Chapter 5
Social Interaction
and
Social Structure
Chapter Outline
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What Is Society?
Theories About Analyzing Social
Interaction
Interaction in Cyberspace
Forms of Nonverbal Communication
Chapter Outline
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Interpersonal Attraction and Formation of
Pairs
Social Institutions and Social Structure
What Holds Society Together?
Types of Societies: A Global View
What Is Society?
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A system of social interaction that
includes culture and social organization.
Members of a society have a common
culture though there may be great
diversity within it.
Characteristics of Groups
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A collection of individuals who
 interact and communicate with each
other
 share goals and norms
 are aware of themselves as a distinct
social unit
Statuses
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A status is a rank in society.
 Vice president of the United States
Statuses occur within institutions.
 “High school teacher” is a status within
the education institution.
Typically, an individual occupies many
statuses simultaneously.
Roles
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A role is the expected behavior
associated with a particular status.
Statuses are occupied; roles are acted or
“played.”
A person’s role set includes all the roles
occupied by the person at a given time.
Roles in a College Student’s
Role Set
Social Construction of Reality
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Perception of what is real is
determined by the subjective
meaning we attribute to an
experience.
There is no objective reality.
Ethnomethodology
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Disrupting social norms and observing
how individuals attempt to restore
normalcy.
Human interaction takes place within a
consensus and interaction is not possible
without this consensus.
Impression Management
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People control how others will
perceive them.
People present different faces on
different stages with different others.
Social Exchange
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Interactions are determined by
rewards or punishments.
If the reward for an interaction
exceeds the punishment, a potential
for social profit exists and the
interaction is likely to occur.
Characteristics of Cyberspace
Interaction
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Nonverbal communication is
eliminated.
One is free to become a different
self.
Anonymity allows a new kind of
relationship in society.
Polling Question
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How likely would you be to take an
Internet course for college credit?
A. Very likely
B. Somewhat likely
C. Unsure
D. Somewhat unlikely
E. Very unlikely
Nonverbal Communication
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Touch
Pitch, loudness and rhythm of the
voice.
Gestures, facial expressions
Use of personal space.
Paralinguistic
Communication
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The component of communication that is
conveyed by the pitch and loudness of the
speaker’s voice, its rhythm, emphasis,
and frequency, and the frequency and
length of hesitations.
It is not what you say, but how you say it.
Factors in Attraction
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Close proximity
Exposure
Physical attractiveness
Similarity in status, race, ethnicity,
religion, personality, attitudes and
opinions.
Social Institutions
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Family
Education
Work
Economy
Political
Institutions
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Religion
Health care
Mass Media
Sports
Military
Purpose of Social Institutions
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Socialization of new members.
Production and distribution of goods and
services.
Maintain stability and existence.
Provide members with a sense of
purpose.
Social Structure
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The organized pattern of social
relationships and social institutions that
together compose society.
The social structure of society is
observable in the established patterns of
social interaction and social institutions.
Durkheim: Social Solidarity
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Mechanical solidarity arises when
individuals feel bonded by their
similarity.
Organic solidarity arises when
individuals are bonded through their
division of labor.
Types of Societies
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Foraging
Pastoral
Horticultural
Agricultural
Industrial
Postindustrial
Examples of Types of
Societies
Foraging
Pygmies of Central Africa
Pastoral
Bedouins of Africa and
Middle East
Horticultural
Incan empire of Peru
Examples of Types of
Societies
Agricultural
Industrial
Postindustrial
American South, preCivil War
19th and 20th century
United States and
Western Europe
Contemporary United
States
Global Urbanization
Population Density in the
U.S.
Polling Question
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If you could live anywhere in the United
States that you wanted to, would you
prefer a city, suburban area, small town,
or farm?
A. City
B. Suburban area
C. Small town
D. Farm
Quick Quiz
1. Human society is best defined as:
a. A system of social interaction that includes
norms and values.
b. A system of social organization that is
characterized by a distinct social structure.
c. A system of social organization that
includes ordered social interaction.
d. A system of social interaction that includes
culture and social organization.
Answer: d
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Human society is best defined as a
system of social interaction that
includes culture and social
organization.
2. Which of the following is not an ascribed
status?
a. pharmacist
b. female
c. Japanese
d. biracial
Answer: a
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A pharmacist is not an ascribed status.
3. When a single role brings conflicting
expectations, sociologists call this
condition:
a. status conflict
b. role conflict
c. role strain
d. status inconsistency
Answer: c
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When a single role brings conflicting
expectations, sociologists call this
condition role strain.
4. According to social exchange theory, we
are more likely to repeat an interaction
when:
a. we are punished
b. we profit from it
c. we experience a social loss
d. we receive disapproval
Answer: b
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According to social exchange theory, we
are more likely to repeat an interaction
when we profit from it.