Social interaction

Introduction
• Man is a social-cultural being and society is both natural
and necessary for man.
• It is difficult for men to live in isolation.
• They always live in various groups and associations.
• As members of these groups, they act and behave in a
certain manner.
• The behavior of each individual is affected by the
behavior of others.
• Thus interaction is the essence of social life.
• Behavior systems grow out of interaction.
 Definitions
When an individual, group or party
influence the behavior (overt or covert)
of an other individual, group or party is
called social interaction.
 Continued---
• According to Persal:-
“Social interaction refers to the ways people
behavior in relation to one another using
language, gestures and symbols”.
• According to Ian Robertson:- “Social
interaction is the process by which people
toward or responded to other people.”
 Continued---
According to Green: “The mutual
influences that individuals and groups have on
one another in their attempts to solve
problems and in their striving towards goals.
According to Dawson and Gettys:
“Social interaction is a process whereby men
interpenetrate the minds of each other.”
 Continued---
• According to Gist: “Social interaction is the
reciprocal influence human beings exert on each
other through inter-stimulation and response.”
• According to Eldredge and Merrill:
“Social interaction is the general process
whereby two or more persons are in meaningful
contact as a result of which their behavior is
modified.
 Forms of social interaction
1. Individual to individual
It is the basic form of social interaction, in
which two individuals interact with one
another. For example, interaction of mother
with her child, customer and shopkeeper.
 Continued---
2-Individual to group:-
It is also a common form of social interaction in
which one individual interact with a group of
people. For example, the lecture of a
professor to his class, the speech of a political
leader before a large number of people, the
speech of president or prime minister of
Pakistan on radio/ TV .
 Continued---
3-Group to group:-
• In this form of interaction one group affects
physically as well as mentally to the other
group due to which social interaction occurs.
For example,
• a match played between two teams, dialogs
between the delegations of two countries
 Continued---
4-Individuals to culture:-
• People are effected by norms, values,
customs, beliefs, fashions etc. of their culture.
At the same time People also effected their
Culture by making certain changes in it
according to their needs.
 Elements of social interaction
1-Two or more than two people
2-Social situation
3-To influence the behavior of each other.
 Types of social interaction
1-Direct or Physical Interaction: it involves
physical action among the individuals.
Beating, biting, thrashing, pulling, pushing, killing,
scratching, boxing, wrestling, kissing etc. are the
examples of direct interaction.
Two teams playing match and a war between the forces
of two countries are also examples of this interaction.
This Types influences other by physical action in
different ways.
 2-Symbolic Interaction
•  It involves the use of language and symbols. This is the most
common method of human societies.
• Human beings convey their ideas through language and it is
completed by reciprocal response.
• All cultures develop, expand and change only through language
symbolic interaction.
• Without language no culture can live.
• Man uses instruments to facilitate symbolic interaction. Telephone,
wireless, telegraph, postal system, all types of social media.
• Gestures are also symbolic ones. Deaf and dumb convey their
ideas through voice, and gestures of hands and eyes.
MEASUREMENT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

• Social Interaction is a social process and

influences the interacting bodies in a tangible
manner. Interaction is a process of change .
this change can be measured mathematically
and hence its effects can be predicted the
following are the factors of measuring
interaction
 Frequency
• The interaction among the people can be
measured in terms of its numbers. as how
many times an interaction took place between
two persons. The more the number of
interaction the more the influence among
them. The degree of influence depend upon
the number of interaction.
 Duration
• This factor measure the time spent on the
interaction. One interaction ends in five
minutes and the other extends up to hours.
The more the time spent on interaction the
more will be the influence on the interacting
person.
 Intensity
• The intensity of interaction can be measured
in terms of importance. How far it has affected
the situation can be measured by its results. If
results are positive then we can say that there
was intensity in the interaction. It means they
mostly agree on the issue under discussion.
 Focus
• An interaction must have a subject-matter for
focusing the attention of the interacting
individuals. The subject-matter is common on
them to form common opinion. If the subject-
matter is contradictory there is little focus in
the interaction.
INTERACTION, CONFIRMING & DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

• By calculating the above factors, we are able

to judge the influence of an interaction on the
interacting persons. If the interaction is spread
upon long period its effects can be predicted
on the interacting persons. If an individual has
frequent occurrence, has longer duration,
ends the interaction with intensity and on
same focus.
 Continued----
• We can predict that the forces on individuals
are effective and will change them accordingly.
The personality traits of one will affect the
behavior of the other. In this way we can
predict that if an individual has an effective
social interaction with an anti-social friend, he
will adopt anti-social traits from him. After
some time he may also turn into anti-social
person.
Social structure
 Social structure
• Social structure in sociology means the relationships
or bonds between groups of individuals in a society.
• A society always consists of social groups. Individuals
always associate themselves in groups according to
their interests,occupation,social status etc.
• These groups will interact each other in a society.
• Together it will form a network of interactions and it
makes the social structure of a society.
 Definition
• Talcott Parsons: Arrangement of
interrelated institutions, agencies ,social
patterns statuses and roles.
 Status
• R. Linton : Defined status simply as a
position in a social system, such as child or
parent. Status refers to what a person is,
whereas the closely linked notion of role
refers to the behavior expected of people in a
status.
 Continued------
• T.Shaefer and P.Lam: Status refers to any
of full range of socially defined position with in
larger group or society-from the lowest to
highest position.
• For example Son,Daughter,Doctor .Professor,
Lawyer, Princess etc.
 Types of status
• Achieved Status
• An achieved status is one that is acquired on
the basis of merit; it is a position that is
earned or chosen and reflects a person's skills,
abilities, and efforts.
• Being a professional athlete, for example, is
an achieved status, as is being a lawyer,
college professor, or even a criminal.
 Characteristics of Achieved Status
1-Achieved status is acquired by ability and
struggle.
2-in advanced society achieved status have great
importance.
3-Achieved status may be changed.
4-Resources and wealth is needed for achieved
status.
5-Achieved status is durable.
 Determinants of Achieved status
1-Education
2-Wealth
3-Political position
4-Power and Authority
5-Occupation
 Continued----
• Ascribed Status
• An ascribed status, on the other hand, is beyond an
individual's control.
• It is not earned, but rather is something people are
either born with or had no control over.
• Examples of ascribed status include sex, race, and age.
• Children usually have more ascribed statuses than
adults, since they do not usually have a choice in most
matters.
 Attributes of Ascribed status
1-Ascribed status is by birth.
2-Ascribed status can not be changed.
3-it does not need any struggle.
4-It has great importance in rural areas
5-it provide lesser opportunities for
development
 Determinants of Ascribed status
1-Ancestry
2-Caste
3-Sex
4-Age
 Status set

• The term "status set" was coined by Robert K.

Merton in 1957.
• A status set is a collection of social statuses
that an individual holds. A person may have
status of a daughter, wife, mother, student,
worker,
 Master status
• Master status is a term in sociology used to describe the
status of greatest importance in a particular person's life”.
• The term master status is defined as "a status that has
exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a
person's entire life.“

• A master status is the defining social position a person

holds, meaning the title the person most relates to when
trying to express him or herself to others.
 Continued---
• Master status is a type of label that may be
given to you by others you encounter in the
world, or it may be the status that you
personally feel is most important.
• It could be a part of you that is first apparent
to others when they meet you, or it could be
an element to your identity that others would
not realize simply by looking at you.
 Continued---
• In sociology, it is a concept that lies at the core of a
person's social identity and influences that person's
roles and behaviors in a societal context.
• Occupation is often a master status because it
forms such an important part of a person's identity
and affects the other roles one may occupy such as a
family member or friend, a resident of a city, or even
a hobby enthusiast. In this way, a person may
identify as a teacher, firefighter, or pilot, for
example.
 Role
According to Yong & Mack
• “A role is a function of status”
Duncan Mitchell
• “A social role is the expected behavior associated
with a social position”
Calhoun, Light & Keller
• “A set of behaviors, attitude, obligations, privileges
expected of anyone who occupies a particular
status”
 Continued---
• An individual in a society has been assigned certain
rights and duties constituting status.
• There rights and duties when performed is said to
have performed roles or corresponding status.
• Role and status are inseparable from each other.
• In another way they are two faces of a sheet of
paper.
• A change in role directly affects status and vice
versa.
• Role is the performance of individual’s status
enjoyed by him.
 Role set
• “A role set is anyone you have a recurring relationship with
in your role.”
• According to Goff man the "role set" is the various
kinds of relevant audiences for a particular role.
• Merton describes "role set" as the "complement of
social relationships in which persons are involved because
they occupy a particular social status.

• For instance, the role of a doctor has a role set comprising

colleagues, nurses, patients, hospital administrators, etc.
 Role strain
• The stress or strain experienced by an
individual when incompatible behavior,
expectations, or obligations are associated
with a single social role.
• Role strain in sociology is when a particular
role a person needs to fulfill is strained due
to excessive obligations or multiple demands
on time.
 Continued---
• An example of this is the role of a single
parent who fulfills the obligations of being a
breadwinner, providing child care,
housekeeping, vehicle maintenance,
homework assistance, wellness and other
related aspects of parenting. The parent's role
is strained by the demands of fulfilling the
numerous obligations adequately.
 Role Exit
• In sociology, the role exit refers to the process of
disengaging from a role that is true to one's self-
identity, in order to take up a new role and
identity.
• When an individual stops engaging in a role 
previously central to their identity and the process
of establishing a new identity.
• For instance, individuals unable to participate in
two or more exclusive roles may need to exit one.
 Continued----
Example: When an individual retires from a long
career and must transition from the role of
worker with deadlines and responsibilities to a
leisurely life.
• when an individual becomes a parent and
has to change their lifestyle.
 Continued----
• Role exits may also occur because of a
critical event or injury to the individual.
Organizational changes, doubts and
altered expectations with the role may
cause people to exit the role
 Continued---
• Role conflict occurs when there are incompatible
demands placed upon an individual such that
compliance with both would be difficult.
Ian Robertson: A situation in which two or more
of a person, role have contradictory requirements.
T.Shaefer and P.Lam: Role conflict occurs when
incompatible expectations arise from two or more
social positions held by the same person.
 Causes of Role Conflict
1-Inadequate Role Training
2-Pressure of competition
3-Coflict between more Roles
4-Not to perform Role well in time
5-Social change.
6-Contradictory Expectations.
7-Extra busy life
8-Endless material desires
 Effects of the Role Conflict
• Looking busy but doing nothing
• Tension and worry
• Poor decision making
• poor Health
• Sleeplessness
• Short temperament
• Neurosis
• Social Problem
 Solution

• Simple Life
• Socialization
• Training of role performance
• Division of labor
• Social Planning