Lesson 4: Society and Social Interaction

Attention

Our everyday experience of society is characterized by social interactions. In the above image we see an example of an exchange in a grocery store. Status and Roles are at play that govern how these interactions are conducted.

For instance, it is rare that the "customer" would have the role of asking the "cashier" to pay for the groceries.

Consider the common change in the "role" of the "customer" of checking their own groceries. Technology has transferred a role that once belonged to an employee to the customer!

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify personal status and roles
  • Identify role strains and conflicts
  • Discuss applications of Looking Glass Self to an analysis of the social construction of identity

Teaching

Society

A Society is a group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture.

Historical societies have been largely defined by culture components such as food attainment, geographic location, politics and land ownership, and technology

  • Hunter - Gatherer
  • Pastoral
  • Horticultural
  • Agricultural
  • Feudal
  • Industrial
  • Post Industrial

Social Construction of Reality

The sum total of what we refer to as Society is really the sum of all the social interactions that occur among it's members. Society does not have a separate consciousness so we cannot say things such as "What does society do about this?" That makes no sense.

Status and Roles

We are all part of social groups (including society as a very large group)...and within those groups we have multiple status and roles.

Status

For this course, we can consider that "status" is like the job title that we have. We have multiple statuses based on all the job titles that we have. For me, here is a short list:

  • Father
  • Friend
  • Racquetball partner
  • Teacher
  • Department Chair
  • Male
  • Brother
  • Son

Role

For this course, role is the "job description" that goes along with each status that we have. We are evaluated by our groups as to how well we perform the "job description (role) that goes along with each status (job title) that we have.

Ascribed vs. Achieved

SOME of our statuses were forced upon us...we were born with them or circumstances were such that we found ourselves there. These would be "ascribed" statuses. Some of mine include:

  • Son
  • Male
  • Canadian/American
  • Short
  • White

Other statuses are "earned"...or "achieved"...for me some of these would be:

  • Husband
  • Professor
  • College Graduate
  • Racquetball Player

Status Symbols

Consider the concept of a "status symbol"...how do we see material culture as an indicator of status in our society?

What does having a car like this mean as a "status symbol"? What statuses might we associate with this car?

The Perspectives

Consider the Sociological Perspectives in a conversation about Status and Role.

  • Functional - society is a stable, orderly system characterized by societal consensus
  • Conflict - groups with divergent interests engage in ongoing power struggles for control of scarce resources in society
  • Symbolic Interactionist - the meaning that individuals and groups attribute to culture, society, and social interactions
  • Post Modern - explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post-industrialization, consumerism, and global communications

Ascribed and Achieved Status and Disability

Sometimes our values associated with disability have to do more with our perceptions as to if they were "ascribed" or "achieved". Ascribed disability is often viewed in a more positive light than achieved disability.

Thus, "cancer" is often looked at as "ascribed" (even though lifestyle choices such as stress and smoking can lead to cancer) and receives lots of positive social support.

Herpes is often looked at as "achieved" (though one can unknowingly contact someone with herpes and get it) and receives significantly less positive social support.

Compare the page describing the National Institute of Health's efforts for HERPES vs CANCER...which one do you think receives more funding! (Keep in mind that Herpes effects approximately 50% of the population of the US).

Consider how this might impact our perceptions of mental illness.

Role Strain and Conflict

When we have multiple statuses we can often have competing roles. For instance:

  • I am both a Department Chair and a Husband
  • My work can be very time consuming and this can cause a strain between these two statuses
  • I want to give time to my WORK, but I also want to give time to support my RELATIONSHIP

Our ability to manage Role Strain and Role Conflict plays a major role in our "success".

Looking Glass Self

Looking Glass Self is a process of identity formation that is closely tied to your social interactions.

 

It is important to recognize some important implications about Looking Glass Self:

  • Others in our world play a role in how we feel and thing about our selves.
  • These individuals are important to us.
  • Individuals can impact our sense of self in positive or negative ways and these impacts are not necessarily based on objective reality as to who we are.
  • As children we did not select or screen the impact of these individuals.
  • Once we have internalized a self-concept, we are often unable to separate those that came from outside ourselves from those that we created ourselves.
  • We are not forming self concepts based on what others think of us, but on what we imagine others are thinking of us.
  • We, therefore, form self concept based on real and imagined opinions of others.
  • As adults we have the opportunity to choose the individuals who we refer to in this manner.

Assessment

The Online Discussions are for students who are taking Online and Hybrid versions of this class. Your Instructor will inform you if you have to pay attention to these...otherwise you can ignore them.

Lesson 4 Discussion

The Looking Glass Self model posits that aspects of our identity are socially constructed. Share thoughts about your sense of self and where these concepts have come from. Are some of your self-concepts not in line with evidence yet you accept them as truth? As an adult are you selective as to who you place in this important role?

Lesson 4 Quiz

  1. Describe 3 sets of Status/Roles that you have in your life. Remember, the Status is the Job Title, the Role is the Job Description, so these need to go into some detail.
  2. Based on the Status/Roles listed in the first question, describe at least two Role Strain or Conflict situations that are CURRENTLY going on in your life.