NCJ Number
46864
Journal
THEORY AND SOCIETY Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1976) Pages: 395-416
Date Published
1976
Length
22 pages
Annotation
SCENE-MAKING BEHAVIORS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF HOW A SCENE WORKS FOR THE SOCIAL ACTOR AS AN ASSERTION OF A DEMAND FOR SOCIETAL RECOGNITION OF A CERTAIN SELF, AND HOW SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE IS USED AS AN ASSERTIVE TACTIC.
Abstract
WHETHER A PUBLIC DISTURBANCE IS DEFINED BY THE OBSERVERS AS A SCENE WILL INVOLVE CONSIDERATIONS OF CONTEXT, DEGREE OF EXPRESSION, THE MOTIVES IMPUTED TO THE SCENE PARTICIPANTS, AND THE OUTCOME OF THE BEHAVIOR. IF SCENE-MAKING BEHAVIOR BECOMES VIOLENCE IT IS NO LONGER A SCENE; IF ORDER IS RESTORED WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES REQUIRING SPECIFIC READJUSTMENTS, THEN IT IS A SCENE. DESPITE THIS LACK OF CONSEQUENCES, SCENES DEMONSTRATE THE EASE WITH WHICH SOCIAL ORDER CAN BE VIOLATED, AND CREATE A SENSE OF THREAT AMONT OBSERVERS. THE INTERACTION PROCESS IN SCENES INVOLVES A STRATEGY IN WHICH BOTH PARTICIPANTS MAXIMIZE THE THREAT EXPRESSED TOWARD THE OTHER DISRUPTER WHILE MINIMIZING THE THREAT PERCEIVED BY THOSE WITNESSING THE SCENE, CONSEQUENTLY SCENES INVOLVE CONSIDERABLE COOPERATION AMONG DISPUTANTS AND A DISENGAGEMENT MUST BE MUTUALLY ACHIEVED. SCENES FROM THE BOOKS 'AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X' AND FROM 'DEATH AT AN EARLY AGE' (KOZOL) ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY ILLUSTRATE THE ENDING OF ESCALATION IN SCENES AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ACTOR DEFINES HIMSELF IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SOCIAL ORDER IN TERMS OF CERTAIN ROLES AND MOTIVES. FINALLY, THE MANAGEMENT OF A SCENE DEPENDS ON THE ASSUMPTION OF A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT CONSTITUTES APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR WITHIN A FORMAL NORMATIVE ORDER. THE SOCIAL ACTORS ENTER INTO SCENES BECAUSE SCENES PERMIT WHAT IS BASICALLY A NO-LOSS CONFLICT; WHEN EITHER DISRUPTER HAS MAXIMIZED THE INTERNAL THREAT TO THE CODISRUPTER TO A LEVEL AT WHICH AN EXTERNAL THREAT TO WITNESSES IS SUCH THAT AN EXTERNAL SANCTION WILL PROBABLY BE IMPOSED, THE DISRUPTER WILL SHIFT THE FOCUS OF THE THREAT AND THE CODISRUPTER WILL COOPERATE WITH THE SHIFT. SHOULD EITHER DISRUPTER EXCEED THE THRESHOLD OF EXTERNAL SANCTION, THE PURSUED DISRUPTER CAN WITHDRAW WITHOUT CONCESSION BY REDEFINING THE CONFLICT AS NOW BEING BETWEEN THE AGGRESSOR AND THE FORCES OF EXTERNAL SANCTION WHOSE PROTECTION HE OR SHE CLAIMS. THE MAJOR ATTEMPT IN SCENE-MAKING BEHAVIORS IS TO ACHIEVE PUBLIC RECOGNITION FOR A PRIVATE SENSE OF SELF. POTENTIAL DISRUPTORS FEEL ALIENATED FROM THEIR PUBLIC FACE AND HAVE A CONCEPT OF THE PUBLIC FACE THEY FEEL THEIR PRIVATE SELF DESERVES. IN THE SCENE, THE SOCIAL ACTOR TRIES TO DETERMINE AND TO ESTABLISH THIS MORE SELF-APPROPRIATE PUBLIC FACE. THERE WILL HOWEVER BE A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC FACE SOUGHT AND THAT ACTUALLY GAINED SUCH THAT THE ACHIEVED FACE WILL STILL NOT BE AN ADEQUATE SELF-REPRESENTATION AND ANOTHER CYCLE OF SCENE-MAKING BEHAVIOR WILL ENSUE. THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF SCENES IS THAT THEY DEMONSTRATE THE MANNER IN WHICH SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE OBVIATES THE NEED FOR ACTUAL VIOLENCE AND HOW SOCIAL ORDER CAN ONLY EXIST IN A DELICATE BALANCE WITH DISORDER. SOCIETY IS ULTIMATELY POSSIBLE FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT SCENES ARE RESOLVED, BECAUSE SELF-CONSCIOUS HUMAN BEINGS HAVE THE POWER TO BREAK OUT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOPS AND TO BRING ABOUT PLANNED COURSES OF ACTION. NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)