soci 1110 social interaction

What is social interaction

A process by which people act toward or respond to others in various situations in social life

What is social structure

The complex framework of societal institutions (like economy, politics, religion) and social practices (like rules and social roles) that make up society and guide behaviour

How does social structure help us understand the social world

• We rely on it to make sense of the world

• It provides an orderly pattern for actions

• it gives predictability — we know what’s expected from us

What is included in the social structure of society

social institutions, social positions, and relationships attached to each position

What is a status 

A social position that a person holds 

What is a role

The behaviour expected of someone who holds a particular status

What is an ascribed status

A status outside of one’s control, given at birth (e.g. age, sex, race)

What is an achieved status

A status that is earned (e.g., graduate student, CEO)

What is a master status

A status with special importance in a person’s life that shapes identity and how other perceive them

What is a status set

The number of statuses a person holds at one time

What is a role set

The number of roles attached to a single status

What is role strain

The number of roles attached to a single status

What is role conflict

Tension among roles connected to two or more statuses

What is role exit

The process of disengaging from important social roles (e.g., ex-doctor, ex-partner)

What are Helen edbaugh’s stages of role exit 

1. doubt ability to continue in a role

2. imagine alternate roles

3. decide to pursue a new life

What is the social construction of reality

The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction

What did Berger and luckmann argue

Society is created through human interactions (habitualization), where repeated actions form patterns called “habits” which become norms by shared consensus 

doesthis mean society never changes 

No — society is human-made and can change through collective beliefs and actions 

What did Michael Schwalbe argue about constructing reality

• ideas create beliefs; beliefs create the social world 

• social life is patterned through habits

• People act based on invisible social norms

• The “ready made world” feels natural but is human-made

• Failure to see this is called reification

• Being sociologically mindful means recognizing society as humanly made and changeable

What is reification

The tendency to see the human-made world as having its own force, separate from people

What is the Thomas theorem

“if a person perceives a situation as real, it is real in its consequences

According to the Thomas theorem, what is reality?

Reality is soft and fluid — it changes with perception

What is dramaturgical analysis

The idea that social interaction is like a theatrical performance

What is the “presentation of self”

The effort individuals make to create specific impressions in others’ minds 

What is impression management

controlling one’s image to influence how others perceive them in social interactions 

What are social scripts 

pre-established patterns of behaviour expected in specific social situations

What does structural-functionalism emphasize about social structure

It is essential for creating social order and predictability in society

How does social structure affect social life

It provides an orderly framework for how people interact with each other