Sociology 1301: Introduction to Sociology Social Interaction Sociology 1301: Introduction to Sociology Week Seven

Review of Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic Interactionism: a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions. 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

Social Interaction Social Interaction: The process by which people act and react in relation to others A complex negotiation that builds reality The Social Construction of Reality: The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interactions. Thomas Theorem: Situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences. Ethnomethodology: The study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings.

Statuses Status: a recognizable social position that an individual occupies Status Set: All the statuses one holds simultaneously. Ascribed Status: Born in to/Involuntary Achieved Status: Enters in to/Voluntary Master Status: Most important/Overrides others Status Symbols: Items used to identify a status.

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?

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?

Status: Mother/Father Roles Roles: The duties and behaviors expected of someone who holds a particular status. Role Set: A number of roles attached to a single status. Status: Mother/Father Role: Provider Role: Nurturer Role: Chef Role: Disciplinarian Role: Driver

Status: Mother/Father Role Strain Role Strain: The incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status. Status: Mother/Father Role: Provider Role: Nurturer Role: Chef Role: Disciplinarian Role: Driver

Status: Mother/Father Role Conflict Role Conflict: The tension caused by competing demands between two or more roles pertaining to different statuses. Status: College Student Role: Class Attender Status: Mother/Father Role: Provider Role: Nurturer Role: Chef Role: Disciplinarian Role: Driver Role: Reader

Exiting Roles Role Exit: The process by which people disengage from important social roles. Beginning: People doubt ability to continue in a certain role Imagine alternative roles, ultimately reach a tipping point in deciding to make a change Even as one moves, a past role can continue to be influential People carry with them a self-image shaped by an earlier role, which can interfere with building a new sense of self People must also rebuild relationships with people who knew them in their earlier life

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?

Dramaturgical Theory Erving Goffman (1922-1982) Dramaturgical Analysis: The study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance. Status – A part in a play Role - The script (supplies dialogue & action) Why? Impression Management: A person’s efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others. This process begins with the idea of personal performance. Emotion Management: How we socially construct our emotions as part of our everyday reality.

Organizing Space Front Stage: Where performances are given. Back Stage: Where people rest from their performances, discuss their presentations, and plan future performances. Personal Space: The surrounding area over which a person makes some claim to privacy.

Basics of Performance Role Performance: The ways in which someone performs a role, showing a particular 'style' or 'personality. Sign-Vehicles: The term used by Goffman to refer to how people use social settings, appearance, and manner to communicate information about the self. Line: Verbal and nonverbal acts by which he expresses his view of the situation and through this his evaluation of participants, especially himself. Demeanor: The way we carry ourselves which is a clue to social power.

Face-Work Face: The positive social value a person effectively claims for himself Have/Be In/Maintain Face vs. Be In Wrong/Out Of Face Poise: the capacity to suppress and conceal any tendency to become shamefaced during encounters with others Tact: Helping someone ‘save face’ Breaches: Mistakes in roles, scripts, costumes, and sets Sometimes breaches are on purpose - to help someone else save face Sometimes breaches are not on purpose - to which we work hard to repair it and move forward Types of Face-Work: Avoidance Process Corrective Process

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 – one with set rules and sanctions How do we police boundaries of gender roles? With boys? With girls?

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?

Works Cited Conley, D. (2008). You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Henslin, J. M. (2008). Sociology: A down-to-earth approach (9th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Macionis, J. J. (2010). SOC100: Sociology: 2011 custom edition (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing. Massey, G. (Ed.) (2006). Readings for sociology (5th Ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.