Psychology student, Jerrina Malang

Looks at the social mirror from an Interpretative Humanist viewpoint (IH)

The interpretive view says that everyone’s subjective viewpoints and ideas must fuse together, through dialogue, cooperation and sharing into a secure social world. This world is built inter-subjectively. Because it is created within the consciousness of men and women.

Clearly the emphasis is upon social inclusion and dialogue – this creates both the world and the individual. Although IH has a voluntarist view of human nature, it also emphasises social cohesion, stability and solidarity. This means that the expression of free will must be balanced against the conventions and norms of the social group. So, if a person does not desire to conform to these norms, his/her behaviour is disapproved of, in the hope that s/he will decide to conform. If a person does wish to conform to the conventions and norms of the group, s/he is rewarded and given approval. So, provided a person is not too radical, s/he can be creative and imaginative in the way they build, modify and interpret there reflection in Cooley’s mirror.

As opposed to the functionalist, who speaks of life in terms of faceless economic, political and structural determinants (mechanisms), those who adopt an interpretative approach to life, speak of the power of the family, small group or local community to create a world in which each can live as a full individual. They tend, on the whole, not to be threatened in wider, economic and political pressures which press upon them, but try to create countervailing pressures against such forces. Such people are always talking about projects in which they are embedded, and which involve exciting alliances with others.

The interpretative view says that reality is socially constructed. So, different groups of people can occupy different realities. This, of course, can lead to conflict between groups who live in incompatible “life-worlds”. However, it would be possible for such conflicting groups to develop a common interpretative matrix, and thereby create compatibility, communication, understanding and linkage.

In the following BE-ME clip the respondent shows how he is able to re-interpret his views in order to adapt to those of others.

See clip hr17 id13