Musician and composer Glenn Holland decides to switch gears in his career by taking a music teaching job at John F. Kennedy High School in order to have more free time to spend with his bride, Iris Holland, and compose, most specifically a symphony which has always been his dream to do. This career change is despite music rather than teaching being his passion, and having no experience in teaching beyond having a teaching certificate. He quickly learns that it is a job that he hates - largely because his students generally don't relate to music the way he does, and of where he and the music program fit within the pecking order of the school - but which he sticks with if only because of life circumstances since his wife is expecting. Their son …show more content…
According to Festinger (1957), we hold many cognitions about the world and ourselves. When they clash, a discrepancy is evoked, resulting in a state of tension known as cognitive dissonance. As the experience of dissonance is unpleasant, we are motivated to reduce or eliminate it, and achieve consonance.
The theories term Minimal justification can be seen throughout the movie, Mr.Holland's Opus. Minimal justification is when someone does something and there is minimal justification for them doing it, this creates more dissonance than if they can explain it through a significant rationale. The dissonance then acts to make them internally to justify the action, saying 'I wanted to do it anyway because I like doing that sort of
…show more content…
This theory also meaning that human beings are best understood in a practical, interactive relation to their environment. According to George Herbert Mead, this theory help us to understand how human co-create symbolic world that shape behaviour.
The first term is the key concept of self in symbolic interaction theory refers to the ability to reflect on ourselves from the perspective of others.The term self fulfilling prophecy meaning that self expectation may affect a person's behavior toward them. There is scene where Louis Russ kept working harder to get better in playing the drum although he is unable to get the beat. He say to Mr Holland “ Mr Holland, I just want you to know…” Mr holland interrupted and say “ Ya, i know you will work very hard”. (Timing: 47.00-47.25) Finally, Mr Holland and him met up everyday to practice to improve his drumming skills. In the end, Louis Russ succeed in achieving the expectation of Mr Holland. (Timing:
Cognitive dissonance is when an individual feels uncomfortable because they are a good person but they have chose to do a bad things. Instead of dealing with the consequences they ignore the situation. Cognitive dissonance can relate to Lords of the flies book on Chapter 9. The morning after the boys killed Simon thinking it was the
The desire for consistency can go beyond rational thought or force a person to rationalize when things are out of line. People find comfort in knowing what to expect. When what is known and believed is challenged, people are disrupted and forced to make a decision on how to process conflicting information. To avoid the discomfort caused by cognitive dissonance, people may ignore opposing views, examine and change their views to maintain consistency with their actions or even seek reassurance (Defining Communication Theories, 2001).
The first topic of discussion is the self-imposed, or self-inflicted, self-fulfilling prophecy. This idea follows that if one has a preconception or notion of an outcome, then chances are that person will raise the possibility of making it so. Take for example these cases-in-hand that Channing Grigsby, teacher of self-esteem speaks of:
Self-fulfilling prophesy, where people expect a person to act a specific way so they treat them as if they would act...
“Humans are not a rational animal, but a rationalizing one” (“Class 20”). This was asserted by the much acclaimed, significant, and influential social psychologist Leon Festinger as referencing to his theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Social psychology is “a branch of psychology particularly concerned with understanding social behaviors such as” incentive and compliance (Sheehy). Festinger’s contributions to the social and cognitive branches of psychology as well psychology overall prove themselves worthy to today. This theory specifically challenged many common notions that were seemingly already accepted by behaviorists everywhere during his time (Tavris and Aronson). Its reality awakens its verifications. Consecutively, its “enormous motivational power” affects many on a daily basis (Tavris and Aronson). In the final analysis, the theory of Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger is fundamental to behaviorism while directly changing the way human beings across the planet think and do.
Self concept is the way you see yourself and feel. This allows you to see how similar and different you are compared to your friend. Self-esteem plays a big part in self-concept, if we have a good self-esteem we can communicate positively. The image of self is influenced by the culture and social environment that we are in. Reflected appraisal is when you look at yourself in a way that you imagine other will see you. We have set of values that are already established in our self-concept that is hard to change when we receive feedback which means they go distorted. My friend doesn’t agree with me but the feedback my friend gave me may not agree with the values that I have therefore the feedback goes distorted.
Symbolic interaction is the process of how dynamic involvement in the life of groups affects the social development of an individual. It is a theory of interaction in which the goal of interactions is to create a shared meaning. Social structure is the arrangements of societies where human beings live to interact with each other. Self is the subject the individual experiences in connections to emotions. It occurs through the interactions of others. In Chapter 11, Mead, Blumer, and Goffman critiqued symbolic interaction as a theory of society and also discussed the differences between symbolic interaction and social structure.
There are countless of characteristics that composed the “self”. Self-awareness, self-esteem, self-concept and self-efficacy. This individualities are self-possessed by the setting their surrounded and most importantly how they see themselves. Even though most people devote their time puzzling how to delight humanity and be suitable among peers and colleagues, no factual level of achievement can be attained without distinct pursuits within his or her personality and profound of opinions. In a resulting optimisms of a superior indulgent and amplification of their own individual personalities, characteristics, visions and motivations.
I like that this theory is separated based on what around you will affect your development the most. The theory branches out into many aspects of the human life and explains how each aspect would affect human development. I find that this theory is the most relatable and it also covers the widest range of possibilities for effects on development.
The synthetic and hierarchical pattern of thought consolidates and integrates. Instead of reducing the explanation to a lower, more specific level, the whole belongs to a 'higher' level of being and meaning than the 'lower' level parts which it includes. This higher level includes and accounts for the existance of the lower level, therefore emphasizing mutual dependence. The parts, which cannot exist without the whole, are defined in terms of what lies above them rather than in terms of the elements from which they are constructed. This concept can be seen in the early stages of biology, for example, when emphasis was put on arranging species in a static system of taxonomy, and also in chemistry with Mendeleev's establishment of the periodic table.
Mr. Holland’s opus follows thirty years of Glenn Holland’s life and his details his journey of enlightenment. The only clues to his life before the movie opens are his love for music and desire to become a composer, having been a member of a traveling band and earning a degree in music. The movie picks up as Glenn and his wife, Iris, are settling into a small apartment as he prepares for his first day as a high school music teacher. Iris does not seem to have any dreams of her own other than supporting her husband – her happiness is derived from Glenn’s happiness.
The human psyche frequently experiences the phenomena of internal contradiction, followed by an internal struggle for some semblance of balance or consistency (Hall, 1998). Cognitive dissonance acts as motivation for people to behave in a manner that effectively reduces said dissonance and restores balance. Leon Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance explores this occurrence and the subsequent actions that people take in order to create a balance between their ideals.
In order to understand how one perceives situations and how they can determine the way one communicates; we first must understand the value of self-concept. Self is easily defined; it is one's beliefs, attitudes, feelings and values. It is who one is and what one stands for. Self-concept, is a relevantly stable set of perceptions and emotional states. It is the way one sees and understands oneself, and contributes to how one perceives oneself and perceives situations. One's self-concept may alter their perception, and either enhance or impede one's communication effectiveness. The way one sees oneself can influence the way they see their social surroundings. Only after one become aware of oneself can they be aware of their physical and social surroundings, which will allow one to perceive situations and people with a truer idea and create a more positive outcome.
The psychology of interpersonal relationships. New York: Wiley & Co. McLeod, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html Myers, D. G. (2011). Exploring the psychology of the human mind.
George Herbert Mead begins his discussion of symbolic interactionism (talking with others) by defining three core principles that deal with meaning, language, and thought. The theory states that meaning is the construction of social reality. Humans act toward people or things on the basis of the meanings they assign to those people or things.