Social Interaction (9)

Status

a perceived position in society used to classify individuals.

Ascribed status

involuntarily assigned to an individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, family background, and so on.

Achieved status

voluntarily earned by an individual.

Master status

the status by which an individual is primarily identified.

Role

a set of beliefs, values, and norms that define the expectations of a certain status in a social situation.

Role performance

refers to carrying out the behaviors of a given role.

Role partner

a person with whom one is interacting who helps define the roles within the relationship.

Role set

contains all of the different roles associated with a status.

Role conflict

occurs when one has difficulty in satisfying the requirements of multiple roles simultaneously

Role strain

occurs when one has difficulty satisfying multiple requirements of the same role simultaneously.

Groups

are made up of two or more individuals with similar characteristics that share a sense of unity.

Peer group

a self-selected group formed around similar interests, ages, or statuses.

Family group

the group into which an individual is born, adopted, or married.

In-group

a social group with which a person experiences a sense of belonging or identifies as a member.

Out-group

a social group with which an individual does not identify.

Group conflict

occurs when an out-group competes with or opposes an in-group.

Reference group

a group to which individuals compare themselves.

Primary groups

those that contain strong, emotional bonds.

Secondary groups

often temporary and contain fewer emotional bonds and weaker bonds overall.

Gemeinschaft (community)

a group unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography.

Gesellschaft (society)

a group unified by mutual self-interests in achieving a goal.

Groupthink

occurs when members begin to conform to one another's views without critical evaluation.

Network

an observable pattern of social relationships between individuals or groups.

Organizations

bodies of people with structure and culture designed to achieve specific goals.

Basic model

states that there are universal emotions, along with corresponding expressions that can be understood across cultures.

Social construction model

states that emotions are solely based on the situational context of social interactions.

Display rules

unspoken rules that govern the expression of emotion.

Cultural syndrome

a shared set of beliefs, norms, values, and behaviors organized around a central theme, as is found among people sharing the same language and geography.

Impression management

refers to the maintenance of a public image, which is accomplished through various strategies.

Self-disclosure

sharing factual information.

Managing appearances

refers to using props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations to create a positive image.

Ingratiation

using flattery or conformity to win over someone else.

Aligning actions

the use of excuses to account for questionable behavior.

Alter-casting

imposing an identity onto another person.

Dramaturgical approach

says that individuals create images of themselves in the same way that actors perform a role in front of an audience.

Front stage

where individuals are seen by the audience and where they strive to preserve their desired image.

Back stage

where individuals are not in front of an audience and where they are free to act outside of their desired image.

Communication

includes both verbal and nonverbal elements.

Verbal communication

the conveyance of information through spoken, written, or signed words.

Nonverbal communication

he conveyance of information by means other than the use of words, such as body language, prosody, facial expressions, and gestures.

Animal communication

takes place not only between nonhuman animals, but between humans and other animals as well. Animals use body language, rudimentary facial expressions, visual displays, scents, and vocalizations to communicate.