1. Social Interaction and Social Structure
Chapter 5
Social Interaction
and
Social Structure

2. Chapter Outline What Is Society?
Theories About Analyzing Social Interaction
Interaction in Cyberspace
Forms of Nonverbal Communication

3. Chapter Outline Interpersonal Attraction and Formation of Pairs
Social Institutions and Social Structure
What Holds Society Together?
Types of Societies: A Global View

4. What Is Society?
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.

5. Characteristics of Groups
A collection of individuals who
interact and communicate with each other
share goals and norms
are aware of themselves as a distinct social unit

6. Statuses 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.

7. Roles
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.

8. Roles in a College Student’s Role Set

9. Social Construction of Reality
Perception of what is real is determined by the subjective meaning we attribute to an experience.
There is no objective reality.

10. Ethnomethodology
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.

11. Impression Management
People control how others will perceive them.
People present different faces on different stages with different others.

12. Social Exchange 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.

13. Characteristics of Cyberspace Interaction
Nonverbal communication is eliminated.
One is free to become a different self.
Anonymity allows a new kind of relationship in society.

14. Polling Question
How likely would you be to take an Internet course for college credit?
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Unsure
Somewhat unlikely
Very unlikely

15. Nonverbal Communication
Touch
Pitch, loudness and rhythm of the voice.
Gestures, facial expressions
Use of personal space.

16. Paralinguistic Communication
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.

17. Factors in Attraction Close proximity Exposure Physical attractiveness
Similarity in status, race, ethnicity, religion, personality, attitudes and opinions.

18. Social Institutions Family Education Work Economy
Political Institutions
Religion
Health care
Mass Media
Sports
Military

19. Purpose of Social Institutions
Socialization of new members.
Production and distribution of goods and services.
Maintain stability and existence.
Provide members with a sense of purpose.

20. Social Structure
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.

21. Durkheim: Social Solidarity
Mechanical solidarity arises when individuals feel bonded by their similarity.
Organic solidarity arises when individuals are bonded through their division of labor.

22. Types of Societies Foraging Pastoral Horticultural Agricultural
Industrial
Postindustrial

23. Examples of Types of Societies
Foraging
Pygmies of Central Africa
Pastoral
Bedouins of Africa and Middle East
Horticultural
Incan empire of Peru

24. Examples of Types of Societies
Agricultural
American South, pre-Civil War
Industrial
19th and 20th century United States and Western Europe
Postindustrial
Contemporary United States

25. Global Urbanization

26. Population Density in the U.S.

27. Polling Question
If you could live anywhere in the United States that you wanted to, would you prefer a city, suburban area, small town, or farm?
City
Suburban area
Small town
Farm

28. Quick Quiz

29. 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.

30. Answer: d
Human society is best defined as a system of social interaction that includes culture and social organization.

31. 2. Which of the following is not an ascribed status?
a. pharmacist
b. female
c. Japanese
d. biracial

32. Answer: a
A pharmacist is not an ascribed status.

33. 3. When a single role brings conflicting expectations, sociologists call this condition:
a. status conflict
b. role conflict
c. role strain
d. status inconsistency

34. Answer: c
When a single role brings conflicting expectations, sociologists call this condition role strain.

35. 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

36. Answer: b
According to social exchange theory, we are more likely to repeat an interaction when we profit from it.