Social Psychological Analysis of Sandy Hook Shooting - Research Paper Example

Theoretical Research Application: Social Psychological analysis Sandy Hook Shooting Time School November 2, Theoretical Research Application: Social Psychological analysis Sandy Hook Shooting Introduction The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut that killed 20 children and 6 adults left a number of unanswered questions to sociologists, psychologists and criminologists as to the motives of the 20-year-old Adam Lanza. The incident has evoked renewed debates over gun violence and gun control in the nation (Lewis 2013: 44). Lack of social support, mental health concerns, feelings of rejection and exclusion, depression and anger, bullying and harassing, and frustration over a long period are regarded as the underlying reasons for serial shootings (Landau 2012). It has been observed that Adam Lanza suffered from autism, a neurodevelopment disorder that hampered his ‘social interactions and communication abilities’ (Winters, Globokar, and Roberson 2014: 80). The adverse effects of single parenting because of his father’s divorce with the mother may have aggravated his social seclusion. His mother herself is described as a gun enthusiast who taught him the basic lessons in shooting (Bates, Boyle, and Peterson 2012). She occasionally took him to shooting ranges and the four guns that Adams used for the serial shooting belonged to her. The lack of social support and the inner mental strains of Adams Lanza are evidenced by his long disturbing creative assignments dealing with battles, destruction and war (Sanchez 2013). This paper seeks to undertake a social psychological analysis on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting with special reference to the sociological frameworks of symbolic interactionist perspective and social structure and personality perspective. The paper also employs theories on agents of socialization as well social structure, attitudes and behavior (attitudes and agents of socialization) for the purpose of analysis. Symbolic interactionist perspective Symbolic interactionist perspective emphasizes the interactions of the individual within the society. The perspective holds that individuals derive meanings of their social lives from their interactions with other people and these meanings guide their behavior patterns. Symbolic interactionism helps one to grasp the social processes that influence one’s understanding of the world while it holds that each individual tends to construct meanings about things that are significant in one’s life (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 28). Symbolic interactionism also emphasizes the subjective reality that every individual experiences in the society. Kendall (2014: 28), in this respect, observes that each individual develops his/her own ‘interpretation or definition of a given situation’ during social encounters. A possible danger is that individuals may modify their future behaviors based on their ‘subjective interpretations of a present situation’ (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 34). Symbolic interactionists value the subjective experience of individuals and so studying the use of everyday talk, narratives, and stories are significant for them. The perspective suggests that social interactions and social experiences shape the thoughts, personalities, and behavioral patterns of individuals. Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas (2013: 28) observe that individuals cannot be separated from the society and that “individuals continually create and are molded by society.” Therefore, one cannot evaluate or study any particular individual without reference to the society in which he lives. However, the perspective does not postulate that individuals have no control over their social worlds; on the other hand, symbolic interactionists argue that individuals possess the agency-‘ability to act and think independently from constraints imposed by social conditions’(Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 28). The decisions made by individuals in given social situations are thus significant for the proponents of the perspective. It is also worthwhile to analyze the basic principles of symbolic interactionism. Herbert Blumer ‘s three core principles show how individuals derive meanings through social interaction; how such interactions guide their behaviors; and, how people indulge in interpretive process regarding these interactions (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 30). The perspective thus reveals how social interaction, interpretive process, and behaviors of individuals are interconnected. The undercurrent of the theory is that people may have to modify or change their behaviors to face new social conditions. Framing is a significant process in symbolic interactionism wherein individuals are supposed to transform the meanings of their interactions to formulate social scripts about the appropriate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors suited for each social situation or frame (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 34). The nature of frame depends on the power of specific social situations. Research application of the perspective From a symbolic interactionist perspective the concept of subjective reality and the process of meaning derivation based on one’s social interaction are significant for the case study. It is evident from the narratives, stories and available details of Adam Lanza’s social encounters that his social interactions were incapable of offering him positive messages. Lanza’s autism, a neurodevelopment disorder adversely affected his ‘social interactions and communication abilities’ (Winters, Globokar, and Roberson 2014: 80). Similarly, the facts that he was subjected to bullying and ridicule throughout his schooling, and that his mother ultimately decided to offer him home-schooling (Winters, Globokar, and Roberson 2014: 81) also put him in a disadvantaged position to find positive meanings in his social interactions. He was preoccupied with video-games and even his communication with his mother was limited to emails although they were staying on the same floor (Flegenheimer 2013: 17). All these factors might have prompted Lanza to make sense of his life situations negatively and the messages he received through his social interaction had a negative influence on his behavior as well. No doubt, Lanza developed his own subjective interpretation of his life experiences which led him to form a subjective reality from his own viewpoint at the exclusion of the society to which he never belonged. This leads him to the danger of modifying his future behaviors based on ‘subjective interpretations of a present situation’ (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 34). The disturbed mental state of Lanza is evident from the accounts of his former teachers who testify that his creative-writing assignments consist of ‘long, disturbing passages’ obsessed with battles, destruction, or war (Sanchez 2013). From a symbolic interactionist point of view all these evidences lead one to arrive at the hypothesis that his actions reflected the internalized messages of the subjective reality he was subjected to. Studying the event from symbolic interactionist perspective Studying the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting from a symbolic interactionist perspective offers scope for social psychologists to delve deep into the complex symbolic meanings that guided the behavior of Adam Lanza. Researchers, psychologists, and criminologists have been speculating the motives behind the brutal act committed by the young killer. No doubt, a symbolic interactionist approach would throw light on the complex inner messages and motives that governed Lanza’s cruel act. The research question for the proposed study is: “What went wrong-a probe into the symbolic social interactions of Adam Lanza.” The data necessary to answer the research question consists of all possible stories, narratives, and evidences that relate to Lanza’s social encounters and the constructed meanings he had of life situations. The proposed qualitative research may make use of questionnaires, direct interviews, and an analysis of the creative writings of Adam Lanza. Social structure and personality perspective The social structure and personality perspective deals with the connections between larger societal conditions and individuals and it shows how “social structure affects individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 39). The perspective consists of three key principles- the components principle, the proximity principle, and the psychological principle. Each of these principles highlights the effects or influences of society on the lives of individuals. The components principle shows how social structures such as statuses, roles, and networks affect individuals; the proximity principle shows how interpersonal interaction and communication with people (mainly through the institutions of work and family) affect the individual; and, finally the psychological principle shows how people experience society internally (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 39). The perspective holds that one’s immediate social environment has a great bearing on one’s personality and people tend to internalize such proximal experiences. Effective interpersonal interactions and communication with people in the immediate social environment contribute to the development of one’s personality. While family is the most influential social structure that molds one’s personality one can never undermine the role played by social structures such as roles and statuses within the society. The perspective offers the key to understanding how external interactions and internal negotiations of such interactions of individuals contribute to individual motives, internal states, and unconscious meanings (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 44). The perspective encompasses aspects of symbolic interactionism as the psychological principle is linked to the latter. Research application of the perspective In the case of Adam Lanza it is worthwhile to analyze the components or social structures that shaped his thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behavior. It is true that Adam Lanza may have internalized his proximal experiences of being isolated, alienated, bullied, harassed and ignored within his immediate social environment. The agents of socialization have played an adverse role in the life of Adam Lanza. It has been observed that families and parenting styles affect child development directly (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 167). Family, the primary agent of socialization, and family structure contribute immensely to child socialization. Children from single parent families and children of divorced parents often fail to receive adequate socialization skills from family. While children from single parent families lack fiscal resources children of divorced parents tend to display “higher levels of distress and more behavioral problems than their counterparts in stable families” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 168). Similarly, families play a pivotal role in creating the right value system, right attitudes among children. It has been pointed out by sociologists that individuals rely most on the primary agents of socialization (consisting of family, school and peers) for “initial sets of values and beliefs that govern attitude processes” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 255). Similarly, life experiences are powerful tools of socialization and information gained from direct experiences contributes to the formation of new attitudes (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas 2013: 256). These attitudes play a significant role in the behavior and actions of individuals. Analysing the case study of Adams Lanza one finds a number of incongruities in his primary social structures. The fact that Nancy Lanza was divorced by her husband Peter Lanza and that Adam Lanza had been raised under single-parenting reveal the serious setbacks in his family relations. Family, as the primary agent of socialization, fails to offer him positive life experiences and, as a result, his direct experiences contributed to the formation of a new set of values as well as attitudes. It has been pointed out that Lanza had been raised around firearms by his mother who owned an assault-style rifle and two guns (Winters, Globokar, and Roberson 2014: 81). It is also reported that Nancy Lanza herself was a gun enthusiast who provided her autism affected son the basic lessons in shooting (Bates, Boyle, and Peterson 2012). There are evidences that she occasionally took the son to shooting ranges. In fact, the four weapons used in the mass shooting at the elementary school belonged to Nancy Lanza. While Adam had been alienated from his peers and the father the intimacy of his relationship with his mother needs to be analyzed in detail. It is believed that Nancy has been planning a new life with Adam and thinking about accompanying him to Seattle or one of the Carolinas for studying engineering (Bates, Boyle, and Peterson 2012). On the other hand, the day before shooting she is reported as stating that she is leaving for New Hampshire for a brief trip as “an experiment to allow Adam to stay at home alone for a few days” (Flegenheimer 2013: 17). Besides, Lanza’s father Peter, who divorced his mother and made his autism affected son in a highly disadvantaged social situation, also owe his part of the share in the tragedy. From the social structure and personality perspective it can thus be pointed out that social structures including his family, school, and peers failed to offer him adequate socialization or positive life experiences. It can also be observed that Adam Lanza fails to develop any sorts of collective identity with others in the community and this lack of social connection may have aggravated his frustration. Studying the event from social structure and personality perspective The social structure and personality perspective offers scope for further studies on the case study of Adam Lanza and how social structures including his family, schools and peers failed to instill the right values and attitudes in his life. A possible research question for the study is: “Understanding social structures: how social structures failed to support Adam Lanza?” A qualitative research design is proposed for the study. The study seeks to explore each of the social structures and agents of socialization that could have exerted a positive influence on his life. Similarities and differences between both perspectives It is worthwhile to analyze the similarities and differences between the two sociological perspectives under consideration. While the symbolic interactionist perspective seeks to address the symbolic internal factors (social processes, social interactions, interpretive process and internal messages) that formulated the thought process and behavior of Adam Lanza, the social structure and personality perspective seeks to identify the external factors (the various social structures and agents of socialization) that guided his actions. Both the perspectives are capable of answering how Adam experienced the society internally. Both these perspectives are essential to understand the underlying motives of Adam Lanza and studies based on both these approaches may yield useful insights for social psychologists to analyze Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Conclusions It can thus be concluded that studying the Sandy Hook case study from a social psychological perspective offers unique insights on the internal and external factors that contributed to the tragedy. While previous studies on the Sandy Hook serial murder consist of speculations, guessing and far-fetched conclusions a social psychological approach is capable of addressing the motives as well as the contributing factors of the incident. It is essential for social psychologists to understand how Adam Lanza derived interpretive negative meanings and messages through social processes and social interactions (the symbolic interactionist perspective) and to analyze the role of various social structures and agents of socialization (the social structure and personality perspective) in molding his personality. As pointed out by Jones and Bouffard (2012: 2), the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, in fact, questions the significance of social structures such as “families, schools, and communities in collectively supporting the emotional and social development of children and adults.” This calls for the need to undertake more comprehensive and in-depth social psychological studies on the incident. References Bates, Daniel., Louise Boyle, and Hayley Peterson. 2012. “Murdered in her pyjamas.” MailOnline, December 15. Retrieved October 31, 2014 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2249489/Sandy-Hook-school-shooting-Adam-Lanzas-survivalist-mother-Nancy-shot-face-killer-son-Newtown.html). Flegenheimer, Matt. 2013. “Final Report on Sandy Hook Killings Sheds New Light on Gunman’s Isolation.” The New York Times, December 28, p. A17. Jones, Stephanie M and Suzanne M. Bouffard. 2012. “Social and Emotional Learning in Schools from Programs to Strategies.” Social Policy Report 26(4): 1-33. Retrieved October 31, 2014 (http://www.acknowledgealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/srcd-policy-brief-sel-in-schools.pdf). Kendall, Diana. 2014. Sociology in Our Times. Stamford: Cengage Learning. Landau, Elizabeth. 2012. “Rejection, bullying are risk factors among shooters.” CNN, December 19. Retrieved October 31, 2014 (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/18/health/ct-shooting-mental-illness/). Lewis, Brett H. 2013. We the Who? Bloomington: iUniverse. Rohall, David E., Melissa A. Milkie, and Jeffrey W. Lucas. 2013. Social Psychology. Pearson Education, Limited. Sanchez, Ray. 2013. “Conn. police release final report on Newtown school shooting.” CNN (New York), December 29. Retrieved October 31, 2014 (http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/27/justice/connecticut-newtown-shooting-report/). Winters, Robert C., Julie L. Globokar, and Cliff Roberson. 2014. An Introduction to Crime and Crime Causation. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Read More