SOCIAL PROCESSES refers to

forms of social interaction

that occur again and
again.
 NATURE OF SOCIAL
INTERACTION
• Is a basic social process, a universal principle
without which no social life is possible.

• Takes place in both the social groups of which one

is a member as well as in social institution.

• The way in which people respond or communicate

with one another within social context.

• It involve reciprocal contract carried out through

through spoken or written language.
The basic types of social relationships
studies by sociologists are CONFLICT,
COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION,
COOPERATION, etc.
 3 situations for social
interaction
 Person to
person
 Person
to-group

 Group-to-group
ROLE OF LANGUAGE
Language is a system of
verbal and non-verbal
written symbols with
standardized meaning.
 Non-verbal
language involves
the use of written
symbols.
Verbal language -
involves the use of
words or sound
symbols for things,
objects, or ideas.
a.Symbolic
interaction
b.Functionalist view
• SYMBOLIC INTERACTION refers to
the communication of thoughts
& feelings between individuals
that occurs by means of symbol.
 SPECIFIC APPROACHES UNDER
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION
1. Definition of the Situation (W.I
Thomas)
-refers to the sociological
perspective that views the
meaning people attribute to
a social setting. This process is
called “negotiated
interaction”
2. Dramaturgical Approach (Erving
Goffman)
-views social interaction as a
resembling a theatrical performance
in which people “stage” their
behavior in such a way as to elicit
the responses they desire from other
people.
3. Ethno Methodology
(Harold Garfinkel)
-studies the procedures
people use to make sense
of their everyday lives &
experiences
4. Social Exchange (Blau &
Homans)
-portrays interaction as a
more or less straightforward
& rationally calculated
series of mutually beneficial
transactions.
b.Functionalist view
-human interactions involves
little more than people acting
out roles (parent, child, worker)
based on social script, much as
theatrical actors take their lines
from a play.
 PATTERNS OF INTERACTIONS

EXCHANGE
• It is the process by which one transfer social goods,
services, and items to another. The exchange takes
place when both parties feel they will benefit from
frequent and voluntary interaction.

e.g. A politician would do something for their

constituents in exchange for their votes.
COMPETITION
• Is a form of struggle to secure a reward or a goal
such as a prize, material object, position, leadership.
Prestige, or power.
• The scarcity of the object or the limited quantity of
goods or services is the crucial factor.
• The aim is to excel and surpass the opponent.
• The focus is on the reward rather than on the
competitor.
• It may be personal or impersonal

e.g. two rivals for the same girl; teams playing off for
the championship; 2 nations competing for power ;
stores competing for customers.
CONFLICT
• It is a struggle over the values or claims to status,
power, and scarce resources in which the claims of
the conflicting parties are not only to gain the
desired values but also to neutralize, injure or
eliminate their rivals (Coser, 1968).

• There is the intent to hurt others physically or

mentally or deprive them of liberty or property.
• Conflicts may be:
• on a person-to-person basis (as maybe
seen in spontaneous fights, duels, or hand
to hand combat in war.
• between groups, (as maybe witnessed in
riots, violent strikes, lynching, or massacres.
• national and international (as shown in
rebellion, revolution, or war.
WAR is the most
violent and intense
form of conflict.

War wreaks havoc on

life and property and
disrupts and
disorganizes existing
social orders.
• Conflict performs certain functions:
• Conflict can help establish unity and
cohesion within the group which has been
threatened by hostile and antagonistic
feelings among members.
• Internal conflict become a stabilizing and
integrating mechanism in certain
instances.
• Conflict provides an outlet to express
suppressed emotions and frustrations.
COOPERATION
• Refers to a more specific aspect of human
intercourse, one having to do with pooling
resources, talents, and efforts to achieve the shared
goal or task of a group.

• It is widespread because many things that people

want and need cannot be obtained through
individual effort.

e.g. A project to keep the barangay clean cannot

be achieved without the cooperation of its residents.
• TYPES OF COOPERATION

1. Informal Cooperation – spontaneous and involves

mutual give and take; commonly seen in primary
groups (family, simple societies in rural areas), e.g.
bayanihan, damayan
2. Formal Cooperation – A deliberate contractual
nature prescribing the reciprocal rights and
obligations. Formal goals and objectives are laid
out, plans are drawn, and leadership is provided.
3. Symbolic Cooperation – A situation where 2 or
more members of society, living together
harmoniously, are supportive and interdependent.
• FUNCTIONS OF COOPERATION (Lowry & Ranking,
1972)

1. It makes for social cohesion and integration

among members of a group.
2. It contributes to social stability and order.
3. It fosters consensus and compromise in various
social issues.
Differentiation
• It refers to the creation of interest resulting in
individuals or groups needing or wanting
different things or services rather than the
same thing.
• Related to specialization or division of labor.
(e.g. adjacent stores selling different goods;
an engineer and an architect work
cooperatively in a construction project.)
ACCOMODATION

• refers to the social process whereby

competing or conflicting individuals or
groups trash out difficulties in order to
minimize or stop the conflict.
 MACK & PEASE (1973) USE
ACCOMMODATION IN 2 SENSE:
• AS A CONDITION • AS A PROCESS
Refers to the fact of Refers to the
equilibrium between conscious efforts of
individuals and men to develop such
groups and the rules working
of the game which arrangements
have to be followed, among themselves
as will suspend
conflict and make
their relations more
tolerable and less
wasteful energy.
1. DOMINATION a process that involves a
dominant- subordinate relationship where the
stronger party imposes its will upon the weaker
party. It involves power relations. (e.g. hold-
upper and a hold-up victim).

2. TRUCE is an agreement to cease hostilities or

fighting for a certain period of time.

3. COMPROMISE is a process of settling differences

where opposing parties withdraw their
demands to adjust their relationship. It involves
a give-and-take relationship, the mutual
giving of concessions.
4. MEDIATION
– is a form of settling disputes where a
neutral third party intervenes and gives
suggestions or recommendations to
warning nations or parties to stop their
hostilities.

5. CONCILIATION
– is an accommodative processes 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. The
decision is followed by opposing parties.
(e.g. judge or labor arbiter)

7. TOLERATION
– is a form of accommodation without
formal agreement. It is a result of the “live
and let live ”policy where conflicting
individuals or groups put up with others
without trying to modify the behavior of the
others.
Reciprocity or Utang
na loob

It is a principle where
every service received,
solicited or not, demands
a return. Utang na loob
(internal debt of
gratitude) a kind of
reprocity observed
among Filipinos.
Acculturation
– it is a social process where
group blends in and takes on
some characteristics of
another culture. Also called
cultural borrowing/ imitation.
(e.g. Christianization of
Filipinos)
Assimilation

– it involves some kind of

interpenetration or fusion of cultural
elements whereby persons or groups
accept the cultural traits, attitudes,
beliefs and sentiments of another
through direct, friendly and continuous
contacts. (e.g. Filipino immigrants to
American way of life)
Amalgamation

– refers to some kind of biological

fusion through intermarriage of
persons coming from different ethnic
groups .(e.g. intermarriage of Filipino
and Chinese)