SOC 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Stethoscope, Thomas Theorem, Erving Goffman
31 May 2018
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SOCIAL INTERACTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Social Structure: A Guide to Everyday Living
• social interaction
o the process by which people act and react in relation to others
Status
• a social position that a person holds
o ie president, professor, student
• status set
o all of the statuses that a person holds at a given time
▪ ie teenager, girl, daughter, sister, student, goalie
• ascribed and achieved status
o ascribed status
▪ a social position a person receives at birth or takes on involuntarily later
in life
• ie daughter, aboriginal, teenager
o achieved status
▪ a social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal
ability and effort
• ie honour student, Olympic athlete
• master status
o status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a
perso’s etire life
▪ ie disease or mental illness
Role
• behaviour expected of someone who holds a particular status
o ie holding the status of student leads you to perform the roles of attending class
and completing assignments
• role set
o a number of roles attached to a single status
• role conflict and role strain
o role conflict
▪ conflict among the roles connected t two or more statuses
▪ eg. Police officer who catches her own son using drugs at home
o role strain
▪ tension among the roles connected to a single status
▪ eg. Manager who tries to balance concern for workers with task
requirements
• role exit
o becoming an ex
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▪ disengaging from social roles can be very traumatic without proper
preparation
• ex nuns, doctors, husbands, alcoholics
▪ process
• doubts form about the ability to continue with a certain role
• examination of new roles leads to a tipping point when one
decides to pursue a new direction
• learning new expectations associated with new role
• past role might influence new self
The Social Construction of Reality
The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction
The Thomas theorem
• situations we define as real become real in their consequences
Ethnomethodology
• study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings
o break the rules and observe reactions
o eg. Rules about responding to how are you
Reality building: class and culture
• interests and social background affect our perceptions
o eg. People who live in different parts of a city experience it in different ways
• people around the world have different realities
o eg. People have different meanings for specific gestures
Dramaturgical Analysis: the presentation of self
• dramaturgical analysis
o study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance
▪ status is like a part in the play
▪ role serves as a script
• presentation of self
o a perso’s efforts to create specific ipressios i the ids of others
Performances
• role performance includes
o stage setting
o use of props
▪ costume
▪ tone of voice
▪ gesture
• eaple: doctor’s office
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