Forms of Social
Interaction
Project for Sociology
Submitted by:
Jayana
Roll no.:76/21, B.A. LL.B. (hons.), 2nd
semester
STUDENT CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that “Jayana Gupta” student of
B.A. LL.B., 2nd semester, section B, has
successfully completed her “Forms of Social
Interaction” project for Sociology under the
guidance of Dr. Anupam Bahri (Subject teacher)
during the year 2021 during 1st year of B.A. LL.B.
five years integrated course at UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF LEGAL STUDIES (UILS), PANJAB
UNIVERSITY.
Jayana
B.A. LL.B. 1st year (2nd semester)
Section-B, Roll no. 76
1|Page
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my warm gratitude towards
almighty that provided me such a fortunate
opportunity to study this respective course in
UILS, PU. I will thank my professor DR. ANUPAM
BAHRI who guided me to make this project report
on such a knowledgeable topic.
Secondly, I would thank my parents who provided
me with the resources required to complete this
project report I will also thank my friends who
helped me in completing the said project on time.
2|Page
Table of contents
S.no. Topic Page no.
1. Introduction 4
2. Cooperation 5
3. Competition 8
4. Conflict 12
5. Accommodation 16
6. Assimilation 19
7. Conclusion 23
3|Page
Introduction
Social interaction is the foundation of society. Social group is the
product of social interaction. There is interaction among animals
and birds also. It is the real foundation of all social processes,
structure, social groups and functions. In sociology interaction is
the gate of its knowledge. It is a social interaction between two
or more people. Nature is always reciprocal. Individuals
experience what is known as a stimulus-response state. It's like
throwing a ball against a wall. There is interaction when two
people chat to each other, answer to each other on the phone or
the internet, or create communication through letter. There is
interaction between mother and kid when a woman suckles milk
to her child. A doctor attends to a patient, a customer purchases
something from a shopkeeper, and a traveller obtains a ticket
from the ticket clerk. It signifies that interaction is a social
relationship between persons. It is a type of reaction and action
posture among the individuals.
Thus, it can be said that interaction is the basic social process,
the broadest term for describing dynamic relationships. Social
interaction is the dynamic element in society, while statuses and
norms present its static element.
According to Drawson and Gettys: ‘Social Interaction is the
general process whereby two or more persons are in
meaningful contact as a result of which their behaviour is
modified however slightly’
In a nutshell, social interaction includes those acts people
perform toward each other and the responses they give in
return. Having a quick conversation with a friend seems
relatively trivial.
4|Page
Cooperation
Cooperation is the process by which two or more people work or
act together. Cooperation facilitates social reality by
establishing the foundation for social institutions, organisations,
and the overall social system. There would be no institution
beyond the individual without cooperation; any group conduct is
an example of cooperation. Cooperation results from a desire
overlap and is more likely if the parties have a relationship. This
indicates that if two people know they will meet again in the
future or have recollections of prior cooperation, they are more
likely to cooperate in the present. It is the very basis of social
existence. 1
Cooperation is derived from two Latin words: ‘Co’ meaning
together and ‘operari’ meaning to work. Literally, cooperation
means joint work or working together for common rewards. It is
thus joint activity in pursuit of common goals or shared rewards.
It is goal oriented and conscious form of social interaction. It
involves two elements (i) common end, and (ii) organised effort.2
Co-operation means working together in the pursuit of like or
common interests. It is defined by A.W. Green as “the continuous
and common Endeavour of two or more persons to perform a
task or to reach a goal that is commonly cherished.” Cooley says,
“Co-operation arises when men see that they have a common
interest and have, at the same time, sufficient intelligence and
self-control to seek this interest through united action:
1
Foundation, CK-12. “CK12-Foundation.” CK12-Foundation, flexbooks.ck12.org, 20 June 2015,
https://flexbooks.ck12.org/user:coachtgj/cbook/episd-sociology/section/4.2/primary/lesson/types-
of-social-interaction/.
2
Shah, Shelly. “Co-Operation in Social Process: Meaning, Types and Role.” Sociology Discussion -
Discuss Anything About Sociology, www.sociologydiscussion.com, 20 Jan. 2014,
https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/social-process/co-operation-in-social-process-meaning-types-
and-role/2210.
5|Page
perceived unity of interest and faculty of organization are the
essential facts in intelligent combination.”
Co-operation is brought about by several circumstances which
are (i) desire for individual benefits, (ii) desire to give, (iii)
devotion to common purposes, (iv) situational necessity, and (v)
desire to achieve larger goals.
Types of Co-operation:
There are many modes of co-operation in social life but its
principal types are the following:
• Direct Co-operation:
This category includes activities in which cooperating
individuals do similar things together, such as moving a pile
of stones or pushing a car out of the mud. Other examples
of direct cooperation include playing together, worshipping
together, and tilling the fields together. The important
feature of this type of collaboration is that people perform
things in groups that they can also do alone. They do them
together either because the face-to-face situation is itself a
stimulus to the performance of the task or because it brings
them social satisfaction.
• Indirect Co-operation:
This category includes activities in which people perform
dissimilar duties to achieve a common goal. In other words,
in this type of collaboration, individuals work toward a
shared goal while also performing specialised
responsibilities, such as when carpenters, plumbers, and
masons collaborate to build a house.
This collaboration is founded on the well-known notion of
division of labour. Because the current technology age
necessitates specialisation of talents and functions,
6|Page
indirect cooperation is more prevalent in modern society
than direct cooperation. 3
• Primary Co-operation:
Cooperation is present in core groups such as the family.
There is a shared set of interests between the person and
the group in this type of collaboration. The realisation of the
individual's interests is part of the fulfilment of the group's
interests.
• Secondary Co-operation:
This type of cooperation is found in the secondary groups
such as government, industry, church and trade union etc.
• Tertiary Co-operation:
This cooperation can be seen in the interaction of various
large and small organisations in response to a specific
issue. Thus, tertiary cooperation occurs when Russia and
America join forces to defeat China in a war, or when
diverse political parties establish a National Front to defeat
the Congress party in a vote. The attitudes of the co-
operation parties are entirely opportunistic in such a sort of
co-operation; the organisation of their co-operation is both
loose and fragile.
Role of Cooperation:
Cooperation is a universal occurrence. It is so essential in a
person's existence that, according to Kropotkin, it is difficult to
survive without it. Mutual aid begins with cooperation in the
nurturing of offspring and the supply of protection and
nourishment. Even among the most primitive species, such as
3
Shah, Shelly. “Co-Operation in Social Process: Meaning, Types and Role.” Sociology Discussion -
Discuss Anything About Sociology, www.sociologydiscussion.com, 20 Jan. 2014,
https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/social-process/co-operation-in-social-process-meaning-types-
and-role/2210.
7|Page
ants and termites, cooperation is essential for existence.
Cooperation is evident among higher animals as well.
Cooperation occurs under certain conditions. As Young and
Mack have stated, collaboration necessitates first and foremost
a desire to achieve a goal. Second, people must be aware of the
benefits of cooperative behaviour. Cooperation is not an inborn
trait; hence it must be taught. Third, people must have a positive
attitude toward sharing both the effort and the rewards
associated with it. Finally, they must equip themselves with the
skills required to carry out the cooperative plan.
It is needed at every step in our life. If one does not co-operate
with others, he is left to live a solitary life, tired of which he is
obliged to learn to co-operate with others. The physical, mental
and even the spiritual needs of the individual remain unsatisfied
if he does not agree to co-operate with his fellow-members.
Competition
Competition is the most fundamental, universal, and impersonal
form of social interaction. It is fundamental in the sense that it is
the foundation for all other forms of contact. In a wide web of
competitive relationships, each individual is involved in many
ways that he is generally ignorant of. In human society, the
struggle for survival is rarely a raw struggle for survival, as we
see in the animal world. The typical battle in human civilization is
for a living rather than for a means of survival. The human battle
is for economic security, as well as for position, power, and
status. It can be found in practically every aspect of life.
‘Competition is the struggle for possession of rewards which
are in limited supply—money, goods, status, power, love—
anything’ (Horton and Hunt, 1964). It is a process of seeking to
obtain a reward by surpassing all rivals. In the words of Biesanz
8|Page
and Biesanz (1964), ‘competition is the striving of two or more
persons or groups for the same goal which is limited so that all
cannot share it’. According to Sudierland, Woodward and
Maxwell (1961), ‘competition is an impersonal, unconscious,
continuous struggle between individuals or groups for
satisfaction which, because of their limited supply, all may not
have’.4
Characteristics:
1. Competition is for scarce goods (rewards): If the object of
competition is in abundance (unlimited) quantity or
sufficient in supply, there would be no competition. There
is no competition for sunshine and air, which are
unlimited.
2. Competition is continuous: It is a never-ending process. It
goes on consciously or unconsciously all the time. It is
unstable and frequently yields either to co-operation or to
conflict.
3. Competition is universal: Competition, though an
important characteristic feature of modem society, is
found in all societies—primitive, traditional, modem or in
pre-historic eras and in every age.
4. Competition is unconscious: Competition takes place on
the unconscious level. Competitors at many times are not
aware about other competitors and even if they are
aware, they do not pay any heed to the activities of their
competitors. For example, candidates, appearing for IAS
or any other competitive examination, do not know one
another and their whole attention is focused on their
studies (reward or goal) rather than on competitors.
4
mandal, pooja. “Competition: Meaning, Characteristics and Types of Competition.” Your Article Library,
www.yourarticlelibrary.com, 25 Mar. 2014, https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/social-
interaction/competition-meaning-characteristics-and-types-of-competition/31276.
9|Page
5. Competition is dynamic: It encourages success and helps
to bring about societal transformation. It raises the level
of aspiration from a low to a high degree. A college
student who competes against others to be picked to the
college cricket team may later struggle to be selected to
the university cricket team, the state team, the national
team, and so on.
6. Competition may be personal or impersonal: Competition
is normally directed towards a goal and not against any
individual. Sometimes, it takes place without the actual
knowledge of other’s existence. It is impersonal as in the
case of civil service examination in which contestants are
not aware of one another’s identity, it might be personal as
when 2 individuals contest for election to an office.
7. Competition and affluence: Competition can be found even
in circumstances of abundance or affluence. The
competition is not only for basic needs but also for
luxuries.
8. Cause of social change: Competition causes person to
adopt new forms of behaviour in order to attain desired
ends. New forms of behaviour involve innovations which
naturally brings a change in society.
Types of competition:
1. Social Competition: People always compete to achieve
higher status and position. This kind of competition i am
known as social competition which is mostly observed in
open societies.
2. Economic Competition: This type of competition is found in
the process of production, consumption and distribution
of goods. People always struggle for higher standard of
living. Economic competition can be observed at the
10 | P a g e
individual as well as group level. This type of competition
is on the i increase in modern times.
3. Political Competition: Political competition takes place in
the political field. Such type of competition is very much
pronounced in the modern world. Political parties are
always engaged in competition to I capture power. Even,
on the international level there is keen competition
between nations.
4. Cultural Competition: Cultural competition takes place
between two or more cultural groups. It occurs when one
cultural group tries to establish supremacy over the
other. This kind of competition depends upon cultural
differences. Competition between the Aryans and the
Dravidians, the Indians and the British can be cited as
examples.
Social Functions:
(1) It serves the function of allocating scarce rewards among
the competitors.
(2) It has the additional function of stimulating both
individual and group activity in a manner to increase the total
productivity of the competitors. It furnishes motivation to
excel or to obtain recognition or to achieve reward.
(3) It assigns place to each individual in the hierarchical
social system. It determines who is to perform what
function.
(4) It tends to enhance one’s ego and helps in satisfying it.
(5) It is conducive to progress and welfare of the society. It
spurs individuals and groups to exert their best efforts to
fulfil their goals.
(6) It increases efficiency.
11 | P a g e
It is the primary motivator in modern capitalistic civilizations. It
is widely ubiquitous in all aspects of modern life and activities.
The Chicago School of Sociology emphasised the significance of
competition in urban growth patterns as various ethnic, class,
racial, and other groups battle for space.
Max Weber considered competition to be a peaceful sort of
conflict. Karl Marx perceived its connection to conflict in a less
pacific perspective. Competitions among capitalists, workers,
and between capitalists and workers, according to Marx, were
important causes of contradiction and struggle. Regulated
competition is a type of peaceful dispute that is resolved within a
set of agreed-upon rules.
Conflict:
Conflict is a conscious action. It is a deliberate intent to oppose.
We can say that conflict is universal. Not only this, conflict lacks
continuity. Besides this, it is a personal activity. Conflict is a
competition in its more occasional, personal and hostile forms. It
is a process of seeking to obtain rewards by eliminating or
weakening the competitors. It is inherent in every society or
social system. Conflict is apparently noted when an individual or
a group seeks to attain its own end. Conflict is the opposite of
cooperation. Conflict may lead to antagonism, violence or threat
to peace. Conflict is also regarded as non-associative social
process.
According to Gillin and Gillin, “Conflict is the social process in
which individuals or groups seek their ends up directly
challenging the antagonist by violence or threat of violence.”
Green defined, “Conflict is the deliberate attempt to oppose,
resist and coerce the will of another or others.”
12 | P a g e
Types of Conflict:
Simmel distinguished four types of conflicts: (i) war, (ii) feud or
factional strife, (ii) litigation, and (iv) conflict of impersonal
ideals.
War is the kind of group conflict we are most familiar with. Prior
to the development of interterritorial trade, war provided the
only means of contact between alien groups.
Feud is an intra-group form of war that may arise because of
injustice alleged to have been done by one group to the other.
Litigation is a judicial form of conflict when an individual or group
asserts its claims to certain rights on the basis of objective
factors; subjective factors being excluded.
Conflict of impersonal ideals is a conflict carried on by the
individuals not for themselves, but for an ideal. In such a conflict,
each party attempts to justify truthfulness of its own ideals; for
example, the conflict carried on by the communists and
capitalists to prove that their own system can bring in a better
world order.
Conflict can also be of the following types:
(i) Latent and overt conflict- Latent conflict may exist as social
tension and dissatisfaction for very long periods before it erupts
in hostile action. Latent conflict becomes overt conflict when an
issue is declared and when hostile action is taken. Sometimes
actual conflict may exist in latent form for years before there is a
formulation of issue or a crisis. The latent conflict between China
and India over the boundary issue may become overt in the form
of outbreak of war.
(ii) Corporate and personal conflict- Corporate conflict occurs
among the groups within a society or between two societies.
Race riots, communal upheavals, religious persecution, labour–
13 | P a g e
management conflict, and war between nations are the
examples of corporate conflict. Personal conflict, on the other
hand, occurs within a group.
(iii) Racial conflict– It is the result of the feeling or racial
superiority or inferiority.
(iv) Class conflict– It is the conflict between two classes
(v) Caste conflict- It arises between social classes which have
mutually hostile or opposite interests.
Role of Conflict:
As discussed above, conflict is a fundamental human and
societal trait. H. T. Majumdar has mentioned the following
positive functions of conflict.
(i) Conflict tends to stiffen the morale and promote the solidarity
of the in-group.
(ii) Conflict, concluded with victory, leads to the enlargement of
the victorious group.
(iii) Conflict leads to redefinition of value systems.
(iv) Conflict may leave to the working out of non-violent
techniques for resolving crises.
(v) Conflict may lead to change in the relative status of the
conflicting parties.
(vi) Conflict may lead to a new consensus.
The Positive Aspects of Conflict:
• Conflict contributes to social change ensuring both
interpersonal and intergroup dynamics remain fresh and
reflective of current interests and realities
14 | P a g e
• Conflict strengthens intragroup unity by providing an outlet
for group members to discuss and negotiate their interests
within the group. Without intragroup conflict, the health of
the group typically declines
• Conflict between groups produces intra-group unity as the
conflict provides the opportunity for increased intra-group
cooperation while working towards the group’s common
goal for the conflict’s outcome
The Negative Aspects of Conflict:
• Conflict can have both short term and long term effects on
the physical and psychological health of the individuals
involved in or affected by the conflict. In worst case
scenarios the psychological consequences can include
deep trauma and diminished coping mechanisms
• Conflict can lead to “collective traumas,” which lead to
“chosen trauma” and can be transmitted to future
generations in the form of resentment against one’s
ancestors’ enemies. Chosen trauma gives rise to group
identity and keeps the flame of conflict burning.
15 | P a g e
Accommodation:
Conflict is a societal process that occurs on an ongoing basis.
Accommodation is the resolution of conflicts, which entails
adjusting to a new environment. Accommodation refers to
acquired adjustments in their environment's behaviour.
According to MacIver, “the term accommodation refers
particularly to the process on which man attains a sense of
harmony with his environments. Besides this, as a process,
accommodation is the sequence of steps by which persons are
reconciled to changed conditions of life through the formation of
the changed conditions themselves. Accommodation is a form of
social interaction in which we get used to the factors that are
likely to lead to conflict either by force of habit, or sheer inertia,
or a desire to ‘live and let live’. It simply means adjusting oneself
to the new environment.
‘Accommodation is a term used by the sociologists to describe
the adjustment of hostile individuals or groups’ (Ogburn and
Nimkoff, 1958).
Accommodation is ‘a process of developing temporary working
agreements between conflicting individuals’ (Horton and Hunt,
1964).
Forms or Methods of Accommodation:
Accommodation or resolution of conflicts may be brought about
in many different ways and accordingly may assume various
forms, the most important of them being the following:
1. Yielding to coercion or admitting one’s defeat:
Coercion means the use of force or the threat of force to
terminate a conflict. It usually involves parties of unequal
strength, the weaker party yields because has been over-
powered or because of fear of being over-powered. An
16 | P a g e
armistice or peace treaty following a war is an example of
this form of accommodation.
2. Compromise:
When the combatants are of equal strength neither may be
able to prevail over the other, they attain accommodation
by agreeing to a compromise. In compromise each party to
the dispute makes some concessions and yields to some
demand of the other.
3. Arbitration and Conciliation:
Accommodation is also achieved by means of arbitration
and conciliation which involve attempts on the part of the
third party to bring about an end of the conflict between the
contending parties. The labour management conflicts, the
conflict between the husband and the wife and sometimes
even the political conflicts are resolved through the
intervention of an arbitrator or a mediator in whom both the
parties have full confidence. In International Law mediation
or arbitration is a recognized mode of settling international
disputes.
4. Toleration:
Toleration is the form of accommodation in which there is
no settlement of difference but there is only the avoidance
of overt conflict. In toleration no concession is made by any
of the groups and there is no change in basic policy. It
involves acceptance of some state of affairs definitely
objectionable; to the accepting group but for some reasons
not deemed possible or/and advisable to dispose of in a
more conclusive manner.
5. Conversion:
Conversion involves conviction on the part of one of the
contending parties that it has been wrong and its opponent
right. Accordingly, it may go over to the other side and
identify itself with the new point of view. This process thus
17 | P a g e
consists of the repudiation of one’s beliefs or allegiance
and the adoption of others. Ordinarily conversion is thought
of only in connection with religion but it may also occur in
politics, economics and other fields.
6. Rationalisation:
Accommodation through rationalisation involves plausible
excuses or explanations for one’s behaviour instead of
acknowledging the real defect in one’s own self. One thus
justifies one’s behaviour by ascribing his failure to
discrimination against him instead of admitting lack of
ability.
7. Super-ordination and Subordination:
The most common accommodation is the establishment
and recognition of the order of super-ordination and
subordination. The organisation of any society is essentially
the result of such a type of accommodation. In the family the
relationships among parents and children are based in
terms of super-ordination and subordination.
Need for Accommodation:
Accommodation is one of the familiar and commonplace facts of
everyday life. The situation into which a child is born is never one
that satisfies the wishes of his original nature. He has to accept
the arrangements that characterize the particular group and
culture.
Such accommodations are a part of the social heritage. They are
accepted without question by the persons born and reared in the
society. All through the life, the process of accommodation goes
on, changing the person to the changing surroundings. It
involves changes in habits, attitudes, patterns of behaviour,
techniques, institutions and traditions etc., according to
18 | P a g e
changed conditions of life. Society can hardly go on without
accommodation.
Assimilation:
Assimilation is the process whereby persons and groups
acquire the culture of the other group in which they come to live,
by adopting its attitudes and values, its patterns of thinking and
behaving—in short, its way of life. Some of the definitions of
assimilation are as follows:
‘Assimilation is a process of interpenetration and fusion in which
persons and groups acquire the memories, sentiments,
attitudes of other persons or groups and by sharing their
experiences and history are incorporated with them in a cultural
life’.
—Park and Burgess
‘Assimilation is the social process whereby individuals or
groups come to share the same sentiments and goals.
—Biesanz
The process as pointed out by Fairchild, involves both
nationalisation and renationalisation. It results in the
modification of social attitudes. When different cultures come
into contact, originally it is the sentiment of mutual conflict that
is most prominent but they gradually assimilate elements from
each other.
Under assimilation the two distinct groups do not just
compromise or otherwise agree to get along with each other,
they become so much like each other that they are no longer
distinguishable as separate groups.
Like socialisation, it too, is a process of learning but it starts
when the individual comes into contact with other cultures.
19 | P a g e
Assimilation is a social and psychological process. Hayes,
however, holds that assimilation is a ‘result’ rather than a
process of interaction.
Stages in the process of assimilation:
Assimilation is slow and gradual process. It takes quite some
time before individuals or groups once dissimilar become
similar: that is, become identified in their interests and outlook.
Acculturation is the name given to the stage when one cultural
group which is in contact with another appropriates or borrows
from its certain cultural elements and incorporates them into his
own culture, thus modifying it.
For instance, the American Indians adopted cultural elements of
the Whites with whom they came in contact; but the whites also
appropriated certain cultural traits from the Indians.
Thus, assimilation has two parts or stages one is the
suppression of the parent culture, the other is the acquisition of
new ways, including new language. The two may overlap in point
of time.
The speed of the process of assimilation naturally depends on
the nature of the contacts. If the contacts are primary,
assimilation occurs naturally and rapidly but if they are
secondary, i.e., indirect and superficial the result is
accommodation rather than assimilation.
Conducive Factors:
Factors that contribute or aid to assimilation are:
1. Tolerance: Without the attitude of tolerance, assimilation is not
possible. Tolerance requires the feeling of sacrifice and
elimination of strong prejudices. It is a democratic virtue which
fosters sympathy.
20 | P a g e
2. Intimacy: Frequent close social contacts and communication
are a prerequisite for the start of assimilative process. Intimacy
dissolves the walls of ultra-individualism which separates man
from man.
3. Cultural homogeneity: Culturally homogenous groups easily
assimilate the values and goals of one another. Mutual similarity
creates mutual affinities which bring two individuals or groups
nearer to each other.
4. Equal economic opportunity: Equal economic opportunities
are required to fill the gap of disparity in wealth. It implies that
any increase in the availability of opportunities or equality in
their distribution would create conditions favourable to the
growth of assimilative process.
5. Association: Various associations, clubs, and other places of
public meetings help in the assimilative process. When people
live in the same vicinity, meet and come together, there is every
possibility of the start of the process of assimilation.
6. Amalgamation or intermarriage: Amalgamation, though a
biological process of cross-breeding, helps in cultural
assimilation. Through intermarriages members of different
racial stocks come together and adopt the cultural traits of
another group.
Hindrances:
There are also certain factors which retard or hinder the process
of assimilation. Some of these are:
1. Cultural dissimilarity: Extreme differences in cultural
background act as the most powerful impediment in the way of
assimilation. Language and religion are usually considered to be
the main constituents of culture. Same religion and language
often help in early and speedy assimilative process.
21 | P a g e
Customs and beliefs are other cultural characteristics, which
can aid or hinder assimilation. When two cultures (or groups)
share many common elements, assimilation is accelerated; the
absence of such factors acts as a barrier to the process.
2. Physical differences: Differences in physical traits and skin
colour present a formidable barrier to assimilation. This we can
see between white and Negro (black) races in which
discrimination is practised almost everywhere in the world.
Physical differences are extremely visible and can be eliminated
only by generations of intermarriage between cultural groups
concerned.
3. Feeling of superiority and inferiority: Such feeling, along with
the exploitation of the weaker section (minority group) of the
population by stronger one, is contradictory to the assimilative
process.
4. Prejudices: Stereotypes and ethnocentrism both can operate
as barriers to assimilation. Prejudices (pre-judgment) may
create a social distance between the alien and dominant
cultures.
5. Isolation: The absence of communicative interaction is
isolation. It is a situation deprived of social contacts. Isolation
signifies detached position or the act or process of attaining a
detached position. It may be spatial separation or organic.
22 | P a g e
Conclusion:
Man is a social-cultural being and society is both natural and
necessary for man. It is difficult for men to live in isolation. They
always live in various groups and associations. As members of
these groups, they act and behave in a certain manner. The
behaviour of each individual is affected by the behaviour of
others. This interaction is the essence of social life. Behaviour
systems grow out of interaction.
Without interaction there would be no social or group life. Mere
physical proximity of individuals does not unite them into a group
or social unit. It is only when they mix with one another—play or
talk together to realize a common end or even compete or
conflict with one another, that associative life exists.
Thus, interaction is the basic ingredient of social relationships.
Society is rooted in inter-action. Green defines social interaction
as “the mutual influences that individuals and groups have on
one another in their attempts to solve problems and in their
striving towards goals.
23 | P a g e
Bibliography
Books:
Fundamentals of sociology by Vidya Bhushan
Sociology by Shankra Rao
Websites:
Yourarticlelibrary.com
ThoughtCo.com
ResearchGate.net
Uregina.ca
JSTOR
24 | P a g e
