Ch. 6

1. Ch. 6 Social Interaction

2. WHAT IS SOCIAL STRUCTURE? • the stable pattern of social relationships that exists within a particular group of society • Based on cultural beliefs and norms regarding roles and status

3. ROLES, STATUS, AND EXPECTATIONS • Status refers to a socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights and duties. • Roles refer to "expected" patterns of behavior, obligations, and privileges attached to a particular social status. • Associated with each role (or social position) are many expectations concerning how a person should behave

4. Status and Role Sets (from Macionis and Gerber, 2018)

5. Ascribed Status Vs. Achieved Status • Ascribed statuses are involuntary. One is born with ascribed status such as race or sex. • Achieved status, on the other hand, is earned. It is based on merit.

6. Master Status • The Rosenhan Study: Being Sane in Insane Places and Rosenhan interview • highlights the power of roles. • Rosenhan and his graduate students entered mental hospitals as " schizophrenics" who were hearing voices. None of the doctors or staff suspected they were "frauds" and treated them like patients. • Rosenhan study shows that when an individual is "labeled" or defined as occupying a certain role by society it can become a master status and altering perceptions of others is very difficult

7. Role Distancing, Conflict, Strain and Exit • Unlike a stage play, however, we do not define roles. We negotiate social roles. • Role distancing: the act of separating oneself from the role • Role Conflict: when roles that have to be played that contradict other important roles. • Role Strain: when incompatible demands are built into a single status • Role Exit: disengage from social roles that have been central to identity such as through retirement or divorce

8. THE POWER OF ROLES: THE ZIMBARDO STUDY • The Zimbardo study(1971) (also called the Stanford Prison Study) considers the behaviour of mature, stable, intelligent, middle-class college students who were asked to play roles as either prison guards or inmates. • The students became so immersed in their roles that the study had to be called off early

9. Symbolic Interactionist (micro-level) View • Basic principles: • Action is based on meaning • Meaning is created through interaction and is continually modified and interpreted. • Social structure is a negotiated order • Arises out of face-to-face interactions of people who are operating from both a shared sense of reality (culture and socialization) as well as an individual and group oriented biography • Produces particular definitions and interpretations • Culture forms the foundation of social structure

10. The Social Construction of Reality • The process by which our perception of reality is shaped largely by the subjective meaning that we give to an experience. • Thomas Theorem: “Definition of the situation“ (W. I. Thomas): we analyze the social context, determine what is in our best interest, and adjust our attitudes and actions accordingly.

11. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy • A self-fulfilling prophecy refers to a false assumption of what is going on that happens to come true simply because it was predicted

12. Ethnomethodology • The study of commonsense knowledge • How do individuals make sense of social situations and act on their knowledge? • What are the tacit rules used by members of a culture? • Detailed studies of interactions • Breaching experiments (Garfinkel) • To uncover hidden norms

13. Dramaturgical Analysis (Erving Goffman) • Dramaturgy uses dramatic metaphors - front stage, back stage, actors - to describe and analyze everyday life and human behaviour • "how we act out our roles on the stage of life" • Impression management: a script that individuals use to guide and control behaviour and actions so as to present a certain favourable impression to the people they interact with • Front stage: the part of the individual's performance that others regularly see • Back stage: hidden from the audience, where we practice techniques of impression management

14. Non-Verbal Communication • Much of our interaction governed by non-verbal communication (no speech) • Can be intentional or unintentional - gestures, facial expressions, posture, etc.

15. Non-Verbal Communication • One study found 93% of communication determined by non-verbal cues • Further study showed that the impact of a performance determined by • Words used 7% • Voice quality 38% • Non-verbal behaviour 55%

16. Body Language • INTERPRET THIS NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR… • Sitting, legs apart • Arms crossed on chest • Touching, slightly rubbing nose • Head resting in hand, eyes down • Hands behind head, legs crossed • Open palm • Steepling fingers • Patting/fondling hair • Looking down and away

17. How to tell when someone is… • Bluffing • Gestures are inconsistent with speech • Angry • Change in tone of voice, mannerisms (ie pacing, tapping fingers) even while smiling • Lying • Hiding mouth, touching nose, breaking off eye contact, blinking rapidly

18. Matching and Mirroring • When two people on the “same wavelength” will start to mimic each other’s expressions, gestures • Indicates rapport

19. Eye Contact • Good eye contact indicates rapport • But too much eye contact feels intrusive, intimate • Gaze too long can be seen as hostility • Note: sunglasses, over the shoulder gaze, fluttering eyes are techniques used to break contact and avoid exposure

20. Significance of props and seating • Extending hand using pen, glasses, etc. makes personal space larger and shows confidence or power • “Preening” – patting hair, adjusting clothing is an attempt at endearment but can indicate nervousness • Holding coffee cup tightly with both hands is a defense mechanism to close body off • Taking seat at head of table shows control • Leaning back, arms behind head = superiority • Closed body position = disapproval, defensiveness, lack of interest

21. Personal Space • The area claimed by a person as private, social or public • “Proxemics”: how individuals position selves in relation to others (Hall, 1966)

22. Cultural Differences • There are cultural differences • Contact (less personal space) vs. non-contact cultures (more space). • Can create discomfort or conflict • N. American and Nordic cultures tend to have larger personal space than European, Asian, S. American cultures • Also varies by population density: more density = less space

23. Gender Differences • Men typically take over more space • Space = power • Males will shift weight from one foot to other to create space or define territory • Or rock on balls of feet to look taller and show power or confidence • Females take less and will mirror to create “lateral bridges” • Related to intimacy and level of trust