Chapter 5 - Social Interaction & Everyday Life

roles

the expected behaviors of people occupying particular social positions

status

the social honor or prestige that a particular group is accorded by other members of a society

social position

the society identity an individual has in a given group or society

impression management

preparation for the presentation of one’s social role

civil inattention

the process whereby individuals in the same physical setting glance at each other and quickly look away to indicate awareness of each other but not intrusiveness

nonverbal communication

communication between individuals based on facial expression or bodily gesture rather than on language

response cries

seemingly involuntary exclamations individuals make when, for example, they are taken by surprise, drop something inadvertently, or want to express pleasure

unfocused interaction

interaction occurring among people present in a particular setting but not engaged in direct face-to-face communication

focused interaction

interaction between individuals engaged in a common activity or in direct conversation with one another

encounter

a meeting between two or more people in a situation of face-to-face interaction

time-space

when and where events occur

regionalization

the division of social life into different regional settings or zones

back region

areas apart from front-region performance in which individuals are able to relax and behave informally

front region

settings of social activity in which people seek to put on a definite “performance” for others

clock time

time as measured by the clock, in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds, as opposed to measuring it by the rising and setting of the sun

social interaction

the process by which we act and react to those around us

agency

the ability to think, act, and make choices independently

personal space

the physical space individuals maintain between themselves and others

enthomethodology

the study of how people make sense of what others say and do in the course of day-to-day social interaction

conversation analysis

the empirical study of conversations, employing techniques drawn from ethnomethodology

interactional vandalism

the deliberate subversion of the tacit rules of conversation

compulsion of proximity

people’s need to interact with others in their presence