Sociology Plus
Social World & Social Worlds Definition
The concept of the social world contrasts with the natural world, referring to the realm constructed by human beings through their activities. It encompasses both the physical artefacts people manufacture and the patterned regularities generated by their interactions, including structures, institutions, and social relationships. Social worlds are further understood as ‘universes of discourse’ wherein common symbols, organisations, and activities emerge, often forming cultural areas that do not require physical boundaries, such as the social world of nursing or politics.
Usage and Theoretical Frameworks
The term is employed in two primary ways within the social sciences. In its generic form, ‘social world’ typically denotes the immediate milieu or specific context in which individuals or collectivities are situated, pointing to their salient sociocultural space and time—for example, the social world of antique collectors. This usage is somewhat analogous to the concept of subculture, though subcultural studies usually focus more intently on the internal dynamics of a group (who they are and what they do). In contrast, the explicit theoretical application of ‘social worlds’ is found within the tradition of symbolic interactionism, where it serves as a core analytical framework.
Origins in Chicago School Studies
The conceptual development of social world theory emerged from early Chicago School studies, which focused on ‘social wholes’—communities defined by shared territory, geographic space, and the encounters between human groups within those environments. These early works prioritised relationality, examining how various sites and collectivities related to one another and their larger contexts, often using areal field models to map these relationships.
Development in Interactionist Theory
Over the past century, interactionists built upon this foundation by shifting focus from local communities to national and international groups, dropping rigid geographic boundaries in favour of shared discourses as mechanisms for marking and boundary-making. Key sociologists such as Tamotsu Shibutani, Rue Bucher, Anselm Strauss, and Howard Becker initiated the explicit development of social worlds theory. These theorists posited that social worlds generate shared perspectives which form the basis for collective action, and individual identities are constituted through commitment to these worlds. Social worlds function as principal affiliative mechanisms through which people organise their social lives.
Dynamics of Worlds and Arenas
Complex social worlds are inherently dynamic, possessing internal segments or subworlds that shift as patterns of commitment change. Furthermore, multiple social worlds often intersect to form new ones, or a single world may segment into multiple parts. Larger areas of concern, termed ‘arenas’, are constituted by the convergence of multiple social worlds focused on a shared issue, where various interests are debated and negotiated. Methodologically, understanding a specific social world requires analysing all the arenas in which it participates and the related discourses, as these elements are mutually constitutive.
Implications for Analysis
The framework of social worlds and arenas distinguishes itself from traditional organisational theories by emphasising fluidity and action. The analysis can focus on work-action and discourse rather than solely on individuals or formal organisations. This approach allows for the examination of implicated actors—those physically present but silenced, and those discursively constructed by others—and the study of ‘boundary objects’, which are concepts or entities existing at the junctures where different social worlds meet in an arena of mutual concern. The theory is also employed as a conflict theory, analysing the negotiations (such as persuasion or coercion) that occur within these structures.