Transcript Chapter 6
Social Interaction In Everyday Life The process by which people act and react in relation to others Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Social Interaction • The symbolic interaction paradigm • Humans rely on social structure to make sense out of everyday situations. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Status • A social position that a person holds • Status set – All the statuses held at one time • • • • • • Dance partner Boss Friend Harley club member Sports participant Businessman Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Type of Status • Ascribed: Involuntary positions • Achieved: Voluntary positions Often the two types work together. What we’re ascribed often helps us achieve other statuses. • Master status: Has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Role The behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status • Role set – A number of roles attached to a single status – Example: status of mother • • • • • Disciplinarian Sports authority Dietitian Dr. Mom Pretty mom Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Role Conflict and Role Strain • Role conflict – Involves two or more statuses • Example: Conflict between role expectations of a police officer who catches her own son using drugs at home–mother and police officer • Role strain – Involves a single status • Example: Manager who tries to balance concern for workers with task requirements–office manager Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Role Exit • Role exit: Becoming an “ex” – Disengaging from social roles can be very traumatic without proper preparation. • The process of becoming an “ex” – Doubts form about ability to continue with a certain role. – Examination of new roles leads to a turning point at which time one decides to pursue a new direction. – Learning new expectations associated with new role. – Past role might influence new self. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. The Social Construction of Reality • The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction. • “Street smarts” • The Thomas theorem – Situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences • Ethnomethodology – The study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings – Explores the process of making sense of social encounters Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Reality Building: Class and Culture • How we act or what we see in our surroundings depends on our interests. • Social background also affects what we see. • People build reality from the surrounding culture. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Goffman’s Dramaturgical Analysis Examining social interaction in terms of theatrical performances • Presentation of self or impression management – Efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others. • Role performance includes – Stage setting – Use of props: costume, tone of voice, gesture – Example: Going to the doctor and playing the expected patient role. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Nonverbal Communication Communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech • • • • • • Words Voice Body language Facial expressions Deameanor Personal space Goffman and idealization: We try to convince others that what we do reflects ideal cultural standards rather than selfish motives. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Gender and Performances • Gender is a central element in personal performances. • Demeanor – The way we act and carry ourselves • Use of space – Power plays a key role. • Staring, smiling, touching – Eye contact encourages interaction. – Smiling: Trying to please or submission? – Touching: Intimacy and caring Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Idealization • We construct performances to idealize our intentions. • Professionals typically idealize their motives for entering their chosen careers. • We all use idealization to some degree. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Embarrassment and Tact • Embarrassment: Discomfort following a spoiled performance. • Goffman: Embarrassment is "losing face." • Tact is helping someone "save face." • An audience often overlooks flaws in a performance, allowing the actor to avoid embarrassment. • Goffman: Although behavior is often spontaneous, it is more patterned than we think. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Emotions: The Social Construction of Feeling • The biological side of emotions – Ekman: Some emotional responses are “wired” into humans. • The cultural side of emotions – Ekman: Culture defines what triggers an emotion. • Emotions on the job – Hochschild: The typical company tries to regulate not only its employees’ behavior, but also their emotions. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Gender and Language Language communicates not only surface reality, but also deeper levels of meaning. • Power and Value – Female pronouns and ownership – Women often adopt the husband’s surname. – Traditionally feminine terms are more likely to change to negative meanings than masculine terms. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Humor • Humor is unconventional. – It’s a violation of cultural norms. • Humor is tied to a common culture and doesn’t translate easily. – “Not getting it” means a person doesn’t understand a joke’s conventional and unconventional realities. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Humor • Humor acts as a safety valve by expressing opinions on a sensitive topic. • Humor and conflict – “Put down” with jokes about race, sex, gender, and the disabled Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright 2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.