Micro and Macro Sociological Micro and Macro Sociological Perspectives, Social Structure, the Perspectives, Social Structure, the

Social Construction of RealitySocial Construction of Reality

Macrosociology

Focuses on broad features of society

Conflict theory, functionalist viewpoints part of the macrosociological perspective

The goal is to examine the large scale influences of society

Microsociology

Examines social interaction

Focus on face to face interaction

This approach is favored by symbolic interactionists

Macrosociological Significance of Social Structure pages 97-101

Social structure framework society has laid out before you were born, surrounds us

Consists of relationships- people and groups to each other

Gives directions to and sets limits on our behavior

The differences of attitude and behavior are not biological- but to our location on the social structure

Social Structure- Culture Languages, belief systems, values, behaviors,

gestures, material objects a group uses Broadest framework that determines what kind

of people we will become On the outside we look like a product of our

culture, on the inside we think and feel like most people raised in our culture

Social Structure- Social ClassSocial Class Based on income, education and occupational

prestige People who rank close to each other in these

categories make up a social class Influences our behavior, ideas and attitudes

Social Status pages 97-101

All of us occupy several positions at one time

Status Set all of the positions we occupy, changes as we change

Types of status- ascribed and achieved.

Ascribed and Achieved Status

Ascribed Status involuntary, some are inherited at birth, some are because of the life course

Achieved Status earned, what you accomplish.

They can be positive or negative

Social status sets limits on what we can or cannot do

Master Status and Status Symbols

Status Symbols material items we use as signs to display our status.

These symbols can be positive or negative announce our status and smooth our

interactions in everyday life Master status is one that cuts across all

other status you occupy- race, age, gender (ascribed)- some are achieved- wealth, disfigurement, handicap

A contradiction in status is called status inconsistency

Status has built in norms that guide our behavior- status inconsistency upsets these expectations

Roles Roles behaviors, obligations and privileges

attached to status- sociologists see roles as essential to social life

Roles are already set up at birth- gender, socioeconomic status

Occupy status, play a role Roles indicate what is appropriate and

expected As individuals play their roles they mesh

together and form society

Groups Members of a group

share similar values, norms and expectations

gives others the right to make certain decisions about our behavior

member has to conform to the expectations and play their role within the structure of the group

Social Institutions pages 101-105

Organized, standardized ways that a society develops to meet its needs

Social institutions- family, government, education, military, politics, law, science, medicine, mass media- figure 4.2 page 102

Social Institutions Industrialized societies- more formal Tribal society- more informal

Mass Media as a Social Institution

Influences our attitudes toward social institutions How we view people Shapes our self-concept Mass media relatively new – the invention of the printing

press changed views on religion and politics

Two Perspectives Functionalist perspective- mass media represents the

varied interests of the many groups that make up the nation

Conflict perspective- represent the perspectives of the elite

The question –who controls the media?

Comparing Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives in Social Institutions

FunctionalistNo society can exist without social institutions,

perform vital functions for society (functional requisites)

What are the basic needs of social institutions?Replacing members- relationshipsSocializing new members- education, religion,

familyProducing and distributing goods and services-

economicsPreserving order- lawProviding a sense of purpose- all parts of society

Conflict PerspectiveSocial institutions do not work harmoniously

for the goodPowerful groups manipulate other institutions

to maintain positions of wealth and powerSmall groups control a majority of wealth and

exert influence on political institutions and lawmakers

Gender- society divides males and females into groups and each has unequal access to societies resources

Social Structure pages 104-106 Social Structure is not

static Changes in response to

technology and evolving values

Social classes impacted by economy, racial and ethnic relationships, social needs and priorities changing

What holds society together? Social integration degree to which

members are united by shared social bonds and shared values

Durkheim called this organization mechanical solidarity, a shared consciousness that people feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks

There is little diversity in attitudes, beliefs the unity of the society depends on similar thinking

What holds society together? Pages 105-106

As societies grow larger the division of labor becomes more specialized.

This division makes people depend on each other – their work contributes to the whole

This interdependent relationship is called organic solidarity

This change caused societies to tolerate many differences among people to manage as a whole

What holds society together? Ferdinand Toinnes called

these changes in different societies Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

Gemeinschaft society where life is intimate, the community shares a sense of togetherness

Gesellschaft society is dominated by impersonal relationships, individual relationships and self interest

AssignmentOn page 107 “The Amish: Gemienschaft

Community in a Gesellschaft World” describes the way of life for the Amish. The rising cost of lands has kept many young Amish families from buying their own land, so many Amish men do other jobs. Many Amish women have opened their own businesses, manufacturing and selling items to tourists. Why does non-farm work challenge the Amish way of life?

Microsociological Perspective: Social Interaction pages 106-110

Symbolic interactionists- most important part of society is social interaction and the symbols they use.

How people perceive things, effects on attitude, behavior and orientations in life

Examples of interaction- stereotyping, personal space, touching and eye contact

Stereotypes, Touching, Eye Contact

Stereotypes First impressions set the tone for interaction Race, age, gender, clothing are thing we all

notice These things affect how we interact with that

person and how that person reacts to you

Touching Frequency and meaning vary from culture to

culture In general higher status individuals do more

touching

Eye Contact One way to control our personal space bubble

Personal Space We surround ourselves with a “personal bubble”

and we let in our intimates and keep others out We extend our space by placing personal items

around us The amount of space we need varies from culture

to culture North Americans have four different “distance

zones” 1. Intimate distance- 18” 2. Personal distance- 18” to 4’ 3. Social Distance- 4’ to 12’ 4. Public Distance- beyond 12’

Dramaturgy pages 110-114

Social Life is analyzed in terms of drama or the stage. (Erving Goffman 1959)

Birth ushers us onto the stage and socialization consists of learning to play on that stage

The self - center of these performances

ideas how we want others to perceive us and we use roles in everyday life to communicate ideas

Goffman called the efforts impression management

Front stage, where we perform, back stage, reflect and plan for future performances

Dramaturgy Our style is known as role

performance Role Performance is defined by

social limits the role provides Sometimes what is expected of

us in one role is not compatible with another role.

Role conflict- conflict between roles. We avoid role conflict by segregating our status

Role strain is the conflict within a role

We tend to become the roles we play, our roles become part of our self concept. Leaving a role (role exit) threatens a person’s identity

Dramaturgy To communicate information about the self we

use sign-in vehicles Three types of Sign- In Vehicles Social Setting- where the action unfolds,

where you interact with others. Includes the scenery, things you use to communicate messages

Appearance- props, what we use to decorate our person

Manner- attitudes we show as we play roles

Dramaturgy Good role players receive

positive recognition from others

We use teamwork to receive this recognition

When a performance fails we use face saving behavior

Studied nonobservance is a face saving technique that allows the performance to go on

Ethnomethodology We give meaning to things by placing them in

categories and classifying them. We place them in categories provided by our culture- it helps us interpret our world

Ethnomethodology is how people use common sense understandings to interpret life

These interpretations begin with background assumptions (deeply embedded common understandings of how the world operates and how people ought to act)

These interpretations provide us basic directions for living

The Social Construction of Reality

Symbolic Interactionists stress how ideas shape our reality

The definition of the situation, or the Thomas Theorem, if people define situations as real they are real in their consequences

Social construction of reality- the social groups we belong to hold particular views on life, specific ways of looking at it. This is the use of background experiences and assumptions to define what is real