Reference sheet groups

• Groups assigned randomly
• Find private channel on Teams
  ("Reference sheet group X")

Interaction is a basic part of social life

• Present in much of what we have discussed so far
• Socialization—understanding self in relation to society
• Symbolic interactionism as basis of ‘self’

The individual often taken for granted

• Many analyses start with the idea that there is such a thing as the individual, then discuss the ways that interactions and macro-social forces influence those individuals

Interactional sociology ‘starts’ with interaction

• Not just about how interaction shapes the individual or defines groups
• Social interaction is the starting point from which individuals and groups arise

The self as collection of the social situations we encounter

• Series of interactional ‘situations’
  College lecture; argument with stranger; meeting a friend
• Interactional theorists:
  We should focus on such situations, the expectations they entail, the way they are resolved again and again
  From there, try to understand sense of self, agency, role

Shift away from primacy of individual

Erving Goffman (1922–1982)

• Among the most well known and influential sociologists of 20th century
• Defined much of the study of social interaction and how we think of roles, conversation, nonverbal communication, …

Goffman’s dramaturgy

• Individuals put on different faces depending on who we are interacting with
• Situations necessitate ‘lines’—claims toward particular versions of ourselves
  Am I an engaged instructor? a disinterested observer? a critical participant? a helpful mediator?

Lines depend on situation

• The lines we commit to are contingent on appropriateness for the situation at hand Who is party to the interaction? What environment are we in?
• Constantly switching ‘roles’ to adapt to different situations

Self as collection of dramaturgical roles

• At any moment, we are presenting one mask or another; enacting one part or another depending on the situation
• Goffman: there is no psychological self outside of these interactional lines
• Individuals are not playing these different parts
  they are those parts

Self as collection of dramaturgical roles

• At any moment, we are presenting one mask or another; enacting one part or another depending on the situation
• Goffman: there is no psychological self outside of these interactional lines
• Individuals are not playing these different parts
  they are those parts

Interaction is impression management

• Face work
• Individuals work to make their 'lines' credible; for the situation to 'work out
• Situations that are not working out create a crisis of identity

Strained situations

• Differing ideas about expectations
  E.g. turn-taking, personal space, etc.
• Conflicting roles
  Intersecting social spheres

Impression management is a group task

• Usually everyone wants a situation to 'work out'
• Embarrassment is the result of the situation not being maintained

Social status and social roles

• Relationship between status and roles is central to interactional sociology

Status

• Perceived categories that others use to define us
• Ascribed status
  Gender, race, age, …
• Achieved status
  Profession, popularity, wealth, …

Roles

• Expectations of behavior based on status
• Roles learned through socialization

Status hierarchy

• Status is usually realized in an implicit hierarchy
• Wealth, profession, race, gender are “Status characteristics” that inform high- versus low-status
• Status is realized in interaction
  High-status people get used to deferential treatment
  Many people are accustomed to disregarding those in poverty

Status mismatch

• Certain statuses are assumed to ‘go together’
  Educated and homeownership
  Rural, white, and conservative
• Notable when those assumptions are subverted
  Well-payed garbage collector
  Men doing childcare

Social status

• Social status: Honor or prestige attributed to one's position in society
• Status groups share styles, tastes, culture
  (Max Weber; Pierre Bourdieu)

Permeable status categories

• Status is attributed using cultural categories
• Membership in status categories is constructed
• Social status requires agreement
  Membership requires the agreement of others

Boundary processes

• Social process of inclusion and exclusion
• Criteria establish difference, draw boundaries, distinguish
  How to dress
  How to act
  Right jokes to make
  Right way to make plans
  Cultural touchstones
  …

Status boundaries defined by hierarchy

• People excluded from status categories ‘above’
• Status boundaries helps people distinguish
  themselves from those they perceive as lower-status

Social class

• One way to think about class:
  bundles of status categories associated as one
• Class is established by ability to navigate clusters of social boundaries
• To be high-class you must ‘pass’ as high-class