Somewhere along the way we became thoroughly convinced that our opinions are so important that we should regularly write about them. One of my favorite writers once said that there's a certain arrogance involved in writing. We assume that whatever we write is worth reading. (That was a rough paraphrase that probably didn't do his actual words any justice.). I have another blog elsewhere online, so I think that makes me doubly arrogant. :) We might as well admit it; we think we're important and profound and insightful! From the looks of it, a great many of us truly are.
But that has litte to do with sociology as best I can tell. What I really find sociologically fascinating is how we use blogging to affiliate and disaffiliate with different groups. It's sort of like the Air Force. They have stripes and patches, etc on their uniforms. The purpose is so that you can tell by looking at someone what their rank is. Knowing a person's rank is important in determining how you will interact with them. In a sense, our blogs become badges that display our affiliations, and people decide how they will interact with us based on that. Politics, religion, race, sexual orientation, educational status, geographical location. We separate and identify ourselves by these categories. I think it's neither right nor wrong. Just interesting.
Even more interesting is the formation of cohorts that share similar views. With that, we begin to see "in-group/out-group" language, which serves to strengthen the bonds. And when someone with a differing views shows up on the scene, we sometimes experience cognitive dissonance as they challenge our views. Then our blogging buddies chime in to reinforce our views. Or else they jump ship and we are left to re-assess our beliefs and our identities.
So far, I've found the community here refreshingly civil. (Of course, I've only been around a few days.) But elsewhere in the blogosphere, things can get heated and rough. And bloggers draw battle lines and form alliances, which is thoroughly intriguing cyberspace group behavior from a sociological perspective. I've also noticed that blogrolls appear to contain blogs that hold to similar views of the blogger. All very interesting!
What do you think? Sound off!
If you've been keeping up with my blogging, you'll notice that I'm attempting to write about the sociology of any and every thing. If you have any topic suggestions, let me know. Cheers!
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"Cognitive dissonance". I like this term, it accurately describes a situation without deigning to layman's terms.
You make some really good points and I see truth in all that you say: the self-arrogance, the groups being formed, the dissonance created by opposing views. Keep going with this series (as obviously you plan to do). It's quite refreshing to find a blog I know I'll like just by reading the title.
I'm glad you are enjoying my blog! I hope I can continue to bring a fresh perspective to interesting topics that affect our daily lives.
I absolutely think that you're right for the most part, about the arrogance of blogging, as most blogs are just about a person's life and ideas and can be quite egocentric. I've noticied that the blogs here are (usually) different. Many of them are quite poignant and discuss actual thought. Its seems like the blogs here are an effort to share ideas more than a craving for attention.
I would agree. I think ProgU has recognized something great about this generation. We are not incapable of thinking beyond ourselves, having fresh ideas, and being socially-conscious. It's just that we are not often challenged to do so. It's quite fun to be a part of this community where people are making earnest attempts to devote time and energy to something besides egocentrism. I would maintain that blogging is inherently arrogant though, because it's based on the assumption: "What I have to say is important and everyone should read it." That just comes along with the territory. I'd say we have to just accept that we are being a little arrogant and that this arrogance may in fact contribute to a greater good!