Bellringer: 11/28/16 What social gatherings did you participate in over the break? What family traditions did you engage in?

Social Constructs of Reality Sociology Social Constructs of Reality

Roles in Society Another important aspect of society are the roles that each of us play within it. Roles are defined as patterns of behavior indicative of social status. For example, you guys are playing the role of student here at Merit Academy. But is that the only role you have? Examples of other roles in your life: Son / Daughter Neighbor Employee Friend, etc. And, each of these roles are tied into different statuses.

Definition of Status So what the heck is a status? Sociologists define status as the responsibilities and benefits that a person experiences according to their rank and role in society. We all have different statuses, and some are chosen, others are not! For instance, an ascribed status is one that is given to use, and we don’t have a choice about it; being your dad’s son, for instance, elderly person, gender (usually), etc. Others, made by choice, are known as achieved statuses: For example: Being a self-made millionaire A nurse A high school dropout, etc. Most of us are defined by multiple roles. These are known as a role-set.

Life is Hard! Sometimes, it can all be a bit much, can’t it? When have you struggled to “adequately” fulfill a role, for example? Chat with a neighbor for a minute about this: Some examples: Getting poor grades as a student Not getting asked to a school dance You can never get a certain someone’s approval, no matter how hard you try, etc. Sometimes, as a result of these challenges, we experience what is called role strain, where they get tired of / frustrated with the role they are playing. Being a parent for example is difficult: cooking, cleaning, driving, problem- solving, acting as a source of moral guidance— the list goes on!

Roles, Roles, Roles! Also, some of us experience role conflict; this occurs when one role and another come into conflict, and we struggle to juggle the different expectations everyone has of us: For example, a parent who also has a full-time career can experience role conflict on a daily basis. When there is a deadline at the office but a sick child needs to be picked up from school, which comes first? When you are working toward a promotion but your children want you to come to their school play, which do you choose? Examples of Role Conflict in your life? Share with a neighbor! Sociologists who want to better understand roles and how people complete them often will observe role performance, or the way that people express / complete their role(s) in life.

All the World’s a Stage! And all the men and women merely players…. Presentation of Self All the World’s a Stage! And all the men and women merely players…. Sociologist Erving Goffman suggested that in life, people are like actors on a stage. This theory is known as Dramaturgy, and he believed that we as people use “impression management” to do our best to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Thus, each situation is a new scene, and depending on who is present, we may act out a different role. For example, how would you behave around your coworkers or fellow students, versus when at grandma’s house? What about on a blind date? You may not be conscious of it, but we all alter our personality depending on the people and situation that we are in. “Impression management” is important in lots of settings. A judge has props that give the appearance of fairness: a robe, a gavel, perhaps paintings of Lady Liberty, etc. And the lawyers often choose how witnesses and defendants will dress, because appearances are important.

How We See Ourselves: Goffman based his ideas off of an even older idea: Charles Cooley in the early 1900s proposed the idea of the “Looking-Glass Self”. Basically, he said that we base our own image on what we think others see of us. We imagine how others must see us, and react to that. If we are lucky, we get the reaction we were hoping for, based on our dress, hairstyle, perfume / cologne, etc. Cooley believed that our sense of self is based upon this idea: we imagine how we look to others, draw conclusions based upon their reactions to us, and then we develop our personal sense of self. In other words, people’s reactions to us are like a mirror in which we are reflected.

For Next Time: No additional HW; get all caught up (Journal Entry #3, Max Weber; Theoretical Perspective Political Cartoon, Cartoon Analysis, etc.) Review Chapter 4; test next time!