Chapter 4: Social Interaction and Social Structure

macrosociology

The study of large-scale groups, organizations, or social systems.

microsociology

the study of human behavior in contexts of face-to-face interaction

social interaction

what people do when they are in one another's presence. Includes communication at a distance.

social structure

A pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society

social class

a group of people with similar backgrounds, incomes, and ways of living

status

the socially defined position that someone occupies in a social group

status set

all the statuses a person holds at a given time

ascribed status

social position a person receives at birth or involuntarily later in life

achieved status

a social position that a person attains largely through his or her own efforts

status symbols

indicators of status, especially items that display presitige

master status

a status that cuts across all other statuses that an individual occupies

status inconsistency

ranking high on some dimensions of social class and low on others

roles

behaviors, obligations, and privileges attached to a status

group

two or more people who interact to accomplish individual or mutual goals

social institution

system of statuses, roles, values, and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society

Social Integration

The degree to which members of a group or a society are united by shared values and other social bonds, also known as social cohesion.

Mechanical Solidarity

Durkheim's term for the unity that people feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks

organic solidarity

Durkheim's term for the interdependence that results from people needing others to fulfill their jobs; solidarity based on the interdependence brought about by the division of labour

Gemeinschaft

a type of society in which life is intimate; a community in which everyone knows everyone else and people share a sense of togetherness

Gesellshaft

a type of society that is dominated by impersonal relationships, individual accomplishments, and self -interest

Stereotype

assumptions of what people are like , whether true or false

Body language

the ways in which people use their bodies to give messages to others

dramaturgy

approach that depicts human interaction as theatrical performances

impression management

the attempt by people to get others to see them as they want to be seen

Front Stage

place were people give performances

Back stage

places were people rest from their performances, discuss their presentations, and plan future performances

role performance

The actual behavior of the person who occupies a status.

role conflict

conflict between the roles connected to two or more statuses because they are at odds with each other

role strain

tension among the roles connected to a single status

Sign-Vehicle

the term used by Goffman to refer to how people use social setting, appearance, and manner to communicate information about the self

face-saving behavior

Erving Goffman's term for the strategies we use to rescue our performance when we experience a potential or actual loss of face.

ethnomethodology

Harold Garfinkel's term for the study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings

Thomas theorem

William I. and Dorothy S. Thomas' classic formulation of the definition of the situation: "If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences."

social construction of reality

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

role expectation

A group's or society's definition of the way that a specific role ought to be played