Chapter 4: Social Interaction & Social Structure

What are the levels of sociological analysis?

Macrosociology, Microsociology

What is macrosociology?

Analysis of social life that focuses on broad features of society such as social class, and the relationships of groups to one another. Usually used by functionalists and conflict theorists

E.G: Healthcare, poverty, war

What is microsociology?

Analysts of social life that focuses on social interactions, typically used by symbolic interactionalist.

E.G: Class, family, relationships

What is social structure?

The framework of society that surrounded us; consists of the ways that ppl/groups relate to one another. This framework gives direction to and sets limits on our behavior (guides behavior)

E.G: Professor and Student, Coach and Player

What are the three components of social structure?

Culture, social class, status

Culture

A groups language, beliefs, values, behaviors, and even gestures

Social class

• a large group of ppl who rank close to one another in property, power, and prestige

• can be measured w/ income, education, occupation

Status / Social status

The position that someone occupies in a social group, may carry prestige

Status set

ALL the statuses/postitons that an individual occupies

E.G: I am a student, sister, employee

Ascribed staus

A position that is INHEIRTED or received INVOLUNTARILY later in life

E.G: Sex, race, social class

Achieved Status

A position that are earned, accomplished or involve some effort on the individuals part

• CAN BE NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE

Status Symbol

Indicators of status that display prestige

E.G: luxury cars, designer, many homes

Master status

A status that CUTS ACROSS all the other statuses

E.G: Sex, disability, wealth

Status inconsistency / Status Discrepancy

Ranking HIGH on some dimensions of social status and low on others

E.G: Graduting College @ 14 y/o

Roles are…

The behaviors, obligations, and privileges attached to a status

You ___ a status, but you ____ a role

You occupy a status, but you play a role

Group / Social group

• Ppl who interact w/ one another and who believe that what they have in common is significant

• values, interests, norms

Social institutions

• The organized, usual, or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs

• They set the context for your behaviors and orientations to life

E.G: family, education, economics, government

How do functionalists view social institutions?

• According to functionalists, institutions in society work together like organs in a living body to maintain stability, order, and equilibrium

What are the 5 ways that functionalists believe social institutions align with their values?

1.) Replacing members (family)

2.) Socializing new members (education)

3.) Producing and distributing goods & services (economics)

4.) Preserving order (government/military)

5.) Providing a sense of purpose (religion)

How do conflict theorists view social institutions?

• Conflict theorists view social institutions as tools used by powerful groups to maintain their privilege and preserve social inequality

How do symbolic interactionalists view social institutions?

• Symbolic interactionists view social institutions not as rigid, permanent structures, but as ongoing, everyday patterns of human interaction and shared meanings

Symbolic interaction

• Interested in how people view things and how this, in turn, affects their behaviors/oreintations to life

• E.G: personal space, stereotypes in daily life, eye contact, body language

Dramaturgy / Dramaturgical Analysis

An approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of drama or the stage

What are the four stages of dramaturgy?

1.) Impression management

2.) Role performance

3.) Role conflict

4.) Role strain

Role strain

• Conflicts that someone feels within a role

E.G: a college student who feels overwhelmed because they have to write two research papers, study for a midterm, and finish three lab reports all in the same week

Role conflict

• conflicts that someone feels between roles because the expectations attached to one role are at odds with those attached to another role

• E.G: A police officer who is also a parent gets an urgent call from daycare that their child is sick and needs to be picked up immediately.

Front stage

• Places where people give performances

E.G: The dining room where the server smiles, uses a polite tone, dresses in a clean uniform, and follows a learned script ("Welcome, what can I get you?"). They manage their expressions and behavior to make customers feel welcome and happy.

Back stage

• Places where people rest from their performances, discuss their presentations and plan future performances

• E.G: The kitchen or breakroom where the customers cannot see them. Here, the server drops the polished act, groans about being tired, vents to coworkers, or eats food quickly over the counter.

Impression Management

• Peoples efforts to control the impressions that others receive of them

Ethnomethodology

• The study of how people use background assumptions to make sense out of life or how people do things by Harold Garfinkel, breaking assumptions

E.G: Standing facing the back or side of a wall in an elevator

What is the construction of reality?

The use of background assumptions and life experiences to define what is real.

• “If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.”

What is deviance?

• Violation of norms/rules/expectations

• Can range from a driving over the speed limit to murder

• “It is not the act itself but the reaction to the act.” Sociologist Howard. S Becker

What makes something deviant?

• Deviance is measured by a reaction, not an action

Relativity of Deviance

• Because groups have different norms, what is deviant to some may not be deviant to others

• This applies not just to cultures, but also to groups within the same society

• E.G: Smoking weed in rasta culture vs western culture (when weed was seen as a gateway drug)

Crime is …

The violation of rules that have been written into law

An act that is ___ by one group may be _____ by another

An act that is applauded by others may be despised by another

E.G: Child marriages

To be considered deviant do you HAVE to do something?

To be considered deviant a person does not have to DO anything

Stigma

A characteristic that discredits people

• Violations of appearances, abilities, or involuntary memberships

• ‘Blemishes’ that discredit a persons claim to a normal identity

How do norms make social life possible?

• Making behavior predictable

• Preventing social chaos

• Laying out guidelines for how we play our roles and interact

Social order

• A groups usual and customary social arrangements on which its members depend on and which they base their lives

• 
  

Social control

• a groups formal and informal means of enforcing its norms

• (-) and (+) sanctions

What violations of social rules does deviance apply to?

Deviance refers to ALL violations of social rules regardless of their seriousness

How do sociobiologists explain deviance

• Explain deviance by looking for answers within individuals

Sociobiologists assume that

• Genetic predispositions lead people to such behavior as juvenile delinquency

• E.G: Men with extra y chromosomes were more likely to become criminals as people w/ ‘muscular’ bodies were more likely to commit street crime

What is street crime

Acts such as mugging, rape, vulgarly

How do psychologists explain deviance?

• Psychologists focus on abnormalities within the individual. Instead of looking at genes like the sociobiological perspective they examine personality disorders

What would a psychologist say about deviance?

• They believe that a personality disturbance of some sort causes an an individual to violate social norms

How would a sociologist explain deviance?

• Sociologists search for factors OUTSIDE of the individual, so social influences such as neighborhoods, peer groups, families etc and external factors such as socialization, subcultures and social class

What are the sub themes within the symbolic interactionalist perspective?

1.) Differential association theory

2.) Control Theory

3.) Self control theory

4.) Labeling theory

Who coined the differential association theory?

Edwin Sutherland

What is the differential association theory?

People who associate with some groups will be pushed toward deviance OR conformity to social norms

Your mom says, “don’t hang out with those kids from the neighborhood, I dont want you getting caught up with the wrong crowd” this is an example of what theory?

Differential Association Theory

What is the family aspect of the differential association theory?

Family makes a big difference in whether people lean toward deviance or conformity

• E.G: of all prison inmates, half have family in prison

Who coined the control theory?

Walter Reckless

What is the control theory?

The idea that two systems work against our tendencies to deviate

What are the two systems involved in the control theory?

Inner controls: Internalized morality (conscious, religious, principles, ideas of right/wrong, fears of punishment and the desire to be a ‘good’ person)

Outer controls: Consists of people (family,friends,polics) anyone who influences us to NOT deviate

Who coined the self control theory?

Travis Hirschi

What is the self control theory?

The stronger our bonds are with society, the more effective our inner controls are

How many “bonds” does the self control theory refer to?

Bond 1: attachment → our affection/respect for people who conform to mainstream norms

Bond 2: commitment → having a stake in society that you do not want to risk

Bond 3: Involvement → participating in approved activities

Bond 4: Beliefs → convictions that certain actions are wrong

What is the labeling theory?

The significant of reputations, how reputations/labels help set us on paths that propel us into deviance OR divert us away from it

Calling a child “bad”, socializes the child to believe that being bad is okay and they should continue to behave that way … this is an example of

Labeling theory

What are the 5 techniques of neutralization?

1: denial of responsibility

2: denial of injury

3:denial of victim

4: condemnation of condemners

5: appeal to higher loyalties

Which sociologists studies boys who rejected negative labels?

Gresham Sykes and David Matza

What does it mean to resist labels / define techniques of neutralization?

• ways of thinking or rationalizing that help people deflect (or neutralize) society’s norms

“My friend was getting jumped so I stepped in” this is an example of what technique of neutralization?

• Appealing to higher loyalties

“Relax, we were just playing around, no one got hurt” this is an example of what technique of neutralization?

Denial of injury

What are some ways people embrace labels?

• Popular loner

• Toxic

• Bad boy

Do functionalist see deviance and crime as a functional part of society?

Yes

How does deviance clarify moral boundaries and affirm norms?

• Deviance tells us how we should think and act

How does deviance encourage social unity?

• By creating a group dynamic amongst conformers

How does deviance promote social change?

• By helping groups adapt to society and its changes

According to functionalist, crime is …

• Natural