Chapter Four:
Society and Social Interaction
Levels of
Sociological Analysis
Macrosociology
 Large-Scale Features of Social Life
Microsociology
 Focus on Social Interaction
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
The Macrosociological
Perspective
 Sociological Significance of Social
Structure
 Guides Our Behavior
 Behavior Decided by Location in Social
Structure
 Social location
 Culture
 Group’s Language, Beliefs, Values,
Behaviors, Gestures
 Material Objects
3
Social Structure and Social Interaction
The Macrosociological
Perspective
 Social Class Divides People by…
1. Income
2. Education
3. Occupational Prestige
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
The Macrosociological
Perspective
Social Status – Position a person occupies
 Ascribed –a status one is born with
 Achieved –a status one earns
 Master Status-cuts across all other statuses one
holds
 Status Set-all of the statuses one holds
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
The Macrosociological
Perspective
Status Set
Social Structure and Social Interaction
The Macrosociological
Perspective
 Roles – Behaviors
associated with ones status
 You Occupy a Status
 You Play a Role
 Ones role will change
as ones status changes
7
Social Structure and Social Interaction
Macrosociological Perspective
Groups – People Who Regularly and
Consciously Interact and think of themselves as
belonging together
Social Institutions – Means Developed by
Societies to Meet Basic Needs
• The more industrialized the society the more
formal the institution
8
Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microsociological Perspective

Social Interaction in
Everyday life
 Face to face interaction
 The mutual influence of
two or more people on
each other’s behavior.
 Symbolic Interaction
 Examine people’s perceptions and how
such interpretations influence their
behavior.
 Stereotypes, labeling, and prejudice
9
Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microsociological Perspective
Patterns of Social Interaction





Exchange
Cooperation
Competion
Conflict
Coercion
Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microanalytical
Perspective
Stereotypes
 Assumptions about the characteristics of
certain individuals which leads to
generalization
 Sets the tone for interaction
 Research on Stereotypes—Snyder (1993)
 Theory—People assumptions of what
people are like—might be a self-fulfilling
prophecy
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
 Personal Space (Edward Hall) – a invisible
bubble by which we surround ourselves
 4 Levels:




Intimate
Personal
Social
Public
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microanalytical Perspective
(Dramaturgy)
Erving Goffman
 Dramaturgy – Life is like a play
 Actors, audience, stage, script
 Socialization consists of learning how to
play on stage of life
 Front and Back Stages
 Sign Vehicles
 Social setting, appearance, manner
 Impression Management
 Face Saving Behavior
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
 Role Conflict – a conflict between two separate roles
The more roles you play, the more conflict you may
experience
 Role Strain – a strain within the same role
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
15
Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microanalytical Perspective
(Ethnomethodology)
 Ethnomethodology - The study of
how people use background assumptions
to get through everyday life
 Harold Garfinkle’s Experiments
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Social Structure and Social Interaction
Microanalytical Perspective
(Thomas Theorem)
 Thomas Theorem – W.I. Thomas
Our behavior depends not on the objective but on
the subjective interpretation of reality.
We behave according to the way we perceive the
world
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Social Structure and Social Interaction