Society And Social Interaction

 What Is Society?
 Theories About Analyzing Social Interaction
 A Study in Diversity: Forms of Nonverbal
Communication
Society And Social Interaction

 Interpersonal Attraction and the Formation of

Pairs
 Social Institutions and Social Structure
 What Holds Society Together?
 Types of Societies: A Global View
What Is Society?

 Human society is a system of social interaction

that includes culture and social organization.
 Social interaction is the foundation of society.
Characteristics of Groups

 A collection of individuals who interact and

communicate with each other.
 Share goals and norms.
 Possess a subjective awareness of themselves
as a distinct social unit.
Theories About Analyzing Social
Interaction

 Social construction of reality - perception of

what is real is determined by the subjective
meaning that we attribute to an experience.

 Ethnomethodology - deliberately disrupting

social norms and observing how individuals
attempt to restore normalcy.
Theories About Analyzing Social
Interaction

 Impression management - people control how

others will perceive them.
 Social exchange - interactions are determined
by rewards or punishments from others.
 Interaction in cyberspace - without nonverbal
communication, one is free to become a
different self.
Forms of
Nonverbal Communication

 Touch
 Paralinguistic communication - pitch, loudness
and rhythm of the voice.
 Kinesic communication - gestures, facial
expressions, and body.
 Use of personal space.
Interpersonal Attraction

 Proximity
A strong determinant of attraction is living,
working, or frequent contact with them.

 Mere exposure effect

The more you see someone, the more you like
them.
Interpersonal Attraction

 Perceived physical attractiveness

Attraction toward people is based on
perception of their physical attractiveness.

 Similarity
People are attracted to those who are similar in
status, race, ethnicity, religion, personality
traits, and attitudes and opinions.
Social Institutions

 Family  Religion
 Education  Health care
 Work  Mass Media
 Economy  Organized Sports
 Political Institutions  Military
Functionalists:
Purposes of Social Institutions

 Socialization of new members of society.

 Production and distribution of goods and
services.
 Maintenance of stability and existence.
 Providing members with an ultimate sense of
purpose.
Durkheim: Social Solidarity

 People in society have a collective

consciousness through which they develop a
sense of solidarity.
 Mechanical solidarity arises when individuals
feel bonded by their similarity.
 Organic solidarity arises when individuals are
bonded through their division of labor.
Six Types of Societies

 Foraging
 Pastoral
 Horticultural
 Agricultural
 Industrial
 Postindustrial
Industrial Societies

 Use machines and other advanced

technologies to produce and distribute goods
and services.
 Highly differentiated labor force and the
intensive use of capital and technology.
 Urbanization and immigration are common in
industrial societies.