Society - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Society

Chapter 4Slide2

Myths and Realities

Myth:

Beauty is only skin deep. People would not consider a person competent just because he or she is good looking.

Reality: Unfortunately, attractive persons are expected to be more capable than unattractive ones at most tasks. This may explain the research finding that people considered “good looking” earn more than those viewed as “homely,” even though both groups have similar education and employment experiences (p.77)

Myth:

Most students identify strongly with their role as students

Reality: Most students are not deeply committed to their role because many other roles—as friend, date, leader, or athlete—compete for their time (p.79)Slide3

Myths and Realities

Myth:

In the Middle East, the religions of Jews and Arabs are so different that they have hardly anything in common.

Reality: Since the Jews, who founded Judaism and Christianity, and the Arabs, who founded Islam, used to be pastoral people, we can find in each religion the image of a god who looks after his people, in the same way that a shepherd looks after his flock (p. 83) Slide4

3 Perspectives

Functionalist

Conflict

Symbolic

InteractionistSlide5

Functionalist:

Society operates like a prison, but with popular consensus

This is positive so that people aren’t “out of control” or breaking laws

Elements of social control all around us (

ie

: police, laws, others) Slide6

Conflict

We are controlled or prisoners of society and it is negative because the powerful place control on the powerless

1% controls, 99% follows against their own choice

False consciousness: the belief that justifies their domination by the ruling class to the detriment of their own interestsSlide7

Symbolic Interactionist

Humans interact with each other by actively and creatively interpreting each other’s

actions.

As creators of society, we exercise considerable freedom when we interact with

others.

Don’t believe people are

imprisoned.

We present our “self” in a way to make the other person have a desirable (positive) impression of

us.Slide8

Social Interaction in Everyday Life

Chapter 6Slide9

Myths and Realities

Myth:

To avoid misunderstanding, especially in conversation with foreigners, it is always wise to say directly what’s on our mind, such as saying “yes” to mean “yes.”

Reality: Directness in speech may be good for transmitting information, but

indirectness

is common in many other countries. The Japanese, for example, may say “yes” to mean “no” when asked “Would you agree to do business with us?” This is their way of trying to save others from disappointment or embarrassment (p.127)

Myth:

All over the world it is natural for people to nod their heads to mean “yes” and shake them to mean “no.”

Reality: Body language varies from one culture to another. In the US, we nod our heads to mean “yes” and shake them to mean “no”. But in Bulgaria, head nodding means “no,” and head shaking means “yes” (p. 127-128)Slide10

Myths and Reality

Myth:

Because they speak the same language, men and women can easily understand each other.

They are likely to use the same language differently: men for the purpose of giving

information

; women for

expressing feelings

. Thus, men tend to misunderstand women by taking literally what women say, and women tend to misunderstand men by reading emotional meanings into what men say (p. 130)

Myth:

The person we interact with, just like anything else “out there,” is absolutely real.

Reality: That person is real only because of being

defined

by others as such. Thus, people may appear to interact with the same person, but actually they are interacting with their own

images

of the person. Since this image tends to vary from one person to another, it is not surprising that different people appear to interact differently with the same person (p. 137) Slide11

Social Interaction

the process by which individuals act toward and react to others.

Stereotypes anyone?

You are familiar with how strong first impressions are and the way they set the tone for interaction. When you first meet someone, you cannot help but notice certain highly visible and distinctive features, especially the person’s sex,

race,

age, and clothing. Despite your best intentions, your assumptions about these characteristics

shape

your

first impression—and, in turn, how that person acts toward you.Slide12

Kinesics

“body language”, the use of body movement as a means of communication

(smiling=happy, cheering at a game=excited/enthusiastic) Slide13

Proxemics

the use of space as a means of communication

(hugging=someone we feel comfortable with, shaking hands=introduction) Slide14

Genderlects

linguistic styles that reflect the different worlds of women and men

Example…

*Men: checking with wife before making plans - may be seen as “having to ask for permission”. Men may see this as him giving up independence and admitting to his friends that he actually does check with his wife before making plans

*Women: checking with husband before making plans – may be seen as reaffirming that she’s involved with someone and concerned with their communication.

Women: “We never go out!”

Translation: “I feel like going out and spending time with you”

Men: Response - “that’s not true, we went out last week!”

Translation: “she’s wrong, we do go out!”

Slide15

Social Construction

Social construction of

reality:

the

process by which people create through social interaction a certain idea, feeling, or belief about their environment.

Thomas Theorem

:

”If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.” In other words, people are able to turn their socially constructed inner reality (perception, idea, belief, attitude, or feeling) into a socially observable outer reality (behavior, action, or activity).

Examples

… Slide16

Constructing Reality Examples

If people believe God exists, God is just as real to them as humans, things, ideas, and other features of their social and physical world. People will

act as if God is real

by worshiping God.

If people believe they will become successful in the future, they will

do something

to make it real

, such as by working hard, which will likely lead to success.

This second example suggests two ways in which situations defined as real are real in their consequences: working hard

now

and achieving success

later

. This is why the Thomas theorem is sometimes called the self-fulfilling prophecy. Slide17

Functionalist Perspective:

Supportive Interactions

From the functionalist perspective, we can see two types of supportive interactions:

exchange

and

cooperation

.

Exchange

an interaction in which two individuals offer each other something in order to obtain a reward in return.

Cooperation

:

an interaction in which two or more individuals work together to achieve a common goal. Slide18

Conflict Perspective

Oppositional Interactions

Oppositional interaction can be

competition

or

conflict

.

Competition

:

an interaction in which two individuals follow mutually accepted rules, each trying to achieve the same goal before the other does.

Conflict

:

an interaction in which two individuals disregard any rules, each trying to achieve the same goal before the other does. Slide19

Symbolic

Interactionist

Perspective

Interpreting Interactions

Symbolic

interactionists

believe that we can learn a lot about interaction by analyzing people’s interpretations of each other’s actions.

Interpreting Supportive Interaction

:

“supportive exchanges,” “mutual dealings,” etc.

(

ie

: congratulations at marriage, condolences at funerals, inquiring about another’s health…)

To

symbolic

interactionists

, these acts should

not

be taken at face value because they are not what they appear to be

.

When people ask us “how are you?” they are not really interested in finding out the condition of our health in the same way that our doctor is. Instead, they might mean “I want to be your friend,” or they are simply trying to be polite, etc. Slide20

Continued

Interpreting Oppositional Interaction

:

While supportive interaction usually involves individuals of about the same social status, oppositional interaction is more likely to involve people of different statuses.

A higher-status person tends to be disrespectful to the lower-status person. (

ie

: interaction between a customer and a restaurant employee, interaction between men and women in a sexist society, etc.). Slide21

Stand Up!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZ7k8cMA-

4

As you watch the video interact as the audience would. If the speaker gives you a directive…do as

your told.