Modal personality - what is it? Concept, characteristics, examples

The concept of social personality type

Definition 1
Social personality type is a reflection of the influence of the social system on a person’s value orientations, and through them, on his behavior in society.

The social type of personality is the result of a complex interweaving of historical, cultural and socio-economic living conditions of people. Several variants of personality typology are popular in sociology. Thus, Weber adopted the specificity of social action as the basis for typification, and more specifically, the degree of its rationality. Marx considered the formation and class affiliation of the individual. E. Frome - a social type of personality as the dominant type of character, that is, as a form of connection between the individual and society. He believed that social character is a form of connection between the individual and society. He believed that social character makes it possible to most effectively adapt to the demands of society and feel safe and protected.

Finished works on a similar topic

Course work Social typology of personalities 420 ₽ Abstract Social typology of personalities 240 ₽ Examination Social typology of personalities 240 ₽

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When analyzing human history, Frome identified the following types of social character:

• receptive, or passive;
• exploitative;
• accumulative;
• market.

In modern sociology, the most widespread identification of personality types based on value orientations is:

• traditionalists, focused primarily on duty, order, discipline, obedience to the law, the expression of the desire for self-realization and independence in this type of personality is extremely low;
• idealists are characterized by a strongly expressed critical attitude towards traditional norms, independence and disdain for authority, and attitudes towards self-development under any conditions;
• frustrated individuals, characterized by low self-esteem, a depressed and depressed attitude, a feeling of being outside the flow of life;
• realists combine the desire for self-realization and a developed sense of duty and responsibility, a healthy dose of skepticism and self-discipline and self-control;
• hedonic materialists are focused primarily on obtaining momentary pleasures, and such a pursuit turns into a process of satisfying consumer desires.

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Note 1

In other words, the social type of personality is a reflection of the influence of the social system on a person’s value orientations and, through them, on his actual behavior.

Personality Types in Sociology

Personality formation is a long and complex process. Society places certain (and quite stringent) requirements on individuals. Through the system of education and upbringing, it strives to form a personality type that best meets the requirements placed on it. In this regard, separate personality types are distinguished in sociology.

Due to different objective and subjective characteristics, different types of personalities are formed in society. This is influenced by various aspects of a quantitative nature (social activity of people) and qualitative (the direction of activity can be conscious or spontaneous, creative or destructive). These characteristics are determined by the social structure of society, its normative culture and value orientations, as well as the self-awareness, attitudes and thinking style of individuals.

Personality, from the point of view of sociology, is the core that connects a person’s mental processes and gives his behavior a certain stability and logical consistency. Based on the characteristics that mainly influence this core, personality types in sociology are determined by different theories: psychobiological (W. Sheldon), biosocial (F. Allport, K. Rogers), psychosocial (K. Horney, K. Adler), psychostatic (“ factorial” - D. Eysenck, R. Cattell, etc.).

Social personality types in sociology are defined as a product of the complex interweaving of socio-economic and historical and cultural conditions of people's lives.

In sociological science, various typologies of personality are proposed. M. Weber took as a typology criterion the features of social action, that is, the degree of its rationality. K. Marx considers class and formation affiliation to be the main feature. E. Fromm distinguishes personality types depending on social (as opposed to individual) character. According to Fromm, personality types are distinguished as receptive (passive), exploitative, accumulative and market in nature.

Personality types in sociology are personality models that sociology (as well as psychology) use as samples for grouping when classifying, studying and ordering sets of personalities. Various theories highlight ideal concrete historical and empirical personality types.

In Western theory, typology based on personality indicators is widely used. Thus, K. Jung distinguishes types based on sensitivity, mentality, experience of evaluation, intuitiveness, extroverted or introverted orientation. According to H. Isaac, the main characteristics of individuals are such concepts as extraversion and introversion. Extroverts are characterized by a tendency to direct mental energy outward, while introverts tend to direct it inward.

Personality types in sociology at the present stage are also usually distinguished as follows: traditionalists, idealists, frustrated type, realists, hedonists.

Traditionalists are focused on such values ​​as order, duty, law-abiding, discipline. At the same time, they have almost no independence and desire to self-actualize. Idealists reject traditional norms, are independent, skeptical of authority, and focused on self-development. The frustrated type is characterized by low self-esteem, depressed health and a feeling of being thrown out of life. Realists strive for self-realization, have a sense of responsibility and duty, self-discipline and self-control. Hedonists strive for pleasure, mainly in the form of satisfying simple consumer desires.

The role theory of personality in sociology was created by representatives of the structural-functional direction D. Moreno, T. Parsons and others. They viewed personality through the prism of social roles in society. In society, the division of labor is objective, and therefore various social statuses and roles of people appear that are in a functional connection.

Manic personality type

How to recognize? A person with a manic personality type is always cheerful and cheerful, prone to idealizing others, often flirts and attracts attention with noisy behavior, which is sometimes excessive.

In almost any company there is a person who speaks loudly, actively gestures, and gushes with jokes and ideas, thereby greatly tiring those around him. Being with such a person for a long time is quite difficult and tiring - this is the basis of his problems.

How to interact? Manic people cannot stand loneliness, immediately falling into anxiety, but their activity gives the impression of superficial communication and reluctance to enter into close relationships. People with this type of character can be excellent organizers and crisis managers. They are successful in any business that requires quick turn-on and active action.

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Social types, statuses and roles of personality

The object of sociological research is not individual properties, but the social thoughts and feelings of people, manifested in their actions; not the interests and relationships of an individual, but the interests and relationships of people who have similar social characteristics and carry out their life activities in similar objective conditions, their interests and relationships, manifested in social actions in specific historical conditions. The basis for the sociological typology of individuals can be different, including systems of needs, social interests, value orientations, etc.

Personality types

are understood in sociology, on the one hand, as
theoretical models (research schemes),
serving as samples for describing, classifying, studying sets of real individuals, as ideal types
,
including several characteristics that are significant for a particular study (different criteria are put forward typology).
On the other hand, personality types are understood as groups of individuals possessing one or another set of common traits,
correlated with one or another ideal model
.
The most primitive typology exists in the mass consciousness; it is based on the identification of two types: “good person”, “bad person”. There are many typologies of personality in science. Thus, the famous Russian ethnologist L.N. Gumilev identifies three main personality types that predominate in the structure of a particular ethnic group at various stages of its historical evolution:

· "normal" personality

(the most common type), the vital energy of which is realized in behavior sufficient to satisfy the needs dictated by the instinct of self-preservation;

· passionate personality

who directs her life energy to achieving high social goals and does not accept a “normal”, “calm” life;

· subpassionate personality

, characterized by a lack of vital energy, lack of desire for active labor, political, cultural and other activities, preferring to live at the expense of other people.

The social-class typology also gained popularity

, according to which the “bourgeois personality”, “worker personality”, “intellectual personality”, etc. are distinguished. These types indicate the most significant and most common characteristics of representatives of a particular class (social group).

A typology of personality can be built on the basis of its orientation

. So, N.I. Reinwald, depending on the social significance of a person’s inherent needs as the main motives, identified three leading personality types:

· type of creator;

· type of consumer;

· type of destroyer.

V.G. Nemirovsky, based on basic life meaning orientations

individuals, identified the following types:

· “ambitious creators”;

· “curious altruists”;

· “humble workers”;

· “arrogant philistines”;

· "consumers".

According to the sphere where the main interests of the individual are directed, they distinguish economic, political, theoretical, social (sphere of communication with people), aesthetic and religious types of personality. A personality type that combines a set of timeless perfections (virtues) is called ideal.

A personality type that contains the qualities necessary for a given time is designated as
normative
.
The personality type that combines the most common qualities is called modal
. Sometimes personality types are distinguished in accordance with the heroes of works of fiction. Thus, they talk about such types as “Khlestakovs”, “Nozdrevs”, “Plyushkins” (according to Gogol), “Smerdyakovs” (according to Dostoevsky), “Terminators” (the hero of an American film), etc. There are many other personality typologies.

The specificity of a personality is determined by its social quality, that is, a set of interrelated elements determined by the type of social interaction of the individual with other people in specific historical conditions. This set consists of the following elements:

1. Socially defined goal of activity.

2. Social statuses. For example, he is a man, a father, a husband, a member of a trade union committee, a middle-aged person, etc. The totality of all statuses is called a status set

. But not all individual statuses are equal.

Main status

name the most characteristic status for a given individual, with which he is identified (identified) by other people and with which he identifies himself. The main thing is always the status that determines the style and lifestyle, the circle of acquaintances, and the manner of behavior. For men, most often, this is a professional and official status. Women are often identified as the wives of someone: the main status is determined by the husband.

There are different types of statuses. This is how social and personal statuses are distinguished. Social status –

the position of an individual in society as a representative of a large social group (profession, class, nationality, gender, age, religion).
Personal status is
the position of an individual in a small group, depending on how he is assessed by the members of this group in accordance with his personal qualities.
An individual may have a high social status (for example, the status of a lawyer) and a low personal status (a bad reputation in the law office where he works). A distinction is also made between ascribed and achieved status. Ascribed or innate status is
a status that an individual occupies outside of his personal efforts, by birth (gender, nationality, etc.).
Achieved status is
a position in society that an individual chooses and achieves (profession, membership in a certain political party, religious community, etc.)

In public opinion there is (but is not registered in any documents) a hierarchy of statuses

when one status is respected more than others.
The place in this hierarchy is called rank
. There is an intergroup and intragroup hierarchy. And an individual, having a high rank in the first, may have a low rank in the second.

3. Social roles. Social role –

it is a pattern of behavior oriented towards a certain status. This is a normative pattern of behavior of an individual occupying a certain social position (in society, in a social organization, in a social group) and performing functions corresponding to it. The individual freely chooses some roles, seeking to actively master them (for example, the role of wife, mother, husband), while others are assigned to him regardless of his will and desire (the role of a woman, a man, a member of an ethnic group). A social role is associated with certain rights and responsibilities of an individual, the degree of implementation of which depends not only on the content of role requirements, but also on the capabilities and abilities of the individual himself.

Each status involves a number of roles. For example, the status of a university associate professor correlates with the roles of teacher, scientist, educator, member of the department, author of articles, etc. Fulfilling each role requires certain qualities. And within the framework of status, one role can be performed brilliantly and another poorly.

Thus, any role is personified and subjectified, that is, the implementation by an individual of a certain social role is determined not only by objective, but also by subjective factors. The social role is also characterized by a set of normative requirements for behavior and expectations (expectations)

.
If status emphasizes the similarities of people,
then real role behavior emphasizes
differences
.

Members of a social group performing one or another role are presented with requirements and instructions for methods of social behavior, relationships, attitudes, etc. by representatives of the group (society) interacting with them. These requirements and instructions take the form of expectations of certain behavior. Thus, others expect a mother to take care of her child, from a specialist, –

that he will professionally perform his functional duties, etc. The Constitution of the Russian Federation defines the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of a citizen, that is, his constitutional status. These are at the same time role requirements for a Russian citizen. If you have certain rights and freedoms, you must also have corresponding responsibilities.

Expectations and requirements are components of the system for regulating social behavior, interaction in groups, and society.

4. Norms and values ​​that guide a person in the process of his activities. Social norms
are
the requirements of society and social groups, which are embodied in standards, models, and standards of appropriate behavior.
These are legal norms, customs, traditions and the like. Value is
not always what a person really needs and needs.
Often a person evaluates things, objects, phenomena through the prism of value criteria, ready-made assessments and ideas regarding what is proper, beautiful, useful and fair that are widespread in a given society, in the consciousness of a particular social group. If among friends a leather jacket is a sign of dignity, then its absence is
almost a tragedy, especially for a teenager. So any methods of acquiring this characteristic are used, including criminal ones. By the way, such situations can be considered as one of the factors in increasing juvenile delinquency.

5. The system of signs that the person uses. Signs (words, gestures, etc., as well as ways of combining them) are a means of broadcasting and organizing joint activities of people. Like tools, they “encode” certain methods of human social action. With the help of signs, the social community controls the activities of individuals. In order for them to participate in social activities, they must learn the signs and methods of combining them accepted in a given social community (social group, organization). Having learned this in the process of social activity, the individual can use them to control his own behavior. But a sign performs its functions only insofar as it has meaning. The meaning is –

product of social experience.

6. A body of knowledge that allows you to fulfill your roles and navigate the world around you.

7. Level of education and special training.

8. Social and psychological characteristics.

9. Activity and degree of independence in decision making.

10. If an individual has freedom of choice, then he is responsible for his existence in society - for activity or passivity, for the nature of activity, for his status, for fulfilling a social role. Responsibility can be objective or subjective. Objective responsibility

- this is accountability to some social institution that imposes sanctions.
Here we distinguish between legal, moral and administrative responsibility. Subjective responsibility
is a person’s accountability to himself (his conscience, his sense of duty). An individual is responsible to the extent that he has freedom, which is why many people try to avoid freedom, and hence the responsibility associated with it.

Each individual in society performs many roles - more or less permanent (student, husband) or temporary (buyer, trolleybus passenger, etc.). Role conflicts are often observed

when the performance of one role is poorly combined with the performance of another. For example, an investigator forced to detain his friend, a correspondence student due to lack of time forced to neglect fulfilling any role (the role of a student, professional or family responsibilities). All of the above elements in their stable relationship form the personality system.

Thus, personality is studied in the system of social connections. Social connection
is
the entire set of factors that determine the joint activities of people in specific conditions of place and time in order to achieve specific goals. Connections can be personal, social-group, organizational, institutional, etc. The study of an individual in a system of social connections, first of all, involves the study of its social functions (roles) and statuses. Social roles can be considered as a mechanism of interaction between the individual and society. Status can be viewed through a set of rights and obligations. A role represents a dynamic aspect of status. A person is socially endowed with status and possesses it relative to other statuses. By exercising the rights and fulfilling the duties that constitute its status, the individual plays a certain role. But it is also necessary to take into account the relative autonomy of the individual in the system of social connections.

Typology of the individual

Through the system of upbringing and education, taking into account the requirements of society, a social type of personality begins to form. Sociology believes that personality is what connects mental processes and gives behavior stability and consistency. The following theories played an important role in the structuring of the type: psychobiological (W. Sheldon), biosocial (G. Allport, K. Rogers), psychostatic (D. Eysenck, R. Cattell), psychosocial (K. Horney, K. Adler).

There are different typologies. For example, M. Weber based his system on the degree of rationality of action. E. Fromm, defining the social type of personality, divides it into receptive, accumulative, exploitative, and market.

Today in sociology it is customary to distinguish the following types of individual:

1. Traditionalist. The main values ​​of such a person are duty, order, and discipline. She lacks the desire for self-realization.
2. Idealist. The type rejects traditions, is independent, does not recognize authorities. He often engages in self-development.
3. Frustrated. The individual has low self-esteem and often complains about health and depression.
4. Realist. People belonging to this type are responsible, control their emotions, and engage in self-realization.
5. Hedonist. Most often, such a person strives to obtain pleasure and achieve his desires.

Social and psychological personality types are also distinguished:

1. "Activists". For representatives of this type, the main task is to change other people and themselves. They are active, self-sufficient, responsible.
2. "Thinkers". An example of this type is the image of a sage, who is called upon to reflect and observe.
3. "Emotional". This includes individuals who rely on feelings, emotions, and intuition. These are bright, creative individuals who can appreciate beauty.
4. "Humanists". This type has very developed empathy. He perfectly senses a person’s state of mind.

Of course, the most common type of personality is a mixed social one. We can say that within every person there lives a sage, an activist and a humanist.

Modal personality type

If the concept of a basic personality is excellent for studying the cultural environment of primitive communities and simple societies that are guided by simple laws and rules, then for modern society, where it is difficult to track certain standards, the modal personality is taken as the unit of study. This concept helps to determine which personality type is most common in society, that is, occurs most often.

Simply put, this paradigm proves that not all, not even the vast majority of individuals have the same personality structure. Each person is a unique and unrepeatable personality, therefore, by studying the modal type, it is possible to collect some data about individual individuals.

Social personality types. Personality in modern society of the West, East, Russia.

When we talk about individuals as members of social groups and classes, social institutions and social organizations, we mean not the properties of individuals, but social types of individuals. Each person has his own ideas and goals, thoughts and feelings. These are individual qualities that determine the content and nature of his behavior.

Among the most important characteristics when considering the structure of a personality is its social typology - the identification of its essential features determined by the way of life. These include:

1) properties of socio-historical personality types, determined by the nature of a given formation;

2) personality traits determined by social affiliation and forming a social-class typology;

3) socio-typological features of the national character as a product of the historical and geographical development of a given people;

4) professional personality typology.

In social typology, it is customary to distinguish two types of personality: 1. ideal and 2. normative.

The properties of an ideal personality type include the requirements of a social ideal, fixed in religious beliefs and ideology. The formation of this type is objectively necessary for the functioning of a given society.

The normative personality type is distinguished at the level of socio-historical and cultural analysis, being the most common in society.

This includes, according to M. Weber, a system of value orientations, defined through the concepts of property, prestige, power and implemented in two societies: traditional, where the main principle of life behavior is implemented in the postulate “Do as they did before you,” and modernist, where the main principle is the rationality and efficiency of social behavior.

Modern Western sociology also considers the “postmodernist” direction, in which the principles of behavior are determined by human interests and determined by the following values: a happy family, the ability to make the right decision, caring for others, high earnings, education, cultural level, interesting creative work.

To assess professional personality type, the John Holland method is used. According to his concept, he identified 6 types of social orientation of the individual. 1. Realistic type - non-social, present-oriented, emotionally stable, concerned with specific objects (things, tools, machines), prefers activities that require motor dexterity and concreteness. 2. Intellectual type - non-social, analytical, rational, independent, original. Theoretical values ​​predominate, likes to solve problems that require abstract thinking, intellectual. 3. Social type - has social skills, needs contacts. His character traits: desire to teach and educate, psychological attitude towards a person, humanity. A representative of this type tries to stay away from intellectual problems; active, but often dependent on the opinions of a group of people. 4. Conventional type - prefers clearly structured activities. The character is stereotypical, concrete, practical. Does not show criticality, originality, is conservative, dependent, does not like changes in activity. 5. Enterprising type - chooses goals. which allow you to show energy, enthusiasm, impulsiveness, and loves adventure. A representative of this type is dominant, loves recognition, loves to lead. He does not like practical work, as well as activities that require intellectual effort and perseverance. 6. Artistic type - relies on emotions, imagination, intuition; has a complex outlook on life. Independent in decisions, original. Motor and verbal abilities are highly developed. Representatives of this type are characterized by a high ideal of life with an affirmation of their “I”.

The Western personality type is characterized by an orientation towards freedom, towards the transformation of value systems, towards technology. The culture of the West has a clearly expressed technogenic-economic character.

The Eastern personality type is more traditional with an established value system and is aimed at collectivism. The culture of the political civilization of the East is characterized by coexistence with the geographical environment, extensive development of the economy and its slowly changing efficiency (productivity, quality, resource conservation), the predominance of authoritarian regimes of power and their slow democratization, adherence to traditional worldviews (religions), and collectivism.

The specificity of Russia is manifested in the fact that it is a unique synthesis of Western and Eastern cultures, a mosaic interweaving of many worlds and worldviews.