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Identity and Symbolic Interaction pp 317–338Cite as

Society in Peril? How Distance Media Communication Could Be Undermining Symbolic Interaction

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Abstract

An abrupt societal shift toward increasingly impersonal, electronically mediated interaction contexts raises the question: how might such a change impact the process and outcomes of symbolic interaction? In this chapter we combine symbolic interactionist insights on role-taking with classical and contemporary scholarship on solidarity, interaction ritual chains, and bodily co-presence to advance a novel argument about how distance communication media may be undermining the microsocial foundations of human connectedness. We present results from a laboratory experiment in which we manipulated the communication medium between interaction partners and assessed vocal convergence—a non-consciously controlled, real-time indicator of group solidarity (i.e., interpersonal closeness). Results indicate that groups who interacted face-to-face experienced significantly greater solidarity than those who interacted in electronically mediated contexts. We discuss the implications of our findings and outline a research agenda that focuses on the promise of a neuro-interactionist approach, in particular, to provide a clearer understanding of the impact of distance media communication on symbolic interaction and social organization.

We are grateful to Robin Stryker for helpful comments and suggestions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

    Will Kalkhoff, Adam Gibson & Stanford W. Gregory Jr.

  2. University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 27599, USA

    Joseph Dippong

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  1. Will Kalkhoff
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  2. Joseph Dippong
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  4. Stanford W. Gregory Jr.
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Correspondence to Will Kalkhoff .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

    Richard T. Serpe

  2. Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Robin Stryker

  3. Department of Sociology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Brian Powell

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Kalkhoff, W., Dippong, J., Gibson, A., Gregory, S.W. (2020). Society in Peril? How Distance Media Communication Could Be Undermining Symbolic Interaction. In: Serpe, R.T., Stryker, R., Powell, B. (eds) Identity and Symbolic Interaction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41231-9_12

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