Sociology: Social Interaction, Groups, and Organizations

Vocabulary flashcards covering concepts of nonverbal communication, social interaction, personal space, group dynamics, categories, aggregates, and social networks.

Gazing

A form of nonverbal interaction where a person looks directly into the eyes of someone with whom they interact, meant to convey interest and be nonthreatening.

Self-touching

A nonverbal communication behavior in which people touch themselves while talking, such as touching the area just below the neck when saying 'I think that…'.

Personal Space (Northern European and American Custom)

The customary physical distance of about 3 to 4 feet that Americans and citizens of Great Britain and northern European nations maintain from a stranger or acquaintance during conversation.

Personal Space (Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Western European Custom)

The customary physical distance of about 9 to 15 inches that people in South and Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and Western European nations like France, Spain, and Italy stand apart when talking.

Dramaturgical Approach

A sociological perspective developed by Erving Goffman that likens social interaction to a dramatic production or behavior on a stage in a play.

Developing Cultural Competence in Disaster Mental Health Programs

A federal government publication offering principles and recommendations for disaster crisis counselors, emphasizing awareness of cultural differences in emotional expression and personal space needs.

Social Structure

The overarching framework of society whose major components include statuses, roles, groups and organizations, and social institutions.

Social Group

Two or more people who regularly interact on the basis of mutual expectations and who share a common identity.

Social Category

A collection of individuals who have at least one attribute in common but otherwise do not necessarily interact.

Social Aggregate

A collection of people who are in the same place at the same time but who otherwise do not necessarily interact, except in the most superficial of ways, or have anything else in common.

Primary Group

A group that is usually small, characterized by extensive interaction and strong emotional ties, and endures over time; first conceptualized by Charles Horton Cooley.

Secondary Group

A group that is larger and more impersonal than a primary group and exists to achieve a specific purpose.

Reference Group

A group that sets a standard for guiding our own behavior and attitudes, whether or not we actually belong to it.

Relative Deprivation

The psychological process where individuals experience lower morale because they perceive that members of their reference group are doing better or are better off than they are.

In-Group

A group to which members feel particularly loyal and take great pride in belonging.

Out-Group

A group with which an in-group feels it is competing for various kinds of rewards and compared to which the in-group feels superior.

Social Networks

The totality of relationships that link an individual to other people and groups, and through them to still other people and groups.

Old Boys' Network

An informal business network where male executives hear about male applicants from male colleagues and friends, making it more difficult for females to be hired and promoted.