Chapter 4 of Essential of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach by James M. Henslin is about both social structure and social interaction, which are performed at different levels of analysis. Macrosociology, used by functionalists and conflict theorists, focuses on broad features of society, such as the relationships of groups to one another and social structure. Microsociology focuses on social interaction, and it is typically used by symbolic interactionists. Social structure, the framework of society consisting of the ways that people and groups are related to one another that sets limits on our behavior, has several components, which are culture, social class, social status, roles, groups, and social institutions. Functionalists identify …show more content…
Emile Durkheim came up with an idea about what holds society together involving mechanical solidarity, unity that people feel resulting from performing the same or similar tasks, and organic solidarity the interdependence that results from the division of labor. Ferdinand Tönnies came up with the idea of gemeinschaft, a type of society where everyone knows one another, and gesellschaft, a type of society that is dominated by impersonal relationships, individual accomplishments, and self-interest. Symbolic interactionists pay attention to stereotypes, personal space, eye contact, smiling, and body language in regards to social interaction Dramaturgy, created by Erving Goffman, is an approach to analyzing social life in terms of drama or the stage. We have ideas about how we want others to think of us, and we use our roles in everyday life to communicate these ideas. Stages, role performances, role conflicts, role strains, sign vehicles, and teamwork all apply to social interaction. We also become the roles we play and apply impression management to …show more content…
When I was living at home, I had a whole entire floor of my house to myself. Moving into the dorms was sort of difficult for me because I was always surrounded by people. Since I had a roommate and shared a community bathroom, I no longer had a backstage, a place where I could rest and plan my future performances. I was forced to spend a lot more time on the frontstage. To make a good impression, I was very observant when I first got to campus. I took note of people’s conversations, behaviors, and sign vehicles, and I tried to follow the trends I noticed to fit in. The impression management became exhausting, and I would go on walks, sit outside, or drive around to get away from