Social Psychology Self Presentation Theory Paper
Uploaded by spootyhead on Feb 19, 2007
Social Psychology: Self Presentation Theory Paper
Claiming face and self presenting are very common place in fraternity life at colleges around the country and are no better exemplified than in the process of rush. Being a sophomore here at Bucknell and experiencing rush for myself, I can officially say that I, along with many others, have claimed face. Going into rush, one does not fully know what to expect from the different houses, but they do know what they want out of it, and more importantly, they know the type of person they want to come across as. Before attending a rush event one must get dressed in clothes that are in coordination with the personality that one wishes to express. Some dress preppy, showing off one set of values that may give a fraternity some first impressions. Others decide they do not care so much about what they wear and automatically appeal to a different set of people. Our clothes say a lot about who we are and what we care about. Rush is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of this. Getting dressed in this setting is very much like putting on our costume before we take the “stage” at some fraternity house. For many of us this is what is first noticed about us. Before we even speak, we are being examined.
As I start to talk to different brothers at different houses, I notice how much my personality can be transformed to fit the setting of which I want to be a part of. At one house I may casually converse about favorite music or sports teams, while at another, I may want to be funny or intelligent. Smiling and laughing are often closely involved with all of these conversations. Brothers want to think that you are having a good time and that you like them, but at the same time, no one wants to see a complete suck up that will laugh at everything. The work of the rushee is cut out, and is a very fine line. Sometimes the things you have to say may not be exactly what you are thinking or feeling but you have to go along with it anyways in order to keep your “story” consistent. Another thing that I came across in my rush experience was noticing when a brother fell out of “character.” Each house has a reputation and...