9: Social Interaction Flashcards
Ascribed status
One that is given involuntarily due to factors such as race, ethnicity, gender and family background
Achieved status
Status that is gained as a result of one’s efforts or choices, such as being a doctor
Master status
Status by which a person is most identified
Role
- Each status has a role, a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and norms that define expectations for those who hold the status
Role performance
Carrying out of behaviors associated with a given role
Role partner
The person with whom one is interacting - doctors have many role partners: nurses, patients, other doctors, residents, hospital admin
Role conflict
Difficulty in satisfying the requirements or expectations of multiple roles
Role strain
Difficulty in satisfying multiple requirements of the same role
Role exit
Dropping of one identity for another
Group
Two or more people who share similar characteristics and a sense of unity
Peer group
Group that is defined by association of self-selected equals around similar interests, ages, and statuses
Family group
A group not self-selected, but determined by birth, adoption, and marriage
In-groups
Groups to which an individual belongs
Out-groups
Groups with which an individual competes or is in opposition
Reference groups
Groups that establish the terms by which individuals evaluate themselves
Primary group
The interactions are direct, with close bonds providing warm, personal, and intimate relationships to members
- Ex: close group of friends, tightly knit family, team members
Secondary group
The interactions are superficial, with few emotional bonds
Ex: Last short period of time, form and dissolve without any special significance, such as students working together on a project
Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society)
- German sociologist Ferdinand Tonnies
- Community: refers to groups unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography. (Families and neighborhoods)
- Society: refers to groups that are formed because of mutual self-interests working together toward the same goal. (companies and countries)
Interaction process analysis
Technique for observing, classifying,and measuring the interactions within small groups
System for multiple level observation groups (SYMLOG)
- Revision of Interaction Process Analysis to form SYMLOG
- based on the belief that there are three fundamental dimensions of interaction: dominance vs submission, friendliness vs unfriendliness and instrumentally controlled vs emotionally expressive
Group conformity
Individuals are compliant with the group’s goals, even when the group’s goals may be in direct contrast to the individual’s goal
Groupthink
Similar to group conformity; occurs when members begin to focus solely on ideas generated within the group, while ignoring outside ideas
Network
Describe the observable patter of social relationships among individuals or groups
Immediate networks
Dense with strong ties
Distant networks
Looser and contain weaker ties; acquaintances
Organizations
Entities that are set up to achieve specific goals and are characterized by having a structure and a culture
Formal organizations
Different from groups in many ways
-These orgs continue despite departure of individual member; have expressed goals; have enforcement procedures; heierarchial allotment of formal roles or duties to members
Bureaucracy
Rational system of political organization, administration, discipline, and control. Generally has six characteristics
Iron law of oligarchy
States that democratic or bureaucratic systems naturally shift to being ruled by an elite group
McDonaldization
Commonly used to refer to a shift in focus toward efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control in societies.
Self-presentation
Process of displaying oneself to society through culturally accepted behaviors
Impression management
Similar meaning to self-presentation; the implication of self presentation is that people use specific strategies to shape what others will think of them.
Basic model of emotional expression
Established by Charles Darwin: states that emotional expression involves a number of components (facial expressions, behaviors, postures, vocal changes, and physiological changes)
Appraisal model
Accepts that there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emotion is experienced, but that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expression
Social construction model
Assumes that there is no biological basis for emotions; also suggests that certain emotions can only exist within social encounters and that emotions are expressed differently and play different roles across cultures
Display rules
Cultural expectations of emotions
Cultural syndrome
Shared set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, values, and behavior among members of the same culture that are organized around a central theme.
Impression management
Refers to our attempts to influence how others perceive us, through the regulation or controlling of information in social interactions (synonymous with self-presentation)
Authentic self
Describes who the person actually is, including both positive and negative attributes
Ideal self
Refers to who we would like to be under optimal circumstances
Tactical self
Refers to who we market ourselves to be when we adhere to others’ expectations of us (similar to ought self)
Self-disclosure
Giving information about oneself to establish an indent its
Managing appearances
Using props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations with others to create a positive image
Ingratiation
Using flattery or conforming to expectations to win someone over
Aligning actions
Making questionable behavior acceptable through excuses
Alter-casting
Imposing an identity onto another person
Dramaturgical approach
Using the metaphor of theatrical performance to describe how individuals create images of themselves in various situations.
Ex: front- vs. back-stage self
Front stage
Where actor is in front of the audience, and performs according to the setting, role, and script, in order to conform to the image he wants others to see
Back stage self
Where actor is not being observed by an audience, and he is free to act in ways that may not be congruent with his desired public image without having to worry about ruining his performance
Verbal communication
Transmission of info via use of words whether spoken, written, or signed.
Nonverbal communication
Communication intentionally or unintentionally without words (facial expressions, body position, eye positioning)
Animal communication
Any behavior of one animal that affects the behavior of another
Statuses
Positions in society that are used to classify individuals
