Chapter 4: Social Interaction in Everyday Life

Question 1

What is Social Structure?

Answer 1

social patterns that guide our behaviour in everyday life

Question 2

What are the Building Blocks of Social Structure?

Answer 2

status and role

Question 3

What is Status?

Answer 3

social position that’s part of our social identity and defines our relationships to others

Question 4

What is Ascribed Status?

Answer 4

social position a person receives at birth or takes on involuntary later in life

Question 5

What is Achieved Status?

Answer 5

social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort

Question 6

What is a Master Status?

Answer 6

status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life

Question 7

What is a Role?

Answer 7

behaviour expected of someone who holds a particular status

Question 8

What is a Role Set?

Answer 8

number of roles attached to a SINGLE status

Question 9

What is Role Conflict?

Answer 9

tension among roles connected to TWO OR MORE statuses

Question 10

What is a Role Strain?

Answer 10

tension among roles connected to a SINGLE status

Question 11

What is the Social Construction of Reality?

Answer 11

process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction

Question 12

What is the Thomas Theorem?

Answer 12

the reality people construct in their interaction has real consequences for the future;
OR situations defined as real are real in their consequences

Question 13

What is Ethnomethodology?

Answer 13

study of the assumptions people have about their everyday social world

Question 14

How can you Uncover Assumptions about Everyday Reality?

Answer 14

intentionally breaking the ‘rules’ of social interactions and observing the reactions of other people

Question 15

How has Social Media changed the way People Interact?

Answer 15

social construction of reality no longer requires people to have face -to-face interaction.

Question 16

What is Dramaturgical Analysis? And who came up with it?

Answer 16

exploring social interaction in terms of theatrical performance where the status is a part in the play, and a role is a script; Erving Goffman

Question 17

What is Presentation of Self? And who came up with it?

Answer 17

person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others; Erving Goffman

Question 18

What are Performances and what does it entail?

Answer 18

1. the way we present ourselves to others
2. both conscious (intentional action) and unconscious (nonverbal communication)
3. includes costumes (way we dress), props (objects we carry), and demeanour ( tone of voice and way we carry ourselves)

Question 19

How does Gender affect Performances (4 ways)?

Answer 19

men have greater social power than women…

1. demeanour- men have more freedom in how they act
2. Use of space- men take up more
3. staring and touching- done by men to women
4. smiling- more commonly done by women

Question 20

What is Idealization of Performances?

Answer 20

try to convince others that our actions reflect ideal culture rather than selfish motives

Question 21

What is Embarrassment regarding Performance?

Answer 21

the “loss of face” in a performance

Question 22

What is Tact regarding Performance?

Answer 22

helping others “save face”

Question 23

What are 3 ways in which Culture guides human Emotions (the Social Construction of Feeling)?

Answer 23

culture guides…

1. what triggers emotion
2. how people display emotions
3. how people value emotions

Question 24

How does Language contribute to the Social Construction of Gender?

Answer 24

defines women and men as different people, reflects the fact that society attaches greater power and value to what is masculine

Question 25

How does Reality Play contribute to the Social Construction of Humour?

Answer 25

humour is a part of culture, so people around the world find different situations funny