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The Magic of Group Interaction: How Do Relationships Shape Our Social Roles?
In today's society, people's interactions and relationships play a crucial role in shaping personal identity and social roles. Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann's 1966 book The Social Construction of Reality explores this phenomenon in depth and reveals how society works through Interactions shape our cognitive and behavioral patterns.
Interpersonal interactions and social structures not only shape individual roles, but also form the basic norms and values of society.
Berg and Luckman point out that social roles are not regulated solely by laws or rules; rather, these roles are shaped by the habits, traditions, and perceptions of community we experience in our daily lives. key factors. This process is often called "institutionalization," which means the formation of long-term patterns of social behavior based on interaction.
The generation and evolution of social structures rely on a "social knowledge base", which includes the routines and customs in our daily lives. Berger and Luckmann mentioned that this knowledge is not limited to science or theory, but also encompasses the beliefs and values generally recognized in society.
"Theoretical knowledge is only a small part of social knowledge and is not the most important."
Language provides important support for this process. As Berger and Luckman point out, language not only enables people to communicate and share knowledge, it also establishes the framework within which we understand the world. Through language, we transform individual experiences into shared social meanings, which in turn reinforces identification with social roles.
In the process of socialization, an individual's identity and role will be affected by multiple realities - these realities come from various fields of social interaction. For young people, they may learn to be well-behaved and responsible at home, but may also endorse more rebellious behaviors under the influence of friends or peers.
“Successful socialization means establishing a high degree of symmetry between objective reality and subjective reality.”
The existence of such symmetry in society not only affects individual behavioral choices, but also runs through the entire social structure. From family, school to workplace, interactions in every link contribute to the formation of gender roles, professional roles and even cultural roles. In such dynamics, society becomes more and more complex, with different groups redefining their status and roles through interaction.
Furthermore, the distribution and accessibility of social knowledge form what is called "social expertise," that is, special information obtained based on an individual's role in society. This phenomenon leads to the polarization of knowledge: some knowledge is available to everyone, while other knowledge gradually becomes understandable and usable only by specific roles, which also deepens the divisions between social classes.
“The social distribution of knowledge ultimately results in role-specific knowledge, which will grow rapidly as the division of labor increases.”
However, with social changes and technological advancement, the creation of this role will also face new challenges. People no longer rely solely on traditional social norms and customs to identify themselves. The rise of the Internet and social media has caused significant changes in the way people interact. Everyone's role in this new environment is constantly being reshaped, and social relationships have become more diverse and complex.
Such changes convey a new social dynamic: the younger generation's awareness of freedom and independence is profoundly changing the meaning of traditional roles. As we have seen, the impact of globalization and information technology has allowed society to accommodate different voices and perspectives, promoting the formation and development of new culture.
The importance of exploring this topic is therefore to understand how relationships continue to shape individuals' roles in this rapidly changing society. Will society further promote the diversity of personal identities, or will it lead to more social conflict?
