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Chapter 4
Social Interaction
in Everyday Life
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Functionalist Perspective: Supportive
Interactions
 Exchange
is an interaction in which two
individuals offer each other something in
order to obtain a reward in return.
 Cooperation is an interaction in which two or
more individuals work together to achieve a
common goal.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Conflict Perspective: Oppositional Interactions
 Competition
is an interaction in which two individuals
follow mutually accepted rules, each trying to achieve
the same goal before the other does.
 Conflict
is an interaction in which two individuals
disregard any rules, each trying to achieve his or her
own goal by defeating the other.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective:
Interpreting Interactions
 Supportive
Interactions are referred to as
“supportive interchanges”, or “mutual
dealings”. All these words or actions should
not be taken at face value because they are
not what they appear to be.
 Oppositional Interactions usually involve
people of different statuses.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Theoretical Thumbnail: What
Happens in Social Interaction
Perspective
Focus
Insights
Functionalist
Supportive
interactions:
exchange and
cooperation
In exchange, we pay others to build a house; in
cooperation, we work with them to build the house.
Conflict
Oppositional
interactions:
competition
and conflict
In competition, we try to win a boxing match by following
the rules of the game. In conflict, we try to knock out the
opponent by any means available.
Symbolic
interactionist
Interpreting
interactions
In supportive interactions, we heed others’ well-intended
meanings behind their expressed words and actions. In
oppositional interactions, we see others as less worthy of
respect and act toward them accordingly.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Interaction as Symbolic
Communication
• The essence of human interaction—words and gestures.
• Symbols are arbitrary—no connection between the word
and the thing itself.
• Meanings of words are socially constructed.
• Animal communication is a closed system while human
communication is an open system.
• Human communication is nonverbal as well using
kinesics – body language, and proxemics –the use of
space for communication.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Interaction as Symbolic
Communication
Global Analysis of Communication
•
Verbal and nonverbal communication is
conducted differently in different societies.
U.S. Diversity in Communication
•
Verbal and nonverbal communication also
vary from one groups to another in U.S.
society.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Communication Between
Men and Women
Speaking Different Genderlects – linguistic
styles that reflect the different worlds of
men and women.
 Proxemics and Gender
•
Men tend to dominate women in proxemics by
invading their personal space, in interactions
of mutual affection, and intimate moments.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Dramaturgy
• We play roles like
actors in a drama
or a stage play.
• Outward
performance is
known as being
“onstage”.
• Inward feeling is
“backstage”.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Frontier: “Thank You
for Not Killing Me”



Taxi drivers have highest homicide rate of any
occupation.
From many interactions with strangers, taxi
drivers have learned to single out harmless from
dangerous people.
Drivers look for “trustworthy” characteristics such
as age, gender, and race.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Social Construction
of Reality
• Process by which people create through social interactions
certain ideas, feelings, and beliefs about their environment.
• Thomas theorem—“If people define situations as real,
they are real in their consequences.”
• If people believe in God, God is just as real to them as,
say, a table.
• Can be a self-fulfilling prophesy (e.g. if I believe I will be
successful, I will do something to make it real).
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Ethnomethodology
• Researchers found that people define the world in a
vague, ambiguous manner.
• People share a set of popularly held assumptions
about how to interact.
• Ethnomethodologists challenge these assumptions.
• The more diverse a society, the more untenable the
assumption of shared-understanding.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Humorology
• The study or practice of humor
• Humor helps society by attacking and subverting
our taken-for-granted beliefs.
• Most jokes work because they contain an
incongruity between a conventional reality and a
subversive one.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Current Event: Why We Worry
About the Wrong Things
We often worry about things that have low
probability of killing us and ignore those
things that are more likely to do so.
 Why do we do this?
 The dread of prolonged pain and suffering.
 Unfamiliar threats seem more frightening
 Lack of control

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Chapter Summary
• How do the three perspectives differ in dealing
with social interaction?
• How does human communication differ from
animals’?
• How does communication differ globally?
• What is the dramaturgical view of interaction?
• What is the Thomas theorem?
• Why do we worry about the wrong things?
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Functionalist Perspective: Supportive
Interactions
 Exchange
is an interaction in which two
individuals offer each other something in
order to obtain a reward in return.
 Cooperation is an interaction in which two or
more individuals work together to achieve a
common goal.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Conflict Perspective: Oppositional Interactions
 Competition
is an interaction in which two individuals
follow mutually accepted rules, each trying to achieve
the same goal before the other does.
 Conflict
is an interaction in which two individuals
disregard any rules, each trying to achieve his or her
own goal by defeating the other.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sociological Perspectives
on Social Interaction
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective:
Interpreting Interactions
 Supportive
Interactions are referred to as
“supportive interchanges”, or “mutual
dealings”. All these words or actions should
not be taken at face value because they are
not what they appear to be.
 Oppositional Interactions usually involve
people of different statuses.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Chapter Summary
• How do the three perspectives differ in dealing
with social interaction?
• How does human communication differ from
animals’?
• How does communication differ globally?
• What is the dramaturgical view of interaction?
• What is the Thomas theorem?
• Why do we worry about the wrong things?
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Social Construction
of Reality
• Process by which people create through social interactions
certain ideas, feelings, and beliefs about their environment.
• Thomas theorem—“If people define situations as real,
they are real in their consequences.”
• If people believe in God, God is just as real to them as,
say, a table.
• Can be a self-fulfilling prophesy (e.g. if I believe I will be
successful, I will do something to make it real).
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Chapter Summary
• How do the three perspectives differ in dealing
with social interaction?
• How does human communication differ from
animals’?
• How does communication differ globally?
• What is the dramaturgical view of interaction?
• What is the Thomas theorem?
• Why do we worry about the wrong things?
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Current Event: Why We Worry
About the Wrong Things
We often worry about things that have low
probability of killing us and ignore those
things that are more likely to do so.
 Why do we do this?
 The dread of prolonged pain and suffering.
 Unfamiliar threats seem more frightening
 Lack of control

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Sympathize
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009