Sociology: Social Interaction and Everyday Life

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to social interaction in sociology.

Impression Management

The preparation for the presentation of one’s social role, involving the concealment and revelation of information.

Ethnomethodology

The study of how people make sense of what others say and do in day-to-day social interactions.

Interactional Vandalism

The deliberate subversion of the tacit rules of conversation and exchange.

Response Cries

Seemingly involuntary exclamations made by individuals in response to surprise or to express pleasure.

Personal Space

The physical space individuals maintain between themselves and others.

Time-Space

The context of when and where events occur.

Regionalization

The division of social life into different regional settings or zones.

Clock Time

Time measured by the clock in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds.

Compulsion of Proximity

The need for people to interact with others in their presence.

Microsociology

The study of human behavior in the contexts of small-scale face-to-face interactions.

Civil Inattention

The process by which individuals in the same physical setting demonstrate awareness of each other's presence.

Agency

The ability to act, think, and make choices independently.

Structure

Recurrent patterned arrangements and hierarchies that influence or limit choices available.

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 direct conversation.

Encounter

A meeting between two or more people in a face-to-face interaction.

Nonverbal Communication

Communication based on facial expressions or bodily gestures rather than language.

Status

The social honor or prestige that a group is accorded by others in society.

Social Position

The social identity an individual holds in a given group or society.