Gossip

Gossip is a form of social entertainment, to be exchanged on intentionally not present information on people. Besides the importance, trivial ' is gossip but also explicitly for, rumor ', so Unbelegbares, to intend wrong. This distinguishes him from the gossip, who describes rather aimless chatter and storytelling. ( Hence the distinctive "and" in the phrase " gossip ". ) Now uses the English term Gossip is also in German, often in the context of international celebrities, and more with a friendly and harmless connotation.

In many cultures, such as in Judaism, where he is called Lashon hara (Hebrew לשון הרע ), gossip is considered a serious offense. So God punishes Miriam, as this verklatscht her brother Moses because of its Cushitic woman with leprosy.

Social Science Approaches

The anthropology and sociology, especially social psychology, dealing with the subject of gossip, its forms of communication, its social function and social reception. In particular, within or under the influence of the Manchester School its founder Max Gluckman and J. Clyde Mitchell and Jörg Bergmann et al have analyzed the gossip thoroughly.

Social control by Gossip

The gossip per se and the fear of gossip form the basis for social control within a community. Social control is reciprocal in the rule, as in the normal case, each alike has fear of gossip, even if it is some do not admit it. Become norm and values ​​of a community hurt, this facilitated the gossip; but he can create and pass on inaccurate rumors. Gossip is also a means of intrigue, that the settlement of hostilities and rivalries without, who claps from behind (hence the outdated term " slander " ), is faced with the stakeholders themselves. Thus, gossip is also the leveling of power and status differences.

Gossip is considered socially unrighteousness. In many religious communities, there are rules that prohibit the gossip. Nevertheless, gossip serves as social glue, and has been found in the context of oral storytelling in every culture. Simpler forms of gossip in dense social networks correspond primarily the concept of news exchange (via acquaintances and the surrounding community) ( " village gossip ", " coast gossip ").

Gossip about celebrities is the area of the tabloids ( tabloid, tabloids, tabloid press ) or the gossip columns of certain newspapers, and today plays an important global role. The social function who want to know more behind the apparently enormous need, and private details to intimate nature of the social Leitpersönlichkeiten, is a very complex phenomenon, and is not yet fully understood. Studies on the social structure of the apes suggest that insight into the tensions within the leadership hierarchy is of great importance for each group member - and the group as a whole body - are and will be accurately recorded.

High requirements on the gossip

Since the functions described and the Wechselspielchen are very complex when Gossip, Gossip requires a sociological view after a certain communicative competence speaking people. Jörg Bergmann even goes so far as to speak of an art of revelations about third parties. How can it be explained that secrets can remain "secrets" within a community, even if everyone actually knows about it. Because gossip reveals immediately and unofficial, in contrast to scandals, convey the mysteries of public opinion as a tribunal.