Sociology - Sociological Perspective Sociological

Sociology - Sociological Perspective SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE and SEINFELD Structural Formalism in Seinfeld: Structural formalism or "consensus structuralism" is the sociological theory according to which common social understandings and basic moral agreements play important roles in society, keeping it in a social equilibrium, the most natural state of society (Henslin 2002). It is a concept repeatedly represented in the Seinfeld television series, most often by George Costanza. In several different episodes, George becomes angry with strangers for violating what he perceives to be a common moral rule of societal expectation and decency.

Those scenes always end with his angry exclamation You know, we're living in a society." The first time this happens is in the episode titled "Chinese Restaurant" when George loses the race to use a public telephone. He had been waiting for it already, but a woman in the restaurant picked up first because she was closer to it when it became available.

George tries to explain to her that he was waiting for it, to which she responds, Well if you were here first, you'd be holding the phone" George says very angrily shouts, "You know, we're living in a society! We're supposed to act in a civilized way," purposely directing his voice for everyone to hear. The issue comes up again in the episode "The Limo" when George asks a stranger for the time in the airport.

The man refuses to tell George the correct time despite the fact that he is wearing a wrist watch.

Eventually, George tries to grab the man's wrist and the man pulls away, calling George "some kind of nut." George responds, "You know we're living in a society!" The implication, in both cases, is that a common social understanding exists in society about common courtesies in matters like waiting for one's turn for telephones and in accommodating ordinary polite requests for information like the time of day, even when the request comes from a complete stranger.

Symbolic Interactionism in Seinfeld: Symbolic Interactionism is a sociological theory according to which people tend to ascribe specific meaning to arbitrary things, to interpret those meanings through their social interaction with others, and to modify those meanings in relation to their perception by others (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005). In the series episode "The Shoes," Elaine's Boticelli shoes become the focus of another character's envy. Elaine finds out through Kramer) that a mutual acquaintance (Gail) has been talking to other people about Elaine's fashionable shoes.

Elaine confronts Gail for it, but later has no choice but to give them to Gail as payment for helping Jerry and George coordinate an unrelated scheme with an NBC executive. The issue culminates in Elaine's eventual admission that she actually enjoys the fact that other people notice her shoes and talk about them with envy.

When Jerry asks her to give Gail the shoes, Elaine responds, "No, but these were the only really cool ones like this! Don't you see how everybody likes 'em and how everybody talks about 'em?" That issue comes up again in another episode (the Scofflaw") when an ex- boyfriend (Jake) of Elaine's refuses to tell Kramer where he bought the frames for his glasses. Kramer admires them and asks, "..

where did you get those eyeglass frames?" Jake responds, "I can't tell you that." When Kramer then asks, "So you don't know where you got 'em?" Jake responds, "Yes I do. But I don't want anyone else to have them." Social Conflict Theory in Seinfeld: Social conflict is a sociological theory according to which people and social groups within society occupy different relative social positions (or classes) within the community, based on their wealth or accumulation of other valuable resources (Macionis 2003).

That concept is illustrated best by the series episode "The Airport." Elaine.