Chapter 5 Social Interaction and Social Structure

Chapter Outline  What Is Society?

 Theories About Analyzing Social Interaction  Interaction in Cyberspace  Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Chapter Outline  Interpersonal Attraction and Formation of Pairs  Social Institutions and Social Structure  What Holds Society Together?

 Types of Societies: A Global View

What Is Society?

 A system of social interaction that includes culture and social organization.

 Members of a society have a common culture though there may be great diversity within it.

Characteristics of Groups  A collection of individuals who  interact and communicate with each other  share goals and norms  are aware of themselves as a distinct social unit

Statuses  A status is a rank in society.  Vice president of the United States  Statuses occur within institutions.  “High school teacher” is a status within the education institution.  Typically, an individual occupies many statuses simultaneously.

Roles  A role is the expected behavior associated with a particular status.   Statuses are occupied; roles are acted or “played.” A person’s role set includes all the roles occupied by the person at a given time.

Roles in a College Student’s Role Set

Social Construction of Reality  Perception of what is

real

is determined by the subjective meaning we attribute to an experience.

 There is no objective reality.

Ethnomethodology  Disrupting social norms and observing how individuals attempt to restore normalcy.

 Human interaction takes place within a consensus and interaction is not possible without this consensus.

Impression Management  People control how others will perceive them.

 People present different faces on different stages with different others.

Social Exchange  Interactions are determined by rewards or punishments.

 If the reward for an interaction exceeds the punishment, a potential for social profit exists and the interaction is likely to occur.

Characteristics of Cyberspace Interaction  Nonverbal communication is eliminated.

 One is free to become a different self.  Anonymity allows a new kind of relationship in society.

Polling Question  How likely would you be to take an Internet course for college credit?

A.

B.

Very likely Somewhat likely C.

D.

E.

Unsure Somewhat unlikely Very unlikely

Nonverbal Communication  Touch  Pitch, loudness and rhythm of the voice.  Gestures, facial expressions  Use of personal space.

Paralinguistic Communication  The component of communication that is conveyed by the pitch and loudness of the speaker’s voice, its rhythm, emphasis, and frequency, and the frequency and length of hesitations.  It is not what you say, but how you say it.

Factors in Attraction  Close proximity  Exposure  Physical attractiveness  Similarity in status, race, ethnicity, religion, personality, attitudes and opinions.

Social Institutions  Family  Education  Work  Economy  Political Institutions  Religion  Health care  Mass Media  Sports  Military

Purpose of Social Institutions  Socialization of new members.

 Production and distribution of goods and services.

 Maintain stability and existence.

 Provide members with a sense of purpose.

Social Structure  The organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together compose society.

 The social structure of society is observable in the established patterns of social interaction and social institutions.

Durkheim: Social Solidarity 

Mechanical solidarity

arises when individuals feel bonded by their similarity.



Organic solidarity

arises when individuals are bonded through their division of labor.

Types of Societies  Foraging  Pastoral  Horticultural  Agricultural  Industrial  Postindustrial

Examples of Types of Societies

Foraging Pastoral Horticultural

Pygmies of Central Africa Bedouins of Africa and Middle East Incan empire of Peru

Examples of Types of Societies

Agricultural Industrial Postindustrial

American South, pre Civil War 19th and 20th century United States and Western Europe Contemporary United States

Global Urbanization

Population Density in the U.S.

Polling Question  If you could live anywhere in the United States that you wanted to, would you prefer a city, suburban area, small town, or farm?

A.

B.

City Suburban area C.

D.

Small town Farm

Quick Quiz

1. Human society is best defined as: a. A system of social interaction that includes norms and values.

b. A system of social organization that is characterized by a distinct social structure.

c. A system of social organization that includes ordered social interaction.

d. A system of social interaction that includes culture and social organization.

Answer: d  Human society is best defined as

a system of social interaction that includes culture and social organization.

2. Which of the following is not an ascribed status?

a. pharmacist b. female c. Japanese d. biracial

Answer: a  A

pharmacist

is not an ascribed status.

3. When a single role brings conflicting expectations, sociologists call this condition: a. status conflict b. role conflict c. role strain d. status inconsistency

Answer: c  When a single role brings conflicting expectations, sociologists call this condition

role strain

.

4. According to social exchange theory, we are more likely to repeat an interaction when: a. we are punished b. we profit from it c. we experience a social loss d. we receive disapproval

Answer: b  According to social exchange theory, we are more likely to repeat an interaction when

we profit from it.