The obnoxious and the nice: some sociological consequences of two psychological types.

Abstract

We propose to reinvigorate interest in social types--a recently neglected area of sociology--by introducing the concept of "social psychological type," which extends the range of characteristics involved in typing and stresses their sociological effects. We examine "the obnoxious" and "the nice" as two social psychological types, focusing on their construction and consequences. We find that the obnoxious are those who intrude their own self-embodiments or impose low-status selves on unwilling others whereas the nice are those who willingly acquiesce to others' self-intrusions or self-impositions. We then ask what specific behaviors are considered obnoxious and nice; how does someone manifesting these behaviors become typed as an obnoxious or nice person; what are the implications of being typed as obnoxious or nice for a person's status and group; and how are obnoxious and nice types related. The study of the obnoxious and the nice is suggestive for increasing the subtlety of social theory and the range of social problems. The study of social psychological types will enrich our description of the phenomenological experience of everyday life and correct the current ecological bias of microsociology. Sociology has continually been accused of not dealing with the texture of human life. Although it is not necessary for every science to be relevant, a science purporting to study society in its totality must include at least some concepts its members recognize as delineating important aspects of their world.