A social relation or also described as a social interaction or social experience is the fundamental unit of analysis within the social sciences, and describes any voluntary or involuntary interpersonal relationship between two or more individuals within and/or between groups. The group can be a language or kinship group, a social institution or organization, an economic class, a nation, or gender. Social relations are derived from
human behavioral ecology, and, as an aggregate, form a coherent
social structure whose constituent parts are best understood relative to each other and to the ecosystem as a whole.
Fundamental inquiries into the nature of social relations feature in the work of sociologists such as
Max Weber
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist and political economy, political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of Modernity, ...
in his theory of
social action. Social relationships are composed of both positive (affiliative) and negative (agonistic) interactions, representing opposing effects.
social interactions enables observational and other social research, such as
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft (lit. 'community and society'),
collective consciousness, etc.
Forms of relation and interaction
According to
Piotr Sztompka, forms of relation and interaction in sociology and
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
may be described as follows: first and most basic are animal-like
behaviors, i.e. various physical movements of the body. Then there are
actions—movements with a meaning and purpose. Then there are
social behaviors, or social actions, which address (directly or indirectly) other people, which solicit a response from another agent.
Next are
social contacts, a pair of social actions, which form the beginning of social interactions. Social interactions in turn form the basis of social relations. Symbols define social relationships. Without symbols, our social life would be no more sophisticated than that of animals. For example, without symbols people would have no aunts or uncles, employers or teachers-or even brothers and sisters. In sum, symbolic integrations analyze how social life depends on the ways people define themselves and others. They study
face-to-face interaction, examining how people make sense out of life, how they determine their relationships.
See also
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Affectional action
An affectional action (also known as an affectual, emotional, or affective action) is one of four major types of social action, as defined by Max Weber. Unlike the other social actions, an affectional action is an action that occurs as a result of ...
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Communicative action
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Dramaturgical action
Dramaturgy is a sociological perspective commonly used in micro-sociological accounts of social interaction in everyday life.
The term was first adapted into sociology from the theatre by Erving Goffman, who developed most of the related termi ...
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Instrumental and value-rational action
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Interdependence
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Interpersonal relationship
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Relations of production
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Social isolation
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Social movement
A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and m ...
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Social multiplier effect
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Social robot
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Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to particular effects of communication and interaction in people to make images and normal implications, for deduction and correspondence ...
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Traditional action
Related disciplines
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Engaged theory
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Social philosophy
Social philosophy examines questions about the foundations of social institutions, social behavior, and interpretations of society in terms of ethical values rather than empirical relations. Social philosophers emphasize understanding the social ...
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Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the ...
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Relationship science
References
Bibliography
* Azarian, Reza. 2010. "Social Ties: Elements of a Substantive Conceptualisation." ''
Acta Sociologica
''Acta Sociologica'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all areas of sociology. It is an official journal of the Nordic Sociological Association and was established in 1955. It publishes papers on original research, book revi ...
'' 53(4):323–38.
*
Piotr Sztompka, Socjologia, Znak, 2002,
*
Weber, Max
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas profo ...
. "The Nature of Social Action." In ''Weber: Selections in Translation'', edited by
W. G. Runciman. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer.
Cambr ...
. 1991.
{{Authority control
Community building
Interpersonal relationships