Chapter 6 Flashcards
Describe WILLIAM I. THOMAS’
THOMAS THEOREM
WILLIAM I. THOMAS furthered work on individuals and small groups (symbolic interactionist) by developing an important sociological concept known today as the
THOMAS THEOREM, which states that when a SITUATION is defined as REAL to an individual or group, its CONSEQUENCES BECOME REAL too.
Describe DEFINITION OF THE SITUATION
THOMAS THEOREM influenced other works in symbolic interactionism, including the
DEFINITION OF THE SITUATION states that individuals will DEFINE the same SITUATION in DIFFERENTLY BASED on SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES.
In order to understand a person’s actions and reactions in any given situation, one must understand how that individual defines the situation.
Describe ERVING GOFFMAN
- DRAMATURGICAL APPROACH
- IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
In 1950s, Harvard researchers studied small-group interaction in a lab setting, focusing on leadership roles in groups.
ERVING GOFFMAN introduced his DRAMATURGICAL APPROACH, viewing social interaction as akin to STAGE PERFORMANCE.
Goffman also developed the concept of IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT to refer to the strategies people adopt when presenting themselves publicly.
FRONT stage is PUBLIC DISPLAY
BACK stage is PRIVATE, personal or intimate encounters.
Describe…
STATUS
STATUS SET
ACHIEVED Status
ASCRIBED Status
MASTER Status
A STATUS is a recognized social position that an individual occupies.
STATUS SET is the collection of statuses held by an individual.
An ACHIEVED status is one you enter at some stage in your life, but NOT BORN INTO (e.g. occupation).
An ASCRIBED status is one you are born into or enter involuntarily (e.g. age).
Everett C. Hughes introduced the concept of MASTER STATUS, the status that DOMINATES ALL OTHER Statuses and plays the greatest role in individual’s social identity.
Describe…
STATUS HIERARCHY
STATUS (IN)CONSISTENCY
STATUS HIERARCHY is a term used to describe the RANKING of STATUSES from high to low based on POWER and PRESTIGE.
When a person occupies statuses that are ranked differently, STATUS INCONSISTENCY can result.
For example, a working-class, white male is highly ranked in terms of “race” and gender but lowly ranked in economic class.
Describe…
ROLE
Role SET - ROBERT MERTON
Role STRAIN
Role CONFLICT
Role EXIT
A ROLE is a SET of BEHAVIOURS and ATTITUDES associated with a STATUS.
ROBERT MERTON developed the idea of a Role SET, which comprises ALL ROLES attached to a STATUS.
Role STRAIN develops when there is CONFLICT between 2+ ROLES in ROLE SET of 1 STATUS.
Role CONFLICT occurs when 2+ STATUSES held by an individual have INCOMPATIBLE EXPECTATIONS.
Role EXIT involves disengaging from a ROLE that has been central to one’s identity and attempting to establish a new one.
Describe CHARLES H. COOLEY
LOOKING-GLASS SELF
MICRO-sociologist, symbolic interactionist CHARLES H. COOLEY made the
LOOKING-GLASS SELF: how our individual Selfs are built and defined with social interactions. How you image to appear to others, how you interpret their reactions to you and how you feel about these ideas as a result help people develop their SELF-CONCEPT.
Describe the SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY
Erving Goffman
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY states the STATUS HELD and ROLES PERFORMED are an important aspect of SOCIAL INTERACTIONS.
Describe GEORG SIMMEL
FREDERIC M. THRASHER
GEORG SIMMEL was among the first micro sociologist to study the DAILY HUMAN interactions.
FREDERIC M. THRASHER studied gangs in Chicago, and his WORK REPRESENTS a study of group interaction in fieldwork: ETHNOGRAPHY.
Most sociologists today do not study small-group interaction because its structural-functionalist, has too many uncontrolled variables and the environment is artificial. This research continues in psychology.
Describe SOCIAL MOBILITY
SOCIAL MOBILITY is a measure of how easy it is to attain a status in terms of both ASCRIBED and ACHIEVED.
Describe PASSING
MARGINALIZATION
PASSING is when an individual CLAIMS that they R In a DOMINANT GROUP STATUS to AVOID DISCRIMINATION.
MARGINALIZATION is the process of placing groups into categories that set them at or beyond the margins of the dominant society.
