chapter 9: social interaction

status

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

indivudal is primarily identified

role

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

role perfromance

carrying out the behaviors of a given role

role partner

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

difficulty in satisfying the requirements of multiple role simultaneously

role strain

difficulty satisfying multiple requirements of the same role simultaneously

groups

two or more individuals with similar characteristics that share a sense of unity

peer group

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

family group

group individual is born, adopted or married

in-group

social group - person experiences sense of belonging or identifies as a member

out-group

social group - individual does not identify

group comflict

out-group competes with or opposes an in-group

reference group

group individuals compare themselves

primary groups

contain strong, emotional bonds

secondary groups

temporary and contains fewer emotional bonds and weaker bonds overall

Gemeinschaft (community)

unified by feeling of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry or geography

Gesellschaft (society)

unified by mutual self-interest in achieving a goal

groupthink

members conform to one another’s views without critical evaluation

network

observable pattern of social relationships btwn individuals or groups

organization

bodies of ppl with structure and culture designed to achieve specific goals

basic model

universal emotions, along with corresponding expressions that can be understood across cultures

social construction model

emotions are solely based on the situational context of social interactions

display rules

unspoken rules that govern expression of emotion

cultural syndrome

shared set of beliefs, norms, values and behaviors organized around a central theme (among ppl sharing same language/geography)

impression management

maintenance of public image, which is accomplished through various stategies

self-disclosure

sharing factual information

managing appearances

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

ingratiation

use flattery or conformity to win over someone else

aligning actions

use excuses to account for questionable behavior

alter-casting

imposing an identity onto another person

dramaturgical approach

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

front stage

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

back stage

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

verbal communication

conveyance of information through spoken, written or signed words

nonverbal communication

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

animal communication

btwn nonhuman animals and btwn humans and other animals