Social interactions

A socially defined position within a group or society

status

A status assigned at birth or involuntarily later in life.

Ex. Race, sex, age

ascribed status

A status earned through effort or choice.

Ex. Education, occupation, marital status

achieved status

The set of expectations associated with a particular status.

role

Incompatible expectations from two or more roles.

Ex. Being both a student and a full-time caregiver

role conflict

Stress from competing demands within the same role.

Ex. A resident physician experiences stress from long hours, patient care, and administrative duties.

role strain

The process of leaving a role and adjusting to a new one.

Ex. Retiring from a career

role exit

Small, close-knit group with strong emotional ties.

Ex. Family, close friends

primary group

Larger, goal-oriented group with formal relationships.

Ex. Coworkers, classmates

secondary group

A group with which an individual identifies.

-“people like me”

in group

A group viewed as different from one’s own.

-”people not like me”

out group

How do in-groups affect behavior?

+ loyalty and favoritism

A group of two people.

dyad

A group of three people.

triad

Larger groups are

more stable but less intimate.

A web of social relationships connecting individuals.

social network

Provide information, support, and opportunities.

why networks are important

Provide information, support, and opportunities.

Ex. Corporations, governments

formal orgnization

A formal organization with hierarchical structure and rules.

Ex. A patient must wait for approval from multiple departments before surgery.

bureaucracy

Clear hierarchy, division of labor, written rules, impersonality, merit-based advancement.

ideal bereaucracy

Organizations tend to become controlled by a small elite.

Ex. A large professional organization is officially democratic, but decisions are consistently made by a small executive board.

iron law of oligarchy

Process where efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control dominate organizations.

Ex. A university emphasizes standardized testing, online modules, and quantifiable outcomes over individualized learning.

McDonaldization

A physician makes a personal judgment without policy constraints. =

not bureaucracy

Efforts to control how others perceive us.

Ex. A job applicant dresses professionally and speaks formally during an interview to appear competent.

impression management

Viewing social interaction as theatrical performance.

Ex. A physician behaves differently with patients than with close friends.

dramaturgical approach

Public behavior shaped for an audience

Ex. A medical student speaks professionally and confidently during patient rounds.

front stage self

Private behavior without audience pressure

Ex. The same medical student jokes casually with friends after leaving the hospital.

back-stage self

Use of spoken or written language.

verbal communication

Which form of communication conveys emotion more strongly?

nonverbal communication

Why do animals communicate?

Survival, mating, territory defense.

Bird songs, pheromones, warning coloration.

animal signals

Proximity, similarity, physical attractiveness, reciprocity.

influence attraction

Behavior intended to harm another.

aggresion

What factors influence aggression?

Biology, environment, social learning.

Emotional bond between individuals.

attraction

Who developed attachment theory?

Bowlby

Why is attachment important?

Influences social and emotional development.

Behavior that benefits others at a cost to oneself.

altruism

Empathy, social norms, evolutionary advantage motivate

altruism

Emotional, informational, or practical help from others.

social support

How does social support affect health?

- stress and improves well being

How animals search for and obtain food efficiently.

foraging behavior

Genetic fitness, resources, parental investment influence

mate choice

Mathematical modeling of strategic decision-making.

Ex. Two players make decisions independently, but outcomes depend on both choices

game theory

How is game theory applied to biology?

explains cooperation and competition

Reproductive success through helping relatives.

inclusive fitness

Why does inclusive fitness matter?

Explains altruism among kin.

voluntary behavior that helps another individual at a cost or risk to oneself, motivated by genuine concern for others' welfare, even without expecting external rewards

altruism

Unjust treatment of individuals based on group membership.

discrimination

Prejudiced actions by individuals.

Ex. A physician provides less pain medication to patients of a certain racial group.

individual discrimination

Systemic policies that disadvantage groups.

Ex. A teacher disciplines male students more harshly than female students.

institutional discrimination

What is the relationship between prejudice and discrimination?

Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is behavior.

How do power and prestige facilitate discrimination?

Dominant groups control resources and opportunities.

social class reinforces inequality through

access to wealth and education.

Power maintains

inequality