Foundations of Sociology: Social Interaction and Structure

Vocabulary flashcards covering core sociological concepts including status types, role dynamics, social reality construction, ethnomethodology, and dramaturgical analysis.

Social Interaction

The process by which people act and react in relation to others.

Status

A social position that a person holds, which is used to define our relationship to others.

Status Set

Refers to all of the statuses that a person holds at a given time.

Ascribed Status

A social position that someone receives at birth or assumes involuntarily later in life.

Achieved Status

A social position that someone assumes voluntarily and that reflects personal ability and effort.

Master Status

A social status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life.

Role

Behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status.

Role Set

The number of roles attached to a single status.

Role Conflict

Conflict involving roles connected to two or more statuses.

Role Strain

Tension involving roles connected to a single status.

Role Exit

The process involving disengaging from social roles to become an 'ex.'

Social Construction of Reality

The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction.

Thomas Theorem

The assertion that situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences.

Ethnomethodology

The study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings.

Breaching Experiment

An investigation, associated with Harold Garfinkel, that seeks to examine people's reactions to conscious violations of commonly accepted social rules or norms.

Dramaturgical Analysis

Erving Goffman's study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance.

Presentation of Self

An individual's efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others.

Sick Role

A concept in medical sociology regarding sickness and the rights and obligations of the affected individual.

Personal Space Zones

Human interaction spatial distances: Intimate Zone ($45\,\text{cm}$), Friend Zone ($120\,\text{cm}$ / $1.2\,\text{m}$), and Social Zone ($360\,\text{cm}$ / $3.6\,\text{m}$).

Embarrassment

Discomfort following a spoiled performance, defined by Erving Goffman as 'losing face.'

Tact

Helping someone 'save face' following a spoiled performance.