Social Interaction, Networks & Groups Sociology 1301: Introduction to Sociology Week Seven

Symbolic Interactionism 3 Basic Tenets: Human beings act toward ideas, concepts, and values on the basis of the meaning that those things have for them These meanings are the products of social interaction in human society These meanings are modified and filtered through an interpretive process that each individual uses in dealing with outward signs

The Language of Social Interaction Status: a recognizable social position that an individual occupies Status Set: All the statuses one holds simultaneously

Who Are You? When someone asks you “who are you,” what are all the possible ways you could respond? Which of these are ascribed statuses? Which of these are achieved status? Which is your master status? What roles come into play under your master status? Do you have role strain? Do you have role conflict?

Multiple Statuses Ascribed Status: a status into which one is born Achieved Status: a status into which one enters Master Status: the one status that stands out most to you or that will always trump other statuses

Who Are You? Which of these are ascribed statuses? When someone asks you “who are you,” what are all the possible ways you could respond? Which of these are ascribed statuses? Which of these are achieved status? Which is your master status? What roles come into play under your master status? Do you have role strain? Do you have role conflict?

Multiple Roles Roles: the duties and behaviors expected of someone who holds a particular status Role Strain: the incompatibility among roles within a single status Role Conflict: the tension between competing demands as the result of multiple statuses

Who Are You? What roles come into play under your master status? When someone asks you “who are you,” what are all the possible ways you could respond? Which of these are ascribed statuses? Which of these are achieved status? Which is your master status? What roles come into play under your master status? Do you have role strain? Do you have role conflict?

Conley’s Interview with C.J. Pascoe

Exploring Gender Roles Gender Roles: sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female Gender is a compelled performance How do we police boundaries of gender roles? With boys? With girls? Process of “othering”

Dramaturgical Theory - Goffman Impression Management Frontstage vs. Backstage Face: the positive social value a person effectively claims for him/herself Have/Be In/Maintain Face Be In Wrong/Out of Face Lines: a pattern of verbal and nonverbal acts by which the individual expresses their view of a situation Poise: the capacity to suppress and conceal any tendency to become shamefaced during encounters with others

Face-Work Breaches: mistakes in roles, scripts, lines, costumes, and sets Avoidance Process Corrective Process

Ferry Tales, a file by Katja Esson

Discussion Questions How does the clip illustrate the concepts of front stage and backstage? In what ways are the women practicing the art of impression management? How does the setting affect the women's presentations of self?

George Simmel Basic Claim: The number of people in a group helps determine the form of the social relations that will take place in that group. Dyad: a group of 2 Triad: a group of 3 or more Mediator: Tertius Gaudens: Divide et Impera:

Triads

Larger Groups Small Groups Party Large Groups Face-to-face interaction Unifocal Lack of formal arrangements or roles Equality Party Face-to-face interactions Multifocal Large Groups Formal Structure Mediated Interaction & Status Differentiation

Size Matters

Other Group Characteristics Primary Groups vs. Secondary Groups In-Groups vs. Out-Groups Reference Groups

Social Networks Social Network: a set of relations held together by ties between individuals. Social Capital: the knowledge of people or things and connections that helps individuals enter preexisting networks or gain power in them.

Organizations Organization: any social network that is defined by a common purpose and that has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world. Formal Organizations Organizational Culture Organizational Structure

Works Cited Conley, D. (2008). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist (2nd ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Massey, G. (Ed.) (2006). Readings for sociology (5th Ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.