Chapter 5 Flashcards
(15 cards)
Status
a position in social structure
- a person can hold more than one status at a time
ex: Queen Elizabeth
1. queen
2. wealthy
3. veteran
4. old
5. dog lover
6. wife - The social honor or prestige that a particular group is accorded by other members of a society. Status groups normally display distinct styles of life—patterns of behavior that the members of a group follow.
Achieved Status
attained through effort or choice
ex: mother
Ascribed Status
assigned at birth or involuntary by society
ex: age
Master Status
most important status- largely determines social identity
ex: George W Bush- President
Roles
expected behaviors includes rights and obligations associated with a status
-role pairs facilitate social interactions
ex: mother/child
teacher/student
doctor/patient
-The expected behaviors of people occupying particular social positions.
Role Set
cluster of roles associated with a status
Erving Goffman
ideas on social interaction
- uses the analogy of “Theater”
- Dramaturgy
- impression management
- response cries
Impression Management
Preparing for the presentation of one’s social role
- you have a front/ back stage
- front- performance
- back- relax and behave informally
- you brush it off and act cool to your friends if you got rejected
Response Cries
Seemingly involuntary exclamations individuals make when, for example, they are taken by surprise, drop something inadvertently, or want to express pleasure.
-“oops”, “duh”
Unfocused Interactions
people are aware of the others around them and may engage in civil inattention
- acknowledgement of strangers in our midst
- Interaction occurring among people present in a particular setting but not engaged in direct face-to-face communication
- Erving Goffman
Focused Interactions
encounters- direct attention to what others do or say
- Interaction between individuals engaged in a common activity or in direct conversation with one another
- Erving Goffman
Ethnomethodology
- Harold Garfinkel-study of how people make sense of what others say and do in the course of daily social interaction
ex: “I’m late” could either mean- I’m pregnant or you’re late somewhere
Civil Inattention
The process whereby individuals in the same physical setting glance at each other and quickly look away to indicate awareness of each other but not intrusiveness
Nonverbal Communication
Communication between individuals based on facial expression or bodily gesture rather than on language
Personal Space
The physical space individuals maintain between themselves and others
-Edward T. Hall