Chapter 4, Social Structure And Interaction In Everyday Life

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Chapter 4, Social Structure And Interaction In
Everyday Life

• Social Structure The Macrolevel Perspective
• Components of Social Structure
• Societies Changes in Social Structure
• Social Interaction The Microlevel Perspective
• Changing Social Structure and Interaction in the
  Future

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Social Structure

• Patterns of social relationships in a society
  make up its social structure.
• Social structure shapes the overall patterns in
  which social interaction occurs.
• Provides an ordered framework for society and for
  interactions with others.

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Components of Social Structure

• Status
• Roles
• Groups
• Social Institutions

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Four Stages of Role Exiting

1. Doubt - people experience frustration or burnout
   when they reflect on their existing roles.
2. Search for alternatives - people may take a leave
   of absence or temporarily separate from their
   marriage partner.

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Four Stages of Role Exiting

1. Turning point - people realize they must take
   some final action.
2. Creation of a new identity.

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Groups

• PrimaryFamily, close friends, school or
  work-related peer groups
• SecondarySchools, churches, corporations

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Five Basic Social Institutions

• Family
• Religion
• Education
• Economy
• Government or politics

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Perspectives on Social Institutions

• Functionalist theory - social institutions
  perform essential tasks.
• Conflict theory - social institutions are
  organized to meet basic social needs but do not
  work for the good of everyone in society.

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Functionalists Five Tasks of Social Institutions

1. Replacing members.
2. Teaching new members.
3. Producing, distributing, and consuming goods and
   services.
4. Preserving order.
5. Providing and maintaining a sense of purpose.

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Durkheim's Typology of Social Solidarity

• Social solidarity is based on social structure
  which is based on a society's division of labor.
• Mechanical Solidarity - people are united by
  traditions and shared values.
• Organic Solidarity - people are united by mutual
  dependence on one another.

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Tönnies Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

• Concerned with what happens to social solidarity
  when a loss of community occurs.
• Gemeinschaft - social relationships are based on
  bonds of friendship and kinship.
• Gesellschaft - social bonds are based on
  impersonal relationships with little consensus on
  values.

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Goffmans Dramaturgical Analysis

• Daily interactions are similar to dramatic
  productions.
• Members of our audience judge our performance
  and are aware that we may reveal our true
  character.
• Most of us attempt to control the impressions we
  give to others.

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Nonverbal Communication

• Facial expressions
• Head movements
• Eye contact
• Body positions
• Touching
• Personal space

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Functions of Nonverbal Communication

• Supplements verbal communication.
• Regulates social interaction - body posture and
  eye contact signals whether we wish to talk with
  someone.
• Establishes the relationship among people in
  terms of their power over one another.