9 Social interaction

Question 1

Give the three types of statuses that individuals can be classified with

Answer 1

• Ascribed status (given by society involuntarily)
• Achieved status (voluntarily earned by individual)
• Master status (status by which an individual primarily identifies with)

Question 2

Give the three types of roles that define the expectations of a certain status in a social situation.

What is role conflict and role strain?

Answer 2

• Role performance: carrying out behaviour of given role
• Role partner: another individual who helps define a specific role through a relationship
• A role set: contains all the different roles associated with a status

Role conflict: occurs when one has difficulty in satisfying the requirements of multiple roles simultaneously .

Role strain: occurs when one has difficulty satisfying multiple requirements of the same role simultaneously

Question 3

Define the following types of groups

in-group
out-group
reference group
primary group
secondary group
Gemeinschaft (community)
Gesellschaft (society)

Answer 3

in-group: one with which an individual identifies

out-group: one in which an individual competes/opposes

reference group: group individual compares himself to

primary group: contains strong emotional bonds

secondary group: often temporary, fewer emotional bonds (e.g. a class)

Gemeinschaft (community): group unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography

Gesellschaft (society): group unified by mutual self-interests in achieving a goal

Question 4

Contrast networks and organizations

Answer 4

Networks: observable pattern of social relationships between individuals or groups

Organizations: bodies of people with structure and culture designed to achieve specific goals.

Question 5

Describe the two models proposed for how we express emotion in social situations

Answer 5

• The basic/appraisal model: universal emotions and corresponding expressions that can be understood across cultures
• Social construction model: emotions are solely based on the situational context of social interactions

Question 6

what are display rules?

Answer 6

unspoken rules that govern the expression of emotion

Question 7

Give the 5 strategies for impression management (controlling public image)

Answer 7

• Self disclosure: sharing factual information
• managing appearances: using props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations to create a positive image
• Ingratiation: using flattery or conformity to win over someone else
• Aligning actions: use of excuses to account for questionable behaviour
• Alter-casting: imposing an identity onto another person

Question 8

What is the dramaturgical approach?

Answer 8

Says that individuals create images of themselves in the same way that actors perform a role in front of an audience.

Front stage: individual is seen by the audience and strives to preserve his desired image

Back stage: individual is not in front of an audience and is free to act outside his desired image

Question 9

True or false? Verbal communication is communication with spoken words?

Answer 9

False

Verbal communication is transmission of information via the use of words (spoken, written, or signed)

Often dependent on nonverbal cues for the receiver to understand the sender’s full meaning.