Social Structure
Status Socially defined position in a group or in a society Each person has several statuses Status defines relationships Status clarifies rights and obligations
Ascribed Status Assigned according to standards that are beyond our control Based on inherited traits or are assigned based on reaching a certain age Not based on abilities, accomplishments or efforts Examples: teenagers, black, female, Ethiopian
Achieved Status Acquired through effort or competition Based on special skills, knowledge or ability Based on standards that YOU control Example: college graduate, parent, spouse, doctor
More on Status Status= social categories Master status= plays the greatest role in your life Determines your social identity Can be either achieved or ascribed Changes over time
Role The behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status Roles bring status to life
Reciprocal Roles Corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses Examples: Husband-wife Athlete-coach Friend-friend
Role Expectations Socially determined behavior expected of a person performing a role “cop’s aren’t supposed to commit crimes”- Training Day Parents are supposed to give their children love and physical security, not abuse them- A Child Called It”
More On Roles Role performance- actual role behavior A person’s actual behavior may not match what society expects their behavior to be Sometimes behaviors that are okay in a subgroup are not okay in the larger society Example: Americans value equality, yet some subgroups deny women this equality Sometimes roles can be contradictory to each other
Even more on Roles Role set- different roles attached to a single status Role conflict- fulfilling the role expectations of one status make it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status Example: good employee v. good parent Role strain- difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status Example: A teacher trying to establish a good rapport yet having to enforce the rules of the school
Social Institutions A system of statuses, roles, values and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more basic needs of society Economics- producing goods and services Education- transmitting knowledge Family- providing physical and emotional support for members of the society Law- maintaining social control Medicine- healing the sick and injured, caring for the dying Military- protecting us from enemies
More examples of Social Institutions Politics- allocating power, determining authority, preventing chaos Religion- dealing with ideas about life after death, the meaning of suffering and loss Science- mastering the universe Mass media- distributing information, molding public opinion, reporting events
Contrasting Societies Mechanic solidarity Pre industrial societies are held together by the close-knit social relationships that result when a small group of people share the same values and perform the same task Organic solidarity Industrial societies lead to impersonal social relationship because of increased job specialization and individuals become dependent on other for aspects of their survival Need becomes more important that shared values
Contrasting Societies Gemeinschaft (community) Close relationships, activities centered on family and community Strong sense of group solidarity Gesellschaft (society) Relationships are based on need rather than emotion Individual goals are more important than group goals