Social Significance of Gossip - Essay Example

? Social Significance of Gossip al Affiliation Social Significance of Gossip Gossip refers to the informal way of evaluating and discussing of another person, with regards to his life history, social life, economic life as well as personality in the absence of such a person. A gossip may take place between a number of individuals. For gossip to occur there must be at least two individuals engaged in the discussion (Pietila, 2007). Therefore, it is of critical importance to acknowledge that gossips have their places in the society. It is of crucial significance to note that gossips are always characterized by negative talks about an individual in the absence of such an individual (Besnier, 2009). However, when the gossipers have always engaged in the discussions, it is always hard to notice the negativity in their talks concerning the person who is being talked about. Gossips always elicit a strong feeling of dislike to the same person who is being talked about. They always depict the person being talked about as an individual of immoral character. This follows that mostly gossips always dwell of the wrongdoings, negative sides as well as the simple faults that an individual may have committed unknowingly (Pietila, 2007). It is of critical importance to highlight that a number of reasons exist that may make an individual engage in gossip. The first reason is that of the fun and enjoyment created by such gossips. Most people always engage in acts of gossip because it is quite enjoyable. Gossips always entail a number of short stories concerning a person. Such stories are always associated with lots of fun, curiosity and create a strong social bond between the persons engaged in the gossip. Other people may engage in gossip to offer a form of social judgment on an individual being talked about (Abelove, 2003). In such instances, several malicious talks are hurled on that person with regards to his behavior at a particular moment concerning certain critical issues. Gossips may always have defamatory talks with regards to such occasions when the person being discussed either shown behavioral misconduct or decided to issue wrong decision relating to a serious matter. It is quite in order to acknowledge the fact that the act of gossip is always considered a social wrongdoing by several societies, religions and organizations (Besnier, 2009). This follows the fact that such issues like gossips may lead to defamation of a person thereby killing the good reputation that that person may be having within the society (Pietila, 2007). On the other hand, the society also always tend to perceive the individuals who love gossips with some forms of restraint towards fully associating with them. This follows that one may be unaware of what may happen next concerning any conversation that they may have held. People may draw away from such gossipers since with the virtue that gossipers are always deceitful, they may implicate someone by laying false accusations (Besnier, 2009). In other words, such gossipers may say something quite controversial and insist that such derogatory speech may have had come from a certain individual within the society. This is quite bad with regards to the societal ethics as well as morals. In addition, it is credible to state that gossips tend to create some sense of enmity between people (Abelove, 2003). This may arise when the person being discussed may have gotten the information that certain people may have been discussing him or her using peculiar words concerning his behavior. This may incite violence between such individuals that may even lead to death. This is because of the nature of anger that the person being gossiped may have been having. Several gossips are always articulated stories with no truth in them (Pietila, 2007). They always contribute to branding negative personalities to individuals, some who are even innocent of the accusations hurled on them. Gossips always play several significant roles in the culture and society. One of the roles played by gossips is the transmission of information. Several individuals always use gossips in order to convey certain information concerning several communities as well as cultures (Kartzow, 2009). As such, they educate as well as make the people become familiar with certain rules, norms as well as other core guidelines necessary for living in certain cultures. This is crucial since it can lead to formal enlightenment of individuals. It makes individuals learn new things that they may have never known before concerning certain individuals in the society, as well as shed light in a variety of cultures (Kartzow, 2009). Even though it is a fact that gossips are always negative talks concerning other individuals, we have to acknowledge the role it plays in enhancing learning of the same subjects under debate. As such, gossips should be taken on both perspectives as either good or bad, but should not be viewed with the utmost negativity. In the same way, people in a particular culture may also use gossip to convey message to their fellows within the same culture. In other words, gossips, though seen as negative with regards to social perspective, should also be viewed with the positivity they possess in enlightening, informing and educating the individuals engaged. This follows the role they play in making people learn several information concerning their social life as well as cultures (Kartzow, 2009). It is an undeniable fact that gossips always act to create social bonds between the people engaged. This follows that such individuals who always engage in gossip always develop a strong sense of friendship with each other. In addition, the gossipers always have a strong sense of trust with each other (Kartzow, 2009). This follows that one cannot engage in gossip with the other individual if he does not trust the individual. This is because such individual may one day implicate him by unveiling to the person being discussed some of the bad issues that the other individual might have said about him. This may involve serious cases of violence between the two people, as well as creation of a long lasting enmity between the two. Therefore, in order to prevent the above from happening, one must get a confidant with whom he shares the critical information in form of gossip (Epstein, 2011). This individual must be someone who is trustworthy, secretive and honest. This develops a strong social bond between the two, thus maintaining friendship. In gossip, people always share information the concerns them as well as those concerning other people in the society (Besnier, 2009). The information that such gossips possess may always function to enlighten the hearer with regards to the person being discussed. This may make the hearer learn certain core things that concern the individual being targeted. This functions to create a strong bond if the information is quite advising and laden with warnings. This may work well in conditions involving discussing an individual with queer behaviors in the community. Gossips involving advising the hearer to distance himself from such individual since he may have malicious intents may function to create strong bonds (Epstein, 2011). As such, the hearer may have gained a lot of credible information concerning the person targeted and will develop a strong sense of liking to the person who disclosed the information to him or her. For instance someone may be a criminal, a serial killer, a rapist as well as a thief and such a person always have deceptive and luring talks. Therefore, any gossip that focuses on discussing such a person relevant to his queer behaviors may be quite informative to the hearer. The hearer may get to learn a lot from such a target. In the event that the gossiper advices the hearer and warns him or her against any involvement with that person, such a hearer will develop a strong sense of liking to that gossiper (Besnier, 2009). In this manner, a very strong social bond will develop between the two individuals. Consequently, gossips can also be used as history. By acting as history, gossip can serve the role of coming up with various policies that govern the behavior in a certain community, society as well as cultures (Kartzow, 2009). As such, gossips can take the roles of agents of social control in the society. Several cultures always depend on the application of gossip in regulating the behaviors of members of such a community. In such situations, gossips can also function as judgmental tools with regard to the behavior of individuals in a society (Epstein, 2011). In such a manner, gossips become one of the beneficial tools within the community. In conclusion, it is prudent enough to acknowledge the fact that gossips play significant roles in the society. Gossip can be used as an educative tool that informs on certain issues. In addition, gossips can be used to create a sense of social bond amongst individuals. Moreover, gossips serve as agents of social control within the society as well as other cultures. References Besnier, N. (2009). Gossip and the everyday production of politics. Honolulu: University of Hawai?i Press. Epstein, J. (2011). Gossip: The untrivial pursuit. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kartzow, M. B. (2009). Gossip and gender: Othering of speech in the Pastoral Epistles. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. Abelove, H. (2003). Deep gossip. Minneapolis, Minn: University of Minnesota Press. Pietila?, T. (2007). Gossip, markets, and gender: How dialogue constructs moral value in post-socialist Kilimanjaro. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press. Read More