Urban Division of Labor
growing differences growing freedom
For him, these new occupations are now becoming personalities. Stereotypes are formed and assembled. He also note that our freedom to choose jobs or occupations provide an image that we are free to choose. Though some people argues that we loss this freedom since other people also choose what we choose, it does not matter for Simmel. For him what matters is we choose the path for and by ourselves.
Rural people are not immune to this phenomenon. Most of them migrate into cities due to the influences and encouragement of media that city life brings freedom. Additionally, he noted that people are becoming obsessed with difference. Some differentiate just for the sake of being different, to be different for its own sake. Most people goes to extreme just to stand out. In this respect there is a common use of the term PERSONALITY. Personality implies differences and not commonality. We celebrate and encourage differences in the city (food, place, clothes, social circles). Simmels speak of the city as a representation of the objective culture. Objective culture is the sum of societys artistic, intellectual and technical accomplishments. (e.g. art, invention, paintings, literature). For him objective culture is complex and wide. We only experience tiny fractions of it in which we make us own. This is in contrast to the country wherein they have limited choices e.g. country music. In city you almost unlimited choices.
tragedy of culture
objective culture expands subjective culture contract
For Simmel there is a tragedy in this kind of objective culture which is widespread in city life. For him, as the city expanded and jobs and opportunities are created, people become more and more narrow minded. It is almost that though individuals who specialized know more and more about less and less. We only learn a tiny fraction of objective culture. The university is an attempt to encompass and compile all this knowledge however it is failing now and losing its edge. The economy is pushing us to specialize since since highly paid people are the one who specializes. Experts in their fields are paid the best. In many cases experts and specialists use special language and jargons. They have monopoly with the language. This became their currencies because they are the only one who can understand it. (e.g. lawyers language or lawyer talk).
In our times there are no more family doctors or country lawyers who know and can do all. City life make us one dimensional individuals. He also noted that artists are prone to this phenomenon. Originally, artist follow their selves and imagination (subjective culture). However since they also need to earn money, they also need to follow the clients or audience taste and requests. In this respect, artists become entertainers. There is a difference between the two, artist follow their bliss, entertainers follow their audienceclients wants or desires.
Today only few people can grasp the big picture of the society. The world is getting bigger but individuals world is getting smaller. This is negative to us especially for democracy since democracy requires informed citizens to be able to decide smartly.
Zurcher
In the article of Zurcher, he stated that the mutable self or the ever changing self is a creation of the modern world. People mutate and adapts todifferent societal changes. We must notice that people are not the same in all places in all time. Even people you live in the same generation, you are different. For example it is difficult to comprehend the past societies that does not encourage money or acquisition of money. Bias against merchants in the past is different to comprehend in our present context self as image and self as process
Today self is becoming as an image rather an a process. Fixed self is becoming obsolete. Change has become more institutionalized in our understanding. our culture celebrate change and improvements. people who are not willing to change are judge as stubborn etc. social change is forcing the individual to change from within, Change in orientation, from stability to change. In our time, self that can adapt changes or mutable is more rewarded, adaptive and valued than a self that is fixed. society requires us to change according to changing times.
accelerated socio-cultural change leads to existential revolution in self concept
Yesterday, we can have a concrete way of seeing ourselves in the future. Before, say you want to be a software writer or programmer. Today, the society will not permit you to do that. the society had arranged its self towards a society wherein software writing is done somewhere else for cost benefits. That particular job is outsourced some where else. As a result you need to adapt to the change, learn a new skill to be able to survive.
It is noted that globalization influences and push forward societal changes. Today we tend to have multiple job and career changes due to the shift in demands since global capitalism changes the opportunity structure. this encourages us to form a mutable self or unless you will not be able to survive. Before our grandparents is stacked with a stable occupation, send their kids to one school, one religion,( e.g. old fashioned Middle America Life). However today, this is difficult since the economy will uproot you in this aim. you will be fighting the trend when you do it. In our times, change is normal. It now became the positive normal cultural value. Our culture celebrates persons who are open to change and not way down to tradition. Today more than ever generation gap is more inevitable since today moving culture cannot relate to the stable culture of yesterday.
C-mode vs. B-mode
CMODE
C mode is what he refers as the mutable self which is an autonomous and detached self. In contrast, B mode is the traditional self and define their selves according to the social groups where they belong. In C mode, the master is them in their own life. Membership of C mode to other groups is only defined by terms of self interest and nothing else. In C mode, nothing is compulsory.
Some question to ponder regarding this kind of personality or self
-can society survive with this arrangement Will it take us to a state of nature or law of the jungle (question to ponder)
-how are free to outside influence
-is freedom an illusion
-do we always need to serve anyone
-maybe rich people can afford the luxury of mutable self, but not the poor people
Some argue that C mode personality is only a function of age. C mode are for youngsters only. Change become a mere status symbol. It can become a shallow orientation. It can be a function of age. Young people are more mutable than old people. As you get older you will go for more stability. However, we can still cite C mode example to older people. Middle life crisis is an example of mutable self for older people.
B MODE
In contrast to C mode, B mode are more traditionalist and conservatives.
Paradoxes of the Mutable Self Permanent change or fad
(revised)
It was noted that it is possible that the mutable selfs desire for change is not permanent. Some argues that it is possible that desire for change is just a function of age as younger people tend to be more prone to desire change. Older people however tend to be more inclined in stability more than anything else. It has been observed that adventurous youth tend to be more stable and uniform when they grew up.
Some also argues that mutable self is not a permanent phenomenon. Some case and scenario can reverse the effect. For example a nuclear war that will slow down changes and innovations.
From here, it can be concluded that the paradox of the mutable self is its desire for change changes to its desire for something new which is stability.
LAG VS LEAD
Lagers are the people who resist cultural change. This is directly in contrast of pioneers who always forecast and always found in the upfront of change, they lead us to cultural change. These pioneers are ridiculed at first, tagged as nerds but one the new patters emerges, they become iconic (e.g. Bill gates solving the PC revolution in 1980s). On the other hand, lagers are behind changes. They argue that there is good in the past that we need to preserve (e.g. principle and moral conviction). Lagers want to defend their life, what they have, they believe that they have something to offer, they dont want to be dismissed e.g. financial transactions being taken by machine is not preferred by many old people. They prefer face to face interactions in financial or monetary affairs. Sometimes they can go bad for being dogmatic (e.g. jihad, force people to resist change through violence). In America we can cite one specific example, this is called culture wars, Conservative (Family Values) vs People who adapt changes conservatives want to maintain a nuclear traditional family, dad works, mom nurtures.
It is important to note that today, only 20 of households comprises the nuclear family. The number one most common household todays is the single household, a person living alone.
Week7 02.18 Thurs.
I.Modal Personality Types
A.The Mutable Self - Zurcher
1.Lag v. Lead
2.Is the Mutable Self free
B.Durkheim on the Anomic Self
1.Anomie as the human condition- as a function of imagination
2.anomie as a moral problem
3.class differences in Anomie-Rich v. Poor
4.Anomie as a product modern individualism
5.Economic causes of anomie
The Mutable self
Is the Mutable Self Free
A mutable self is related to the breaking free from society. In other words, no other social forces to influence the self. Individuals are free to experience the world through their sense. No bias, values that influence you. This is a kind of freedom that human never attained. In a mutable self, you will choose if you want to participate or not, no pressure, no compulsory actions
Question to ponder.
If everybody is doing their own thing, what will happen to society
If you are libertarian, you will like this society. The only arranging factor is the market. However, this will lead to bigger greater social inequality, the strong will dominate. The market will generate gross inequality.
According to him, ultimate freedom is impossible since your choices as a freeman will still be determine by the society. You choose but your sets of choices is not choosing. For example your occupations, you choose your job but there is a limited number of job to choose from. For example though you are free to choose who to marry, you are still limited to the choice who and what to marry, men or women. Conclusion, we can never really break free from society. Possibilities are NOT endless
Durkheim on the Anomic Self
Suicide (1897)
According to Durkheim in his book, Suicide (1897) there is a growing number of anomic people today. Some leads to suicide, a form of suicide that is caused by extreme feeling of anomie. Some examples are the public shootings in the United States and in other parts of the world. Before an anomic kill his self, he kill other people first. According to Durkheim, anomie is caused by the disintegration of morality. This deprive people of meaning. Something bigger than people is loss and this weakens the societys hold for people.
Today, people become free but they are more detached from the society. This leads to loss of meaning since for Durkheim human beings naturally derive our meaning to life in membership to society and not from some biological impulseimperative. He argues against the role of biological impulse or imperative to its role in maintaining life since if biological impulse is dominant to human beings, no one will commit suicide since we are hardwired to suicide. Suicide is a mystery for biologists. In this respect the author believes that suicide is due to the loss of hold of an individual to society. As a support, he argues that suicide varies from time to time and place to place. when you are detached to society, it is lonely and depriving. When your hold for group weaken, your purpose for living will weaken. Your hold for life will also weaken. Nothing will excite you, nothing will motivate you. This is also the reason why we can see today the comeback of religion. Books such as Purpose Driven Life are in demand. This is because of the crisis of meaning in our secular society that created a vacuum which religion can fill.
Anomie as the human condition- as a function of imagination
The author believes that animals can control their instincts for needs and desire. When they are hungry, they hut. When they are full, they stop eating. When its time to mate, they mate. It is pure impulse and pure reflex. No imagination is involved. Humans however do not have this kind of mechanism, either biologically or psychologically. The only thing that stop us is the society. The society is the only external mechanism that can stop us, though not so well sometimes. We humans operates on imagination rather than instinct. This implies that we can imagine a world with infinite possibilities since we humans can fantasize. Anomie will come out when the world cannot deliver your appetites brought by your imagination. As a result we feel frustrated. Our expectations are also raised by the mas media. Mass media says that you can have everything now. When this is not met, it results to anomie.
Anomie as a product modern individualism
According to clinical psychologist, anomic pathologies are growing in number. This is due to the expansion of humans expectations that are not met. In order to solve this, the society must set ceilings and guidelines to guide human beings to avoid the feeling of anomie. It was cited that in a society wherein there are many guidelines, youths have a more peaceful transition to adulthood e.g. right of passages. However we dont have that in our own society. What we have are some institutions, but most of them fails. In adults we have different limiting institutions such as careers, jobs, marriage and religion. This institutions however fails slowly to limit us. e.g. extramarital affairs, premarital affairs.
It is also important to note that anomie is parallel to Marx concept of alienation. As stated, Marxs alienation leads to frustration that leads to revolution. Expectations that are not met. anomie is parallel to it in the case that anomie is more general. Alienation is more economical.
It was also noted that students suffer a great deal of anomie. For example, anomie in grade that you received in High School. You receive all As in HS. But in college, you receive B. You feel bad for it. You feel this because you carried a fix expectation from HS to college. You need to refocus your expectations. Unreasonable standards set by you leads to unhappiness or anomie. Anomie can make you go up in your career but the question is, are you happy
side note prom instructor its okay to have B. you will learn more in your lost rather than your triumphs. In this case anomie can be a positive experience. You just need to reflect at it positively.
class differences in Anomie-Rich v. Poor
Economic causes of anomie
It has been said that poor people are happier because they set lower standards and limits to their selves which are easier to reach. Rich people tends to expect more and when these are not met, they become unhappy and frustrated. For example a kid who goes once to Disneyland, vs a kid who always goes to Disneyland. The first kid will be happier. This is also the same with drugs, you need to consume more to be able to feel happier. Rich people set higher standards which is more difficult to achieve therefore causing anomie. Rich people overdo and overdose to everything. They are self indulgent and have an unhealthy sense of entitlement.
.anomie as a moral problem
Anomie is a moral problem because it limits our behaviors and presupposes question of right and wrong. Religion have countered this through laws and commandments. Christianity has 7 deadly sins, other religions also have it. This is to serve a limit to people to avoid the feeling of anomie. This limit is called morality.
It was also noted that the opposite of anomie is fatalism. Fatalism is caused by having too many limits. If anomie is modern society product, fatalism is product of totalitarian and pre-modern society. Take for example someone in prison and someone under a dictator. They are bonded so much that they feel the lost meaning of their lives. Fatalism also leads to suicide. It is important to note today there is smaller rate of suicide in prisons when compared to freemen. However, when prisoners are released they are overwhelmed to choices outside and become suicidal e.g. movie REDEMPTION (Morgan Freeman).
Society tells us that if we cannot control ourselves, we are immoral. oftentimes this uncontrollablereckless behavior will harm other people. It is also important to note that libertarian dont care with anomie as long as there are no other people are harmed. However we can argue that addicts for example are not solitary individual, they are member of family, class etc. therefore affectharm other people.
Today there are many debates to where we can draw the line between letting people free or controlling them. We lived in a society wherein moral problems of the past are considered illness such as obesity and sex addiction. Many lines are redesigned and relocated. in the old days there are fixed way of identification, almost a manual for everything, today it is lost. In our times, there are many gray areas. We live in a society where there are many in between
Week 9 03.02 Tue.
I. Personality Types
A. The Narcissistic Personality (Christopher Lasch)
1.Narcissism as Pathology
a.)as a defense mechanism against separation anxiety
b.)symptoms
Shyness
Before tackling narcissism, the instructor read an article about shyness. As stated. Shyness also known as social anxiety disorder is the withdrawal from the world because of the extreme feeling of shyness. As for students who have this social anxiety disorder, most dropout of universities and schools due to extreme feeling of shyness. Social phobia leads to depression and most likely to commit suicide. Some of its physical symptoms are increased heartbeat shortness of breathe. Today there are some drugs that can alleviate feeling of social phobia that are approved by the medical board. He also noted that shy people rarely ask for help unless their anxiety really intervenes with their way of life.
As for critics, there is no objective way to define normal shyness and social phobia, Today, there are more than 50 of adults who honestly admits that they are shy. The number of children using antidepressants grew from 2.5 in 1998 up to 4-5 today.
A.The Narcissistic Personality (Christopher Lasch)
Christopher Lasch is a Freudian psychologist and social psychologist. For him, every society has a problem in controlling and regulate child impulses and integrate that in the social order. Because of this, all societies must find a ways to obtain conformity and civilized children. Children are regarded as barbarians, new breed of barbarians every generation. In our today world, he stated that children are becoming more and more narcissistic
as a defense mechanism against separation anxiety
He defined narcissism as a form of neurosis. He also stated we are raising our children to be narcissistic in our modern way of living. He define narcissism as not mere self love or vanity. Actually he assigned a clinical definition for it. Narcissism is a neurosis that serves as a defense mechanism against the separation anxiety. For him, the root of narcissism is separation anxiety
Today, children feel extreme and intense emotion of separation anxiety. Children relieve it through creating a fantasy of omnipotent mother and father who is incorporated to their selves. in many ways, the self love they exhibits is actually the displaced love of parental figure in response to separation or fear of loss of their parents. Today, mother and father is absent so they create a fantasy in their self, mom and dad become a part of them. He also noted that this even leads to multiple personality disorder. The more the parents are neglectful, the more narcissistic the child and this is more common to our society today.
It was observed that there is change in the type of patients that undergone therapy in the last 60 years. From the end of World War II up to today, patients feel an extreme and vague feeling of emptiness. For them life is futile and purposeless. Before World War II however there are other symptoms that are exhibited. Most of this is caused by repressive social controlling and repressed urges. Most of the time this is due to an overdevelop superego of over socialized individuals. In their times, everything is sin e.g. Puritans and Protestants. According to therapists, patients today are acting to their impulse rather than controlling or repressing them.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
Some of the general symptoms of narcissism are
-dependent on the affection of others
-addicted to affection of others
-the same time afraid of dependency
-they need affection it but they fear it
More Specific Symptoms
Some of the more specific symptoms of narcissism are
-pseudo self insights or fake talking about their selves to other people
-calculating seductiveness
-seductive individual but still feeling emptiness inside
-self deprecating humor
-shallowness in emotions and avoidance of intimacy
-they want affection of other people but they resist returning it
-mutual intimacy is resisted
-insensitivity, a wall that shield individual against the hostility released by intimacy
-narcissist resist long term relationship
-afraid of being left by the person
It was noted that the moment you break their wall, they will break down. some therapist even go to extreme by having sex to their patients in the 70s to break the wall of the patients
Narcissist also tends to distrust other people. They are unable to mourn, grieve or sorrow. Basically they are insensitive to other peoples pain. It is also noted that narcissist are hypochondriac. They are uneasy about their health and have a chronic fear of illness whether it is physical, medical or mental illness. For them every pain means something worse.
He believes that therapy does not work on narcissists. It only worsen their illness. Narcissist use therapy for self insight, to put their selfs in to spotlight. They seek therapy but does not really respond to it.
Narcissist also fantasizes that they are omnipotent or they are all powerful. They belief that they a right to exploit other people and to be gratified by other people. For them, other people are just guests to their realities. They craved approval and praise of others but despised and mocks those who provide it for them. For a narcissist, all relationships are not satisfying. He just use other people to stroke his ego. He does not feel empathy and feels that life owes him for his suffering.
A narcissist is always bored. They tend to have tons of sex but all of it are just meaningless sex, not sensual and devoid of pleasure.
It is also important that aside from hypochondria, they are afraid of dying and aging. They do everything that they can afford to reverse or suspend it. They want to look young, stay young, remain beautiful. Aging is the best attack for grandeur self of narcissist.
SOCIOLOGY OF NARCISSISM
As stated in the lecture, narcissism is more common today. For sociology this means something had changed outside of the individual. This is because certain type of socialization and cultures produce certain types of personality.
Some critics blame the media for the growth of narcissism. Todays media as they argue is violent and sex craved. Media overstimulate this infantile desires. massive exposure to mass media overpower traditions of restraints. For example, commercials or TV shows arouse the urges. Media seduces people for false promises then leaving them excited but not satisfied. The former restraint which is tradition cannot keep these impulses at bay anymore. Traditions and religions are no longer a strong force.
However for Christopher Lasch, media is not the sole or exclusive reason to the spread and growth of narcissism. For him, narcissism thrive and go far in our society because of the arrangement of our society. Narcissist are rewarded and encouraged in out society. They are the perfect person to work in our modern society. They have shallow values and fear of intimacy that make them perfect recruits for government and corporations. the increasing size of corporations and universities brings greater anonymity make people more self interested. In competitive environments, narcissist do very well where individuals are allowed to pursue their interest without responsibility to the group. Narcissists are rewarded by the modern society and social structure since they overlap with the prevailing structure. The social forces worsen narcissism and feeling of emptiness.
It was also noted by a student that narcissism is facilitated and cultivated by capitalism.
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