Chapter 5 - Social Interaction and Social Structure

social interaction

the process by which we act and react to people around us

• people respond differently in certain situations

• people influence each other

• race and class can impact social interaction

social structure

an organized pattern of behavior that governs people’s relationships

• there are cultural rules that impact our behavior, whether it is realized or not 

status

a social position that an individual occupies in society

• one person can have several

status set

collection of social statuses that a person occupies at a given time

• statuses can come and go, and can be connected to one another

(ex. mother, sister, aunt, friend, book club president, etc.)

ascribed status

social position that a person is born into 

race, ethnicity, and family can’t be changed 

achieved status 

social position that a person attains through personal effort or voluntarily 

can be controlled and changed 

ex. parent, wife, employee, graduate 

master status

a person’s most visible or known status

can be positive or negative 

sex, age, race, occupation, etc.

status inconsistency

the conflict that arises from occupying social positions that are ranked differently 

ex. working at Wal-Mart while also being a skilled welder 

role

behavior expected of someone in a status

ex. college student is a status, but responsibilities go along with it 

role performance

the actual behavior of a person who occupies a status\

ex. a professor acting differently towards students of different ages

role set

the different roles among a person’s status

different roles must be played in various situations 

shaped by explicit or implicit rules

role conflict

the frustrations and uncertainties a person experiences when confronted with the requirements of 2 or more statuses

(ex. being a full-time student and having a full-time job)

role strain

stress arising from not being able to keep up with demands among roles within a single status

can lead to health and emotional issues over time

(ex. when conferences overlap with a class for a teacher)

Dealing with Role Conflict/Strain

1. compromising/negotiation

2. setting priorities

3. chunking up time for roles

4. not take on more roles 

5. exit a role or status

Symbolic Interactionism

examines how people communicate in and interpret situations in everyday life

belief that reality is a social construct - made through word usage, interaction, doublespeak, etc.

• we act depending on the context we’re in 

doublespeak

language that pretends to communicate something, but really doesn’t

• makes the bad look good, and vice versa

can be through euphemisms, gobbledygook, and inflated language

euphemisms

inoffensive words used to avoid a harsh reality

(ex. under the weather —> not feeling well)

gobbledygook

using big words and unnecessarily long sentences 

self-fulfilling prophecy

if we define something as real or true, it will become reality

could be positive or negative 

(ex. students performing better when their teachers are supportive and empathetic)

ethnomethodology

study of how people construct and learn to share personal realities that make everyday interactions possible ‘

people make sense of their everyday lives by:

1. observing conversations

2. learning rules by breaking them first - can lead to hostility

dramaturgical analysis

technique that examines social interaction as if it were occurring on a stage where people play different roles and act out scenes for “audiences”

“Life is like a play: we are actors, our interactions are like theater” (not a direct quote)

impression management

process of suppressing negative characteristics and expressing favorable ones

front-stage

area where actual performance takes place

performance could be through decorations or behavior of people

(ex. hostesses greeting a table)

back-stage

area concealed from the audience 

where people can relax and be more genuine 

(ex. hostesses complaining to cooks)

Social Exchange Theory

a social interaction between two people is based on each person trying to maximize rewards and minimize punishments

(ex. a person covers dinner, so the other person covers movie costs) 

Feminist Theories

focus on the dominant-subordinate aspects of relationships, most commonly between a man and woman 

men are better at decision-making, women are better with children 

emotional labor

management of feelings to create a publicly acceptable display of oneself  

nonverbal communication

messages sent without using words

body language, silence, visual cues, touch, and personal space

silence

can equate to sadness, anger, agreement, comfort, apathy, confusion, fear, etc.

means different things around different people

Visual cues

includes gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact 

context matters for all three 

touch

expresses feelings + messages towards others

varies from culture to culture 

cuddling, holding, stroking, patting,

gripping, pushing, shoving, hitting

personal space

public spaces, like lockers, are territorially marked

private spaces, like homes, show much more personal identity 

• more comfort in those spaces

personal space (pt 2)

privilege, status, and power can be shown through personal space

(ex. wealthy people can afford larger houses, while lower class people are stuck with undesirable options)

internet use

the higher a family’s income, the more likely Internet usage happens

online communication

can be more harmful than beneficial - isolates people

can bring people together - planning gatherings + protests