What is the relationship between “definition of the situation” and “socially – constructed reality”? Our social construct provides us with basic assumptions of everyday life. These social influences have an affect on our perception of reality and situations. While with a group of people you mainly hang out with the definition of a situation of a situation will be similar, because you all are from the same social group: and have similar social backgrounds. But if you are not with a group that you are not familiar with it may not be so easy for you all to see the situation the same because your social reality’s are different. Example:
In an urban neighborhood where Tim, and his group of friends hangout during the day and night, they often hear gunshots. So one night Tim’s cousin Jonny came to visit from his mansion in Texas. While they were outside hanging out gunshots were heard. After hearing the gunshots Tim and his friends continued as if they heard nothing. Jonny’s reaction was very different than Tim and his friends in fact he felt very uncomfortable. Because Tim and his group of friends are accustomed to that social structure their interpretation of the situation was different than Jonny, because in his social reality that doesn’t and should not happen. This example explains how a persons social reality can change how they interpret the definition of a situation.
Why are these important in explaining the social influences on human behavior? These are important in explaining human behavior because our chosen behavior is determined by our social influences and social surroundings (socially - constructed reality) which determine how we react and interpret situations (definition of a situation).
Why is it that social influence is very often more useful for predicting – or explaining – the