Chapter 4 - Lecture notes 4 PDF

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Intro to Sociology chapter 4 notes...

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Social interaction is the process by which people act and react in relation to others. I. Social Structure: Social structure guides human behavior rather than rigidly determining it. II. Status Status is a social position that an individual occupies. A. A status set consists of all the statuses a person holds at a given time.

B. Ascribed and achieved statuses. 1. An ascribed status is a social position that someone receives at birth or takes on involuntarily later in life. 2. An achieved status is a social position that someone takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort.

C. A master status is a status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life. III. Role A role consists of behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status. A. Role set refers to a number of roles attached to a single status. B. Role conflict and role strain. 1. Role conflict refers to conflict among roles corresponding to two or more statuses. It can be reduced by “compartmentalizing” our lives. 2. Role strain refers to tension among the roles connected to a single status. C. Role exit is the process by which people disengage from important social roles. IV. The Social Construction of Reality A. The social construction of reality is the process by which individuals creatively shape reality through social interaction.

B. The Thomas theorem states that situations that are defined as real become real in their consequences.

. V. Dramaturgical Analysis: The “Presentation of Self” Dramaturgical analysis, developed by Erving Goffman (1922–1982), consists of the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance.

A. The presentation of self, a person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others, is a central focus of dramaturgy. . B. An individual’s performances include dress, props, and manner. 1. Performances have back and front regions. C. Nonverbal communication consists of communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech.

D. Gender affects personal performance in areas such as: 1. Demeanor. – the way we carry ourselves 2. Use of personal space—the surrounding area over which an individual makes some claim to privacy.

VI. Interaction in Everyday Life: Three Applications A. Emotions, more commonly called feelings, are an important element of human social life. Six basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise

B. Language: the social construction of gender. Language defines men and women differently in several ways: in terms of power and value. Men use language to establish control over their surroundings. Value in men: king/lord; value in women: queen/madam

C. The Social Construction of Humor -

Humor is produced by the social construction of reality. 2 types of realities: conventional – what culture leads people to expect in a specific situation; unconventional – unexpected violation of cultural patterns...