Social Structure and Interaction in Daily Life. Chapter 4

Transcription

1 Social Structure and Interaction in Daily Life Chapter 4

2 Social Structure The underlying pattern in any group or institution. Classroom has a social structure Teams and groups have social structures Social structures provide a social map for interaction

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4 Status Everyone has status Status is the position a person occupies within a social structure Some begin immediately, others are developed Immediately: a newborn girl is automatically a daughter and a child Developed: becoming a doctor

5 Ascribed Status A position that is neither earned nor chosen but assigned to you. Age Gender In some societies religion or class

6 Achieved Status A position that is earned or chosen Your occupation Becoming a spouse or parent

7 Status Set People hold many statuses at any given time. A status set contains all the statuses a person holds at any given time. Mother, lawyer, sister, wife etc

8 Master Status The status that most affects the other statuses in your life. Your occupation is often a master status It affects where you live, how you live, your interaction, your achievement, etc

9 Master Status Rich Poor

10 Status Symbols Status symbols are material signs that inform others of a certain status. Wedding ring Expensive car/clothes Some symbols provide multiple meanings Full shopping bag for affluent persons vs. a full shopping cart of a homeless person.

11 Roles

12 Roles are the expected behavior that are associated with a particular status. Roles should be fulfilled in order to maintain order. Roles are met through rights and obligations.

13 Rights and Obligations : behaviors that individuals can expect from another. Students: right to an education and for the teacher to have lessons prepared. Teacher: right to expect you will learn : behaviors that individuals are expected to perform. Teacher: obligated to prepare lessons for you. Student: obligated to come prepared to learn.

14 Role Performance and Social Interaction The actual behavior of an individual in a role. Can happen with or without and audience. Students study alone for a test. I prepare lessons outside of the classroom. The process of influencing and communicating with each other. Encourages a reaction.

15 Conflict exists when there is a disagreement between two things. Happens when one experiences tension between the roles of two statuses. Teenagers: Status of student vs. employee. What is the role conflict?

16 When one has trouble meeting the demands of a single status. Roles of a high school student often include Do well academically Join a club Join a team Take part in music program Date/socialize One deals with role strain and role conflict by prioritizing.

17 The process of disengaging from a role. Getting a divorce, retiring etc Four stages of role exit 1. Doubt 2. Search for alternatives 3. Taking action 4. Create new identity or status

18 Societies Changes in Social Structure

19 Society is Changing Social arrangements in modern societies have grown more complex. New technology has resulted in increasing changes. Norms and values are consistently changing.

20 Types of Societies Preindustrial Hunting & Gathering Horticultural Pastoral Agricultural Industrial/Post-Industrial Gemeinschaft Gesellschaft

21 Ferdinand Tönnies Describes a society based on: Kinship Tradition Close social ties Often associated with preindustrial societies.

22 Industrial Societies Industrial societies: depend on science & technology to produce goods & services. Emerged out of Industrial Revolution Much more complex than preindustrial societies Exponentially increased social issues Resulted in mechanization and urbanization

23 Characterizes industrial society as one with weak family ties, competition and impersonal relationships.

24 Organic vs. Mechanical Solidarity Emile Durkheim describing two societies based on their social solidarity. is the degree to which a society is unified. These two societies were described as mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity.

25 A type of society that achieves unity by people doing the same type of work. Consensus of beliefs, values, norms. Strong pressures to conform. Dependence on tradition and family. People behave in the same ways. Place the group above self

26 Members interdependence is based on specialized functions and statuses. Variety of people to fulfill the needs. Think of organs in a body!

27 Postindustrial Societies Economic emphasis is on providing services & information. Transition to this type of society has led to increased social instability. More divorce, selfishness, crime, distrust etc

28 Social Interaction and Meaning Social Interaction at the Micro-level

29 Social Construction of Reality Process by which our perception of reality is largely shaped by the subjective meaning that we give to an experience. This meaning strongly influences what we see and how we respond to situations. Our attitudes and ideals give a situation reality.

30 Social Construction of Reality (cont.) We analyze a social context in which we find ourselves, determine what is in our best interest, and adjust our attitudes and actions accordingly. People define situations in different ways We may have a different perception of reality Self-fulfilling prophecy A false belief or prediction that produces behavior that makes the original false belief come true.

31 The study of the common sense knowledge people use to understand situations. What reactions are appropriate? What is reality? Sociologist Harold Garfinkel (1967) initiated this approach and coined the term. Critical of mainstream sociology for not recognizing the ongoing ways in which people create reality and produce their own world.

32 The study of social interaction that compares everyday life to a theatrical presentation. Members of our audience judge us and are aware that we may slip and reveal our true character.

33 Dramaturgical Analysis(cont.) Impression management People s efforts to present themselves in ways that are favorable to their own interests or image. Face-saving behavior Strategies to rescue our performance when we experience a potential or actual loss of face.

34 Facial expressions Head movements Eye contact Body positions Touching Personal space

35 Functions of Nonverbal Communication Supplements verbal communication. Regulates social interaction. Establishes the relationship among people in terms of their power over one another.

36 Personal Space The immediate area surrounding a person that the person claims as private. Our personal space is contained within an invisible boundary surrounding our body, much like a snail s shell. Occupation of the space will influence the social interaction.

37 Social Interaction: The Microlevel Perspective Social interaction and meaning Forms of social interaction have shared meanings that vary based on race/ ethnicity, gender, and social class. Social construction of reality How our perception of reality is shaped by the subjective meaning we give an experience. Ethnomethodology Studying the commonsense knowledge people use to understand situations.

38 Social Interaction: The Microlevel Perspective Dramaturgical analysis Sociology of emotions Nonverbal communication The study of social interaction that compares everyday life to a theatrical presentation. We are socialized to feel certain emotions, and we learn how and when to express them. Transfer of information without the use of speech.