In his work while studying psychological aspect of social reality or interconnected of dynamic of interactions, Simmel perceived and identified some ‘typical’ interactions within societies. As we know that, in terms of “Forms” he has lot to offer regarding nature and quality of interactions.Here, in detail, I’m going to elaborate the meaning and importance of ’Social types of George Simmel’.
Understanding “Social types of George Simmel”
Social types are typical relations of the specific interactions with others who assign him a specific role or particular position and, in turn, expect to behave as per the prescribed rules and norms.
In simple words, to be a social type, certain points need to be understood carefully. First, the interactant, second, the assigned role or position, third, relations of role or position with those who assign him a role. And, finally, the expectations of those who assigned the role from the role to behave in specific way in the society.
Forms and patterns of interactions
In the views of George Simmel, “Forms” are permanent and specific interactions with certain occurance in different places and have independent status.
Simply, the forms, as per Simmel, should have independent existence of its own from those who created them. Social types are about the interactant entering in the relations and interactions, or complementary to forms.
Explaining Sociation And Social Forms of Simmel in detail
George Simmel convinced that individual interacts with the subjective meaning they assigned with the objects they created in society. Such relations or interactions over a period of time assume various forms and patterns.
Simply, this process is termed as’ Sociation’. And, as per him, it is task of sociologists to study these specific forms. Let’s know in detail sociation and social forms
Describing sociation process
Sociation refers to the patterns and forms the interactions between individual assumes over period of time. He never advocated to study the totality of interactions but those which are specific and permanent or chances of recurrence in place and time.
Social forms definition
Social forms are definite patterns of interactions with recurrence and are independent of people who created it. These forms are focal point for Simmel if one wants to study sociology.
Obviously, this is the reason he emphasized to study social forms ignoring content of interactions. As per Simmel, content has hardly definite nature and studying it doesn’t help to understand social reality.
Types of social forms and types
He noted that smallest social phenomenon occures between two individual, while complex social phenomenon is a product of interactions among smaller phenomena.
Simmel in his study of social forms looked at wide range of social forms like exchange, conflict, prostitution, and sociability.
In this way, Simmel presented his thoughts on the nature of sociation and social forms in his work. complementary to form, he cames up with social types based on types of interactants or role or positions given by society.
In terms of social types, he comes up with the stranger, the mediator, the adventurer, the renegade etc. This is all about the key concepts of George Simmel..
Final words on social types of George Simmel
Hence, it is well said that social types of Simmel is what he is through his relations with others who assign him a specific role or position and expect him to behave in specific way.
Examples of social types
- The stranger
- The poor
- The adventurer
- The mediator
- The renegade
In order to study these social types, he put forth his social geometry of numbers and distance as determinants. It means that how could with increasing or decreasing numbers and distance affect the nature and quality of interactants.
Now, let’s understand the “The stranger” social types of George Simmel
Studying “The Stranger” social types of George Simmel
The stranger, mediator, poor, renegade, adventurer etc. as per Simmel, are the social types. Especially, “Social type The stranger” is the most important example of his thought on forms and types.
Meaning and examples of social types
Social type is a type of interactant to whom, as per Simmel, society assigns specific role or position and expect to behave accordingly.
On the basis of ”social geometry” Simmel explained how increasing and decreasing numbers and distance impacts the nature and quality of group or interactions. For this to elaborate, he studied “Dyad and triad”.
Social geometry, Social types” The stranger”
In the words of George Simmel, through his study of “The philosophy of money” he said that the value of something is determined by the distance from the actor. So, the distance should not be too close nor too far. But, to make it more valuable, it should be attainable with great effort.
The stranger, social types of Simmel is a social role or position that combines the seemingly contradictory qualities of nearness and remoteness.
Just because of this, stranger valued for his objectivity, for being able to take a distanced and dispassionate views of events and relationships. The stranger may also be someone as a close confident because their social distance from us prevent them from judging us too harshly.
Reflecting his interest in economics, he noted, the stranger everywhere appears as the trader, or the trader as stranger.
The stranger is defined by not having belonged to the group from the beginning, and they still having the freedom to leave. He is a potential wanderer. Although he has not moved on, he has not quite overcome the freedom of coming and going…
This is all about the social types of George Simmel.
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