Social interaction and social process

Social Interaction :
   While presenting the theory of beginning of society, John Locke says: "Man is peace-loving from the very beginning and because of his weak instinct it was in his very nature to depend on others for which he established relations and group and social life came into existence." These contacts and relations were the
cause of social interaction and are still present in the social life by social interaction. Emile Durkheim thinks that: "An individual has no place or position and all of his progress is due to relation and interaction with other people."
 
Social interaction is the most important source of bringing about a society. Man is obliged to live with others and being separate from society his personality can not grow. When a man lives with others, he is either impressed by others or he impresses others. That is why it is said that "Social interaction is a continuous
and a two-way relation which is established between two or more individuals." F.E. Merill
       

Definitions of Social Interaction
A.W. Green :
   " Those mutual influences which groups or individuals exert on each other in the effort of achievement of aims and solution of problems."

Sorokin :
     "Social interaction is such an activity or incident with the help of which one party affects the mental condition and external actions of another group."

C.H. Persell :
     "The ways people behave in relation to one another by means of language, gesture and symbols."
     The above definitions show that "Two or more individual affect each other internally or externally, it is called social interaction." Interaction does not require the individuals face to face but is possible through modern means of communications like letter writing and internet etc. It may be positive or negative and under its influence, competition or conflicts can take place.