchronized bodies allow for intimate corporeal practices, such as cuddling, dancing, or cybersex. Virtual Reality technology facilitates delocalized forms of affective-bodily interaction, thereby contributing to the social negotiation of mediatized closeness and intimacy—despite physical distance. Our findings are based on a digital ethnographic analysis of lifeworlds and practices of enthusiast VRChat-users, combined with qualitative semi-structured interviews.     

Evolutionary Theory and Neuroscience: An Explanatory Theory for Social Work

Evolutionary theory and neuroscience are recommended as a foundational theory for social work. Advantages of evolutionary theory include explanatory power, suggestion of interventions to beginning social work practitioners, and accommodation of more specific theories of human behavior. The explanatory power of neuroscience is also discussed, along with its evidence base and compatibility with the strengths perspective and destigmatization work of the profession. Connections between evolutionary theory, neuroscience, and social work values are also discussed.     

The Impact of Sight Loss in Social Work Practice

Abstract

This article intends to familiarize the social worker with the various definitions of blindness and sight loss, common obstacles faced by persons with sight loss, general therapeutic issues, when and how to use self-disclosure of a disability, and the ways in which the social worker can use his or her disability, specifically sight-loss, as an instrumental therapeutic tool with clients. Case examples will be provided to illustrate effective interventions and the various ways in which a disability may impact a client or clients. In addition, a brief discussion of various theoretical approaches to understanding disabilities is outlined.     

关于高校思想政治理论课社会实践教学的思考

高校思想政治理论课应从实际出发,采用课堂教学与社会实践教学相辅相成的方式。社会实践教学对增强思想政治理论课实效性具有重要的作用,但同时也存在一些问题,需要进行积极探索。     

Interactional perspectives on the mistreatment of older and vulnerable people in long‐term care settings

This article draws on a study aimed at developing theoretical and methodological understanding of the abuse and neglect (mistreatment) of older people in long‐term care settings such as care homes and hospitals. It presents an interactionist account of mistreatment of older people in such establishments. Starting with an outline of definitional issues surrounding the topic, the allied concept of dignity is also briefly explored, and one important model described; we present dignity as the converse of mistreatment. The article argues for the potential of a positioning theory analysis of mistreatment. Positioning theory proposes that interactions are based on taking of ‘positions’, clusters of rights and duties to act in certain ways and impose particular meanings, which enable or prohibit access to certain storylines. It is argued that ‘malignant’ positioning can contribute to the creation of a climate that allows mistreatment to take place, or fails to prohibit its development. Mistreatment of people with dementia is used as an illustration, and it is argued that this is potentially generated by negative feedback loops of behaviour patterns, interpretations and malignant positioning by staff or family carers and subsequent response to these interpretations by the person with dementia. Positioning theory also allows for an explanation of the importance and impact of organizational cultures and social factors such as ageism. Individual staff members take positions, use meanings and develop storylines imbued with such factors. This understanding therefore overcomes some of the potential confusions created by concepts such as organizational or institutional abuse, removing the need to ascribe intentions and personal responsibility to such constructs. The article concludes with some suggestions for further research to develop an understanding of the kinds of cultures that allow mistreatment and consequently to inform the development of protective measures.