Module 5:

Social Interaction and

Social Processes
Presented by: Bingbong D. Olowan, RPm
 01
NATURE OF AN
APPROACHES TO
SOCIAL INTERACTION
Background
Social Interactions

● refers to the process by which people mutually or reciprocally

influence one another’s attitudes, feelings and actions. This is the tie
between the individual and society. It refers to the mutual inter-
stimulation and response between two or more persons and groups
through symbols, language, gestures, and expression of ideas.

● There are three situations for social interaction:

1. Person-to-Person (P to P)
2. Person-to-Group (P to G)
3. Group-to-Group (G to G)
Nature of Social Interaction
● Language is a system of verbal and non-verbal written symbols with
standardized meanings. There is understanding if the communicating and
interacting parties have a shared meaning or meanings attached to the
oral, written or sign symbols.
● Verbal language involves the use of words or sound symbols for things,
objects, or ideas. Non-verbal language involves the use of the written
symbols, such as the alphabet, alibata, Sanskrit, hieroglyphics and the like.
It also involves the use of gestures, body movements, facial expressions,
as well as pictures, drawing, letters, signs and visual signals or mediums to
convey a message to another person or groups. Thus, social interaction
takes place between two or more persons or groups who mutually
influence one another’s behavior through the use of symbols. Human
interaction, therefore, is basically symbolic interaction
 02
APPROACHES
TO SOCIAL
INTERACTION
1. Symbolic Interaction Approach

1. It refers to the communication of thoughts and feelings between individuals

that occurs by means of symbols – such as words, gestures, facial expressions,
and sounds. It involves the use of language, verbal, written and non-verbal
through signs and gestures.

a. Definitions of the Situation - it refers to the sociological perspective that views

the meaning people attribute to a social setting; a stage of mental examination
and deliberation in which we size up a situation so as to devise our course of
action. This process is called “negotiated interaction”
1. Symbolic Interaction Approach

b. Dramaturgy - It is a sociological perspective that views social interaction as

resembling a theatrical performance in which people “stage” their behavior in such
a way as to elicit the responses they desire from other people

c. Ethno-methodology - it is a sociological perspective that studies the procedures

people use to make sense of their everyday lives and experiences. These
procedures are the taken-for-granted, routine activities of our daily lives and the
understandings that lie behind them. Harold Garfinkel(1967) calls his approach as
“ethno methodology”, from the Greek word “ethnos” meaning “folk” or “people”;
methodology refers to the procedures used in doing something
1. Symbolic Interaction Approach

d. Social Exchange It is a sociological perspective that portrays interaction as a

more or less straightforward and rationally calculated series of mutually beneficial
transactions. To Homans and Blau, everyday social life becomes a “marketplace”
where people exchange values and rewards and avoid what they perceive as costs
and burdens. This theory helps to explain the idea behind the “norm reciprocity” –
the expectation that we should give and return equivalently in our relations with
one another. Stated more informally, it refers to the “give and take” relationship,
“one good turn deserves another” or “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” or
“like attracts like” this would also explain the Filipino values of utang na loob,
damayan, bigayan, bayanihan spirit
2. Functionalist View

To the functionalists, human interaction involves little more than people acting out
roles (parent, child, worker, manage etc.) based on social script, much as theatrical
actors take their lines from a play. Role playing of a socially expected functions
attached to a particular status between and among actors constitute human
interaction. A mother is therefore expected to act out the breadwinner and
protective roles.
 03
THE NATURE
AND SCOPE
OF SOCIAL
PROCESSES
A. The nature of natural process

- Since time immemorial, the pre-historic people discovered that it is suicidal to

face a hungry beast alone. It is far more advantageous for their survival if they
have to join their efforts together to subdue a common enemy. Thus, every time a
beast appears to harm them, they automatically join hands together to protect
themselves.
B. Classification of Social Process

Social process is classified according to certain bases such as based on formation

and based on unity or opposition.
Based on formation

1. Basic or universal social processes – it refers to patterned and recurrent

responses observable in all human societies There are three universal social
processes: cooperation, competition and conflict
a. Cooperation
- it involves two or more persons joining their intelligence, efforts, talents and resources
together to attain a goal which can be shared, it is a kind of conjoint action or an alliance of
a person or groups seeking some common goal or reward.

Types of cooperation:
1. Informal cooperation – it is characterized as a spontaneous and involves mutual give and
take.

2. Formal cooperation – characterized as a deliberate contractual nature and prescribes the

reciprocal rights and obligations of members

3. Symbolic cooperation – it is a situation where two or more persons live together

harmoniously and are supportive and interdependent, resulting in mutual self-interest. It
involves interdependent activities, but the people involved may not be aware that their activity
is a form of cooperation.
Functions of Cooperation:

1. it makes for social cohesion and integration

among the members of a groups.

2. it contributes to social stability and order

3. It fosters consensus and compromise in

various social issues
b. Competition

- it is a form of impersonalized struggle or opposition to secure a reward or goal

which cannot be shared. The reward or goal can be a prize, material object,
position, leadership, prestige or power. It is a form of a disjoint action between
opposing individuals or groups aimed to excel, surpass or outdo the opponent in
order to achieve the goal. Competition is carried on by peaceful means and is
guided by a common set of regulations and values.
b. Competition

Types of Competition:

1. Personal Competition – it involves direct, face-to-face contact between

opposing parties.

2. Impersonal Competition – It involves a struggle between persons or groups not

directly aware of each other.
Functions of Competition:

1. competing individuals or groups try to outdo each other and thereby innovate
ways to do so.

2. Competition can be a driving force to a person to develop their potentials to the

fullest and attain maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

3. Competition can develop productivity, creativity, and ingenuity

4. Competition of members of a society for a certain goal and the competition for
scarce resources lead to variation or differentiation.
c. Conflict

It is a form of a highly personalized and emotionalized struggle or opposition

between individuals or groups to attain scarce goals or values. Efforts are directed
to neutralize, injure or eliminate rivals.
Functions of Conflict

1. Conflicts may help establish unity and cohesion within a group which has been
threatened by hostile and antagonistic feeling among the members. “conflict with
the outside brings peace in the inside.

2. Internal conflict becomes a stabilizing and integrating mechanism in certain

instances.

3. Conflict provides an outlet for the expression of suppressed emotions and

frustrations.

4. Competition and conflict promote social change.

2. Derived social process

– they refer to secondary social processes that arise out of the basic social
processes
2. Derived social process
a. Acculturation – it is a social process where a group blends in and takes on some characteristics of another
culture. It is called cultural borrowing or cultural imitation

b. Assimilation – it involves some kind of interpretation or fusion of cultural elements whereby persons or
group accept the cultural traits, attitudes, beliefs and sentiments of another through direct, friendly and
continuous contacts.

c. Amalgamation – refers to some kind of biological fusion through intermarriage of persons coming from
different ethnic groups.

d. Differentiation – it refers to the creation of interests resulting in individuals or groups needing or wanting
different things or services rather than the same thing. It refers to specialization or division of labor.

e. Accommodation – refers to the social process whereby competing or conflicting individuals or groups thresh
out difficulties in order to minimize, if not stop, the conflict. Conflicting parties enter into some forms of
agreement to lessen or withdraw their demands in the interest of peace.
TYPES/KINDS OF ACCOMMODATION
1. Domination – it is a process that involves a dominant-subordinate relationship where the stronger party
imposes its will upon the weaker party. It involves power relation.

2. Truce or Pact – it is an agreement to cease hostilities or fighting for a certain period of time

3. Compromise – it is a process of settling differences where opposing parties withdraw or give up their
demands to adjust their relationship. It involves a give-and-take relationship, the mutual giving of concessions.

4. Mediation – it is a form of settling disputes where a neutral third party intervenes and gives suggestions or
recommendations to warring nations or parties to stop their hostilities.

5. Conciliation – It is an accommodative process where the third or neutral party can be anybody to settle
disputes and who may or may not give recommendations to settle the conflict.

6. Arbitration – it is an accommodative social process where the neutral third party has legal authority to
decide on the conflict. His/her decision is followed by the opposing parties

7. Toleration – it is a form of accommodation without formal agreement. It is a result of the “live or let live”
policy where conflicting individuals or groups put up with others without trying to modify the behavior of the
others.
BASED ON UNITY OR OPPOSITION

1. Conjunctive Social Processes - They refer to patterned forms of social interactions which
lead to unity, organization, cooperation and harmony. These include cooperation, acculturation,
assimilation, differentiation, amalgamation and accommodation.

2. Disjunctive Social Process - They refer to patterned of social interaction which lead to
disunity, disorganization, division and disharmony. These include competition and conflict.
 Thank you!
Do you have any questions?

olowan.bingbong@gordoncollege.
edu.ph

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