Chapter 9: Social Interaction Flashcards
Status
A position in society used to classify individuals.
Ascribed Status
Involuntarily assigned to an individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, family background, and so on.
Achieved Status
Voluntarily earned by an individual.
Master Status
The status by which an individual is primarily identified.
Role
A role is a set of beliefs, values, and norms that define the expectations of a certain status in a social situation.
Role performance
Refers to carrying out the behaviors of a given role.
Role Partner
Another individual who helps define a specific role within the relationship.
Role Set
Contains all of the different roles associated with a status.
Role Conflict
Occurs when one has difficulty in satisfying the requirements of multiple roles simultaneously.
In-group vs. Out-group
An in-group is one with which an individual identifies.
An out-group is one with which an individual competes or opposes.
Reference Group
A group to which an individual compares him- or herself.
Primary vs. Secondary Groups
Primary groups are those that contain strong, emotional bonds.
Secondary groups are often temporary and contain fewer emotional bonds and weaker bonds overall.
Gemeinschaft
(Community) is a group unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography.
Gesellschaft
(Society) is a group unified by mutual self-interests in achieving a goal.
Groupthink
Occurs when members begin to conform to one another’s views and ignore outside perspectives.
Organizations
Bodies of people with a structure and culture designed to achieve specific goals. They exist outside of each individual’s membership within the organization.
Bureaucracy
A rational system of political organization, administration, discipline, and control.
Generally, a bureaucracy has these characteristics: paid, nonelected officials on a fixed salary; officials who are provided rights and privileges as a result of making their career out of holding office; regular salary increases, seniority rights, and promotions upon passing exams or milestones; officials who enter the organization by holding an advanced degree or training; responsibilities, obligations, privileges.
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 these societies.
Basic Model
States that there are universal emotions, along with corresponding expressions, which can be understood across cultures.
Social Construction Model
States that emotions are solely based on the situational context of social interactions.
Display Rules
Unspoken rules that govern the expression of emotion.
Impression Management
Refers to the maintenance of a public image, which is accomplished through various strategies:
Self-disclosure is sharing factual information.
Managing appearances refers to using props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations to create a positive image.
Ingratiation is using flattery or conformity to win over someone else.
Aligning actions is the use of excuses to account for questionable behavior.
Alter-casting is imposing an identity onto another person.
Dramaturgical Approach
The dramaturgical approach says that individuals create images of themselves in the same way that actors perform a role in front of an audience.
The front stage is where the individual is seen by the audience and strives to preserve his desired image.
The back stage is where the individual is not in front of an audience and is free to act outside of his desired image.
Verbal Communication
The conveyance of information through spoken, written, or signed words.
Nonverbal Communication
The conveyance of information by means other than the use of words, such as body language, prosody, facial expressions, and gestures.
Animal Communication
Takes place not only between nonhuman animals, but between humans and other animals as well. Animals use body language, rudimentary facial expressions, visual displays, scents, and vocalizations to communicate.
