Social Exchange Theory And Social Interaction

The social exchange theory controls our behavior as well as the reinforcement for our actions because before we act in most circumstances, we will weigh the rewards and costs of the behaviors. The behavior that we use is the one believed to produce the highest reward and the lowest cost. What we may perceive to be acceptable or unacceptable in the relationship is our comparison level that we weigh the rewards and costs against. The comparison level of alternatives is when we weigh the rewards and costs relative to the perceived alternatives. People also have a comparison level for the alternative relationships. With a high comparison level, we may believe the world is full of lovely people just waiting to meet us. When this level is low, we may stay in a high-cost relationship simply because we believe we could not find any better elsewhere. Molm (1991) shows that in recent research on individual judgments losses have a greater effect on people then gains.

Another challenge first-generation students encounter is a part of their social life and the development of social skills. These students do not quite understand life on campus and feel that they do not have much in common with their more privileged peers. First-generation students view college differently than the other students attending college. They consider college as a serious responsibility and the only way to get a high-paying job. First-generation students tend to slip through the cracks at large institutions because they do not have social support or simply the knowledge of how a university may operate. They are much less likely to contest a professor’s grade or reach out for help when it is necessary because they feel anxious. They do not understand the need for networking, accessing campus resources, and the history of the campus. First-generation students have difficulty making or finding a community on campus that fits their personality mostly because they are having trouble finding out who they are. This makes them less likely to socialize with peers and take part in student organizations. There are some first-generation students who choose to live at

Though one may favor exchange processes that conclude with a social association that values the idea of equality, however Blau states that exchange processes can “give rise to differentiation of power” (Blau 1964: 114), which results with relation to superordination and subordination. Blau explains this disequilibrium as a result of needs for resources from unlike partners and efforts among equals to gain advantages over the other (Blau 1964: 114). Relating to intrinsic rewards, if one counterpart gains a reward from the exchange, the other counterpart expects repayment in the form of future wards – hence the principle of reciprocity (Blau 1964: 121). Reciprocity between unlike counterparts creates this sense of imbalance

Through the evolution of social bonds, individuals have always been under scrutiny to abide by a list of rules in order to be successful in their community. This ideology is made evident in the book, The Code of the Street, by Elijah Anderson. Anderson dissects and exposes the various issues dealing with families in urban minority communities. These families are labeled as “street” and “decent”. The connotation of the term “code of the street” is a set of accepted and understood set of rules in which “street” and “decent” families abide by in order to function in modern-day street society. These regulatory rules are known as a “code” because this term is not blatantly stated, but mutually understood by those living in these disadvantaged communities.

People constantly evaluate the rewards and costs of their relationship as well as the rewards and costs of interaction with another individual. Rewards and costs can be tangible, such as money or gifts, or psychological, such as social support or intellectual stimulation (Unger & Johnson 604). According to Unger and Johnson, “if the reward/cost balance is more favorable than that of other potential relationships, the person will remain in the relationship, if the costs outweigh the rewards and an alternative relationship with more favorable outcomes is available, the person will leave the existing relationship in favor of the alternative” (604). Yet each reward and cost is different to each individual. To better understand reward and costs is to better understand each individual.

The Social Exchange theory proposes that we make decisions with the goal to maximize benefits and minimize costs (Newman, 2009, p.64). The choices we make require social approval and self-sufficiency. A family will make sacrifices if they perceive the action will equal rewards. Basically the theory refers to a give and take relationship where there needs to be balance for the relationship to be satisfying.

Theoretical Framework. The study is also based on the premise of Lev Vygotsky (1978) social interaction theory which reflects on the socialization of children in the learning process and schooling. Vygotsky’s theory is based on the premise that the community performs a major role in making meaning. He further states that “social learning” is a prerequisite for emotional, psychological and cognitive development. Hence, this aspect of the theory would be applied to the perceptions of the teachers on community based problems and the role of teachers and parents in building positive community spirit. Furthermore, Vygotsky’s theory of Zone of Proximal Development, can be applied, since children’s social behaviour will be reflected in their attendance and parental input at school and teachers’ teaching behaviours will be a reflection of community based problems. Additionally, Vygotsky’s theory, which states that culture is a demarcation of cognitive development can be applied to the study undertaken. The culture of the community is embedded in gang warfare, crime and violence, resulting in student absenteeism and a lack of focus on academic pursuits. Additionally, socialization at home and at school influence cognitive development in children. Therefore, when children construct knowledge at home or

Based on the theory of Functionalism, social order requires all institutions to work. The theory compares society to a body, and institutions to organs. If an organ (institution) is a failure than the others cannot operate properly (do their job.) Although school life and home life are separate, school success greatly depends on home stability. Micheals entire life was unstable, including his foster homes.

Issues about power and control are encompassed within the context of social exchange. Power allows for being less dependent and more necessary. Unfortunately, terminally ill patients lose control over their health, money, knowledge, and face debilitating diseases that ultimately lead them to be economically and socially dependent. Within the social exchange model social relations are established and sustained because individuals offer reciprocal benefits to each other; terminally ill patients have very scarce resources to give in change for valued resources and this can lead to caregiver burn out. From my experience, when caregivers feel they are not getting enough out of the relationship and see taking care of their loved ones as too mentally

Successful college experiences revolve around three major areas: the transition, being successful in classes/schoolwork, and involvement. These three areas have been determined from my work in the Housing and Residential Programs Department for the past three years, as this is my first lass focusing on student development theories. The three areas are must all be present in some way, shape, or form in order for success. The first step is the transition from high school to college. This is inclusive of moving away from home, and entering into an entirely different miniature society. Incoming students need to learn to adapt to their new surroundings, develop relationships, and a find their support system. Adaptation is important, for many

The ability to create relationships based solely on mutual understandings and shared common interests have fed the social

Interpersonal communication can be described as communication that occurs between two or more individuals. While communication can be either verbal, nonverbal, or written, interpersonal communication is more commonly practiced through face to face, verbal communication (Burton, 2011). The interpersonal communication process begins with a “sender”, which is the person that is communicating a message to another person. The “receiver” is the person that is retrieving the message from the sender. It is then the receiver’s job to interpret the message, and give feedback to the sender, allowing them to know that the message was received, and understood (Burton, 2011).

The rational choice perspective is a great way of understanding society and larger systems. When I read in our book how human behavior is based on self-interest and rational choices about effective ways to accomplish goals (Hutchison, 2008, p. 46), my past interactions made so much more sense. This is because human interaction involves trade of social resources, such as love, approval, information, money, and physical labor (Hutchison, 2008, p. 46).

It’s not an overstatement to say that sometimes one specific communication encounter can make or break a relationship. Therefore, it’s important to acknowledge how communicating during a fight affects the overall status of a relationship. In this specific scenario, Denise and Jose are a recently married couple. Ever since they’ve been married, Denise has felt a distance between her and Jose that wasn’t present before. She has been avoiding bringing this up, but finally decides to do so one day after Jose comes home from work. An argument ensues about the problems in their relationship and they conclude their issues started after they got married. Hence, within this paper, I will take a closer look at Jose and Denise’s scenario and analyze how their case exhibits three communication concepts: avoiding, social exchange theory, and uncertainty events. After the analysis, I will give detailed recommendations on what should be done in the future to improve their communication and relationships.

To explain human relationships further, the social exchange theory can be another definite explanation to help distinguish how we feel to be with other people and how one perceives to be with them, either to rekindle their relationship or to question the decisions that make to be in a relationship (Kelley 1959). The social exchange theory can be defined as a term that allows behaviour to be exchanged to allow a relationship between two people to happen (Huston et al., 2013). An individual social life involves interactions between two people which can be viewed as social exchanges in terms of costs and benefits (Nakagawa et al., 2013). By taking the view of human relationships the social exchange theory argues that individuals engage in a cost benefit analysis which forms their relationship with others (Milkie et al., 2004). When the costs and benefits are equal in a relationship, it is defined as equitable (Siddiqui 2008). Moreover, romantic relationships may be difficult for some people as it involves interpersonal skills in order to make them mutually satisfying therefore requires constant maintenance. Recently, Psychologists have begun to look at the breakdown of relationships and the characteristics which requires them to fail. The breakdown of relationship is a theory which explains the failure of certain human relationships and the factors that may be involved such as lack