Social Interaction

Social Interaction

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

Social Structure

The relationships among people and groups that give direction to and set limits on behavior.

Status

A position that a person occupies in a society or social group, defining their relationships with others.

Status Set

All the statuses held by a single person.

Ascribed Status

A status assigned at birth or involuntarily later in life, such as race.

Achieved Status

A status earned or accomplished through effort, such as a profession.

Master Status

The primary status that others are most likely to use to identify a person.

Status Inconsistency

A situation where a person holds conflicting statuses that create discrepancies in expectations.

Role

The set of behaviors, obligations, and privileges associated with a status.

Role Conflict

A situation where the demands of different roles create conflicting expectations.

Role Strain

The difficulty of meeting the competing demands of roles within a single status.

Role Exit

The process of disengaging from a role, which can be voluntary or involuntary.

Impression Management

The process of controlling the information others receive about oneself in social interactions.

Props (in social interaction)

Objects used by performers to create a certain impression in their performance.

Nonverbal Communication

The use of body language and gestures to convey impressions in social interactions.

Frontstage

The area where social performances occur, visible to the audience.

Backstage

The area where performers can drop their performance and prepare away from the audience.

Dramaturgical Analysis

A sociological perspective that views social interactions as performances on a stage.