Social Structure and Social Interaction

1. Social Structure and Social Interaction Micro and Macro Sociological Perspectives, Social Structure, the Social Construction of Reality

2. Macrosociology Focuses on broad features of society Conflict theory, functionalist viewpoints part of the macrosociological perspective The goal is to examine the large scale influences of society

3. Microsociology Examines social interaction Focus on face to face interaction This approach is favored by symbolic interactionists

4. Macrosociological Significance of Social Structure pages 97-101 Social structure framework society has laid out before you were born, surrounds us Consists of relationships- people and groups to each other Gives directions to and sets limits on our behavior The differences of attitude and behavior are not biological- but to our location on the social structure

5. Social Structure- Culture Languages, belief systems, values, behaviors, gestures, material objects a group uses Broadest framework that determines what kind of people we will become On the outside we look like a product of our culture, on the inside we think and feel like most people raised in our culture

6. Social Structure- Social Class Social Class Based on income, education and occupational prestige People who rank close to each other in these categories make up a social class Influences our behavior, ideas and attitudes

7. Social Status pages 97-101 All of us occupy several positions at one time Status Set all of the positions we occupy, changes as we change Types of status- ascribed and achieved.

8. Ascribed and Achieved Status Ascribed Status involuntary, some are inherited at birth, some are because of the life course Achieved Status earned, what you accomplish. They can be positive or negative Social status sets limits on what we can or cannot do

9. Master Status and Status Symbols Status Symbols material items we use as signs to display our status. These symbols can be positive or negative announce our status and smooth our interactions in everyday life Master status is one that cuts across all other status you occupy- race, age, gender (ascribed)- some are achieved- wealth, disfigurement, handicap A contradiction in status is called status inconsistency Status has built in norms that guide our behavior- status inconsistency upsets these expectations

10. Roles Roles behaviors, obligations and privileges attached to status- sociologists see roles as essential to social life Roles are already set up at birth- gender, socioeconomic status Occupy status, play a role Roles indicate what is appropriate and expected As individuals play their roles they mesh together and form society

11. Groups Members of a group share similar values, norms and expectations gives others the right to make certain decisions about our behavior member has to conform to the expectations and play their role within the structure of the group

12. Social Institutions pages 101-105 Organized, standardized ways that a society develops to meet its needs Social institutions- family, government, education, military, politics, law, science, medicine, mass media- figure 4.2 page 102 Social Institutions Industrialized societies- more formal Tribal society- more informal

13. Mass Media as a Social Institution Influences our attitudes toward social institutions How we view people Shapes our self-concept Mass media relatively new – the invention of the printing press changed views on religion and politics Two Perspectives Functionalist perspective- mass media represents the varied interests of the many groups that make up the nation Conflict perspective- represent the perspectives of the elite The question –who controls the media?

14. Comparing Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives in Social Institutions Functionalist No society can exist without social institutions, perform vital functions for society (functional requisites) What are the basic needs of social institutions? Replacing members- relationships Socializing new members- education, religion, family Producing and distributing goods and services- economics Preserving order- law Providing a sense of purpose- all parts of society

15. Conflict Perspective Social institutions do not work harmoniously for the good Powerful groups manipulate other institutions to maintain positions of wealth and power Small groups control a majority of wealth and exert influence on political institutions and lawmakers Gender- society divides males and females into groups and each has unequal access to societies resources

16. Social Structure pages 104-106 Social Structure is not static Changes in response to technology and evolving values Social classes impacted by economy, racial and ethnic relationships, social needs and priorities changing

17. What holds society together? Social integration degree to which members are united by shared social bonds and shared values Durkheim called this organization mechanicalsolidarity, a shared consciousness that people feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks There is little diversity in attitudes, beliefs the unity of the society depends on similar thinking

18. What holds society together?Pages 105-106 As societies grow larger the division of labor becomes more specialized. This division makes people depend on each other – their work contributes to the whole This interdependent relationship is called organic solidarity This change caused societies to tolerate many differences among people to manage as a whole

19. What holds society together? Ferdinand Toinnes called these changes in different societies Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft Gemeinschaftsociety where life is intimate, the community shares a sense of togetherness Gesellschaft society is dominated by impersonal relationships, individual relationships and self interest

20. Assignment On page 107 “The Amish: Gemienschaft Community in a Gesellschaft World” describes the way of life for the Amish. The rising cost of lands has kept many young Amish families from buying their own land, so many Amish men do other jobs. Many Amish women have opened their own businesses, manufacturing and selling items to tourists. Why does non-farm work challenge the Amish way of life?

21. Microsociological Perspective: Social Interaction pages 106-110 Symbolic interactionists- most important part of society is social interaction and the symbols they use. How people perceive things, effects on attitude, behavior and orientations in life Examples of interaction- stereotyping, personal space, touching and eye contact

22. Stereotypes, Touching, Eye Contact Stereotypes First impressions set the tone for interaction Race, age, gender, clothing are thing we all notice These things affect how we interact with that person and how that person reacts to you Touching Frequency and meaning vary from culture to culture In general higher status individuals do more touching Eye Contact One way to control our personal space bubble

23. Personal Space We surround ourselves with a “personal bubble” and we let in our intimates and keep others out We extend our space by placing personal items around us The amount of space we need varies from culture to culture North Americans have four different “distance zones” 1. Intimate distance- 18” 2. Personal distance- 18” to 4’ 3. Social Distance- 4’ to 12’ 4. Public Distance- beyond 12’

24. Dramaturgypages 110-114 Social Life is analyzed in terms of drama or the stage. (Erving Goffman 1959) Birth ushers us onto the stage and socialization consists of learning to play on that stage The self - center of these performances ideas how we want others to perceive us and we use roles in everyday life to communicate ideas Goffman called the efforts impression management Front stage, where we perform, back stage, reflect and plan for future performances

25. Dramaturgy Our style is known as role performance Role Performance is defined by social limits the role provides Sometimes what is expected of us in one role is not compatible with another role. Role conflict- conflict between roles. We avoid role conflict by segregating our status Role strain is the conflict within a role We tend to become the roles we play, our roles become part of our self concept. Leaving a role (role exit) threatens a person’s identity

27. Dramaturgy To communicate information about the self we use sign-in vehicles Three types of Sign- In Vehicles Social Setting- where the action unfolds, where you interact with others. Includes the scenery, things you use to communicate messages Appearance- props, what we use to decorate our person Manner- attitudes we show as we play roles

28. Dramaturgy Good role players receive positive recognition from others We use teamwork to receive this recognition When a performance fails we use face saving behavior Studied nonobservance is a face saving technique that allows the performance to go on

29. Ethnomethodology We give meaning to things by placing them in categories and classifying them. We place them in categories provided by our culture- it helps us interpret our world Ethnomethodology is how people use common sense understandings to interpret life These interpretations begin with background assumptions (deeply embedded common understandings of how the world operates and how people ought to act) These interpretations provide us basic directions for living

30. The Social Construction of Reality Symbolic Interactionists stress how ideas shape our reality The definition of the situation, or the Thomas Theorem, if people define situations as real they are real in their consequences Social construction of reality- the social groups we belong to hold particular views on life, specific ways of looking at it. This is the use of background experiences and assumptions to define what is real