Social Interaction and the Social Construction of Reality

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Social Interaction and the Social Construction of
Reality I. Ferrantes focus on the Congo and AIDS
whats her main point? II. Context Solidarity
and the Global Division of Labor
III. Content Social Roles andPresentation of
Self IV. The Thomas Theorem and the Social Constr
uction of Reality
Chapter 5
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• Social Interaction Context and Content
• what is the distinction about?

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Ferrantes focus on the Congo and AIDS whats
her main point?
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Context Social Solidarity and the Global
Division of Labor
Emile Durkheim
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Durkheim hypothesized that societies become more
vulnerable as the division of labor becomes more
complex and more specialized. (p. 147)
The unprecedented mixing of people from all over
the world set the context for the spread of
HIV/AIDS. (p. 151) What other diseases have sp
read rapidly around the globe in recent years?
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Statuses and Social Roles
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• Goffman and Role Performance
• Dramaturgical Perspective
• Presentation of Self
• Impression Management
• Front stage and back stage
• whats the key sociological point of all this?

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The Thomas Theorem and the Social Construction of
Reality

• the general concept
• attribution theory two types of causes
• dispositional traits
• situational factors
• relevance to the history of AIDS

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The Ugandan Success Story what did it involve?
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Sociology offers a rich conceptual vocabulary
with which to analyze the dialogue, actions, and
reactions that take place when people interact,
as well as to analyze how the parties involved in
social interaction strive to define, interpret,
and attach meaning to the encounter. (p. 173)
But remember that the purpose is not to give
familiar things fancy new names the goal is to
gain new insights.