Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 155

In the first part of the chapter, we focused on the socialization of individuals. However, socialization generally involves interaction, or social engagement involving two or more individuals who perceive, and orient their actions to, one another. Interaction has generally been seen as involving face-to-face relationships between people, but in the twenty-first century, interaction is increasingly mediated by smartphones and social media. Interaction is an important topic of study in itself because of its ubiquity and its influence on individuals. It is also a key building block for more macroscopic social phenomena, such as networks and groups as well as larger organizations, societies, and the global domain, which is explored more deeply in the next chapter.

Personal interaction occurs throughout our lifetimes. Examples include interactions between parents and children, between children and their siblings, between teachers and students, between coworkers, and between medical personnel and patients. Interactions early in the life cycle, especially in the family and in schools, tend to be long-term and intense. Later in life, many interactions tend to be more fleeting (a quick hello on the street or a brief conversation at a cocktail party), although interactions with family members tend to remain intense.

Ask Yourself

What does it mean to say that interaction is increasingly mediated? Give some examples that illustrate your answer.