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Sociology of Education
Chapter 3; Social Interaction
➢ Meaning of Social interaction
➢ Elements of social interaction
➢ Types & Forms
➢ Measurement
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1. Meaning of Social Interaction What is an interaction?
It is a social process
"The Process By Which People Act And React In
between two or more
Relation To Others. than two persons. It is
always reciprocal in
"E.G: A Person Is Saying Assalamualaikum-Other Is nature. It can be called a
stimulus-response
Saying Walikumassalam. condition among the
individuals. It is like a
"The Ways In Which People Respond to One another
bandied ball against a
whether Face to Face or over Telephone Or Online”. wall.

Examples;
Argument , Teaching , Meating, Team work etc.
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Definition
Dawson & Getty:
Social interaction is define as “it is a process by which men
inter-penetrate the mind of each other”.

Cockiness;
Social interaction is such a process which influence the
overt behavior or state of mind of the individuals.
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2. Elements of social interaction
i. Social Class:
Most sociologists define social class as a grouping based on
similar social factors like wealth, income, education, and
occupation. These factors affect how much power and
prestige a person has. Social stratification reflects an unequal
distribution of resources. In most cases, having more money
means having more power or more opportunities
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Elements of social interaction

ii. Groups:
In sociology, a group refers to "any number of people with
similar norms, values, and expectations who interact with one
another on a regular basis." Sociologists recognize several
differences between various types of groups in society. There are
primary, secondary, in-groups, out-groups, and reference groups.
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Elements of social interaction
iii. SOCIAL STATUS:
Social Status is defined as a position or rank of an individual, often relative
to others in a group or society. Any particular status of a person brings a set
of rights & responsibilities along with perks and benefits in a social
system. There are certain expectations of the society from an individual
having a certain status that he or she is supposed to meet and fulfil.
Examples of status are father, mother, son, daughter, employee,
employer, Teacher, Pupil, doctor,, etc.
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Elements of social interaction
iv. Role Theory:
The role theory studies human behavior and its
expectation and argues that the behavior of human
is guided by expectation, which are held both by the
individual themselves and other community
members.
 Elements of social interaction
V. Culture:
Culture is defined as the set of values, beliefs, symbols, religion,
means of communication, logic, fashion, food, etiquette, art, and
rituals ‫رس رواج‬hat unite a particular society Learned behaviors are
considered the elements of culture, older people pass these
behaviors and elements to their children as they grow up. The
process of learning and passing culture from a generation to
another is referred to as 'acculturation" 8
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Elements of social interaction
VI. Social institutions:
Social institutions are the established patterns of beliefs,
behaviors and relationships that organize social life. Social
institutions exist to meet society's fundamental needs, such as
providing structure, guidance and order. Common examples of
social institutions include family, religion, education and
government.
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Elements of social interaction
vii. Social networks:
A social network is a social structure that exists between
actors—individuals or organizations. A social network indicates
the way that people and organizations are connected through
various social familiarities, ranging from casual acquaintance to
close familial bonds. Social networks are composed of nodes
and ties.
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Elements of social interaction

viii.Virtual Worlds:
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-
based simulated environment through which users can interact with one
another. Individuals create online representations of themselves called avatars
that can interact on the internet under direction of the avatar’s creator. Such
modeled worlds and their rules may draw from reality or fantasy worlds.
Example rules are gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions and
communication.
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Elements of social interaction according to way
communication.

1. Two or more than persons

2. Reciprocal relationship among them

3. Influence on the event, behavior, brain of the person

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3. Forms of social interaction.
I. Exchange:
• An exchange is when you do Exchange theory:

something to get something • Some people are motivated by

self interest.
in return or for a reward.
• Behavior that is rewarded may
• Reciprocity is the basis of
often be repeated.
every exchange.
• • Cost of interaction outweigh
the rewards.
 Forms of social interaction
II. Competition:
• Occurs when two or more
people or groups oppose
each other to achieve the
goal.
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Competition cont.
• The main reason for competition
is to achieve the goal.
• Most sociologists view
competition as a positive means
of motivating.
• The negative side of competition
is that it can lead to psychological
stress, a lack of competition,
inequality, even conflict.
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III. Conflict.
Conflict cont.
• Conflict is the deliberate attempt to
The four sources of conflict
control a person by force, to oppose a
are:
someone, or to harm another person.
• Wars
• The main emphasis of conflict is to
• Disagreements
defeat an opponent.
• legal disputes
• clashes over ideology. (such
as religion or politics.)
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IV. Cooperation.
• Cooperation occurs when two or more people or groups works
together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one
person.
• Cooperation is a social process that gets things done. No group
can complete its task, or reach its goal without cooperation
from its members
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Forms of social interaction
V. Accommodation:
• Accommodation involves making adjustments or adaptations to
accommodate the needs or preferences of others. It is a way of
maintaining harmony and reducing conflicts.
› Example: Friends deciding on a movie to watch together, with
each person making compromises to ensure everyone's
preferences are taken into account.
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VII. Assimilation:
• Assimilation is a process in which individuals or groups from a
minority culture adopt the practices, values, and norms of the
dominant culture, often leading to a loss of distinct cultural identity.
› Example: Immigrants adapting to the language, customs, and
lifestyle of their new country over time, gradually integrating into
the dominant culture.
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1. Direct or Physical Interaction:

It involves physical action among the individuals.
Examples:
Direct interaction influences other by physical action in different ways.
1) Beating, biting, thrashing, pulling, pushing, killing, scratching, boxing,
wrestling. kissing etc. are the examples of direct interaction.
2) Two teams playing match and a war berween the forces of two countries
are also examples of this interaction.
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Types of Social Interaction
2. Symbolic Interaction:
This type of interaction involves the use of language and
symbols. It means communication through a common language
is symbolic process. This is the most common method of human
societies. Human beings convey their ideas through language
and the interaction is completed by reciprocal response.
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5. Measurement of Social Interaction

Social interaction and social relationship is a social process

and influences the interacting bodies in a tangible manner.
Interaction is a process of change. This change can be
measured mathematically and hence its effects can be
predicted. The following are the factors of measuring
interaction in society: Frequency, Duration, Intensity, Focus
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Measurement of Social Interaction

1. Frequency
The interaction among the people can be
measured in terms of its numbers. As how many times an
interaction took place between two persons. The more
the number of interaction the more the influence among
them. The degree of influence depends upon the number
of interaction.
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Measurement of Social Interaction

2. Duration:
This factor measures the time spent on the
interaction. One interaction ends in five minutes and the
other extends up to hours. The more the time spent on
interaction the more will be the influence on the
interacting persons.
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3. Intensity:
The intensity of interaction can be measured in terms
of its importance. How far it has affected the situation
can be measured by its result. If the results are positive
we can say that there was intensity in the interaction. It
means they mostly agree on the issue under discussion.
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Measurement of Social Interaction

4. Focus:
An interaction must have a subject-matter for focusing
the attention of the interacting individuals. The subject-
matter is common to them to form common opinion. If
the Subject-matter is contradictory there is little focus in
the interaction.