Chapter 4

Social Structure:A Guide to Everyday Living

Social Interaction: the process by which people act and react in relation to others.

Social Structure: Any relatively stable pattern of social behavior.

Through interaction, we create the reality in which we live.

Social structure guides our interaction.

Status

Status: a social position that an individual occupies.

Every status is part of our social identity.

A status set: all of the statuses a person holds at a given time.

Ascribed status: a social position a person receives at birth or assumes involuntarily.

Achieved status: a social position a person assumes voluntarily that reflects personal ability.

A Master Status

Some statuses matter more than others.

A master status: a status that has special importance for social identity.

One’s occupation is a master status for most people.

Serious illness or disability may also operate as a master status.

Role

Role: behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status.

One performs a role.

Role performance various according to personality.

Role set: a number of roles attached to a single status.

Status Set and Role Set

Role Conflict and Role Strain

Role conflict: conflict between roles corresponding to two or more statuses.

When we experience being pulled in several directions.

Role Strain: tension between roles connected to a single status.

Performing various roles attached to one status feels like a “balancing act”.

The Social Construction of Reality

Reality is not as “fixed” as we may think.

Social construction of reality: the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction.

Interaction is a complex negotiation.

The Thomas Theorem

The Thomas Theorem: situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences.

Although reality is “soft” as it is fashioned, it can become “hard” in its effects.

Ethnomethodology

Harold Garfinkel states people create reality in everyday encounters.

Ethnomethodology: the study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings.

This explores the process of making sense of social encounters.

Realities are influenced by culture.

Dramaturgical Analysis“The Presentation of Self”

Erving Goffman states people are much like actors performing on a stage.

Dramaturgical Analysis: the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performances.

Each performance involves the presentation of self.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication: using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech.

This conveys information.

Eye contact is used to invite interaction.

Hand gestures may convey an insult.

Gestures also supplement spoken words.

Gender and Performances

Women are socialized to be less assertive than men.

Women tend to be more sensitive to nonverbal communication.

Women craft their personal performances more carefully than men.

Men typically command more space than women.

Idealization, Embarrassment, and Tact

We construct performances to idealize our intentions.

We try to convince others we do not have selfish motives.

Embarrassment: discomfort resulting from a spoiled performances.

Tact: helping someone “save face”.

Interaction in Everyday Life(Three Types)

1. Emotions

2. Language

3. Humor

Interaction in Everyday Life:Emotions

Emotions, more commonly called feelings, are an important dimension of everyday life.

Just as society guides our behavior, it guides our emotional life.

Emotions include a biological element, and a cultural element.

Interaction in Everyday Life:Language

Language conveys deep levels of meaning.

Language defines men and women differently in several ways:

1. The power function of language. 2. The value function of language. 3. The attention function of language.

Interaction in Everyday Life:Humor

Humor is a product of reality construction.

It stems from the contrasts between two different realities.

Humor arises from contradiction, ambiguity, and double meanings found in different definitions of the same situation.

Humor provides a way to express an opinion without being serious.

Humor often is a sign of real conflict.