BUILDING BLOCKS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE CHAPTER 4:1

BUILDING BLOCKS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE Social structure- the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction Status- socially defined position in a group or in a society; attached to each status is one or more roles Role- the behavior- the rights and obligations- expected of someone to occupy in a particular status

STATUS everyone occupies several statuses (ex.: teacher, mother, wife, daughter, aunt, woman, friend) ascribed status- is assigned according to qualities beyond a person’s control; are based on a person’s inherited traits or are assigned when you reach a certain age (13 is a teenager; 18 is an adult); you do nothing to earn this status and cannot change it

STATUS achieved status- acquired through one’s direct efforts- skills, knowledge, or abilities (basketball player, actor, husband, or graduate); people have some control over master status- one which plays the greatest role in shaping one’s life and in determining one’s social identity; can be achieved or ascribed; In U.S., mostly achieved- parenthood, occupation, marital status, or wealth; may change over the course of one’s life

ROLES bring status to life; you occupy a status, you play a role you may play many different roles in one day most roles have reciprocal roles- corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses; ex.: mother & child, teacher & student, coach & player, friend & friend

ROLES role expectations- the socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role role performance- people’s actual role behavior (doesn’t always match expectation) role set- different roles attached to a single status; b/c we hold many statuses, we must deal with many role sets every day

ROLES role conflict- occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status (ex.: Make dinner or grade tests?) role strain- when a person has difficulties meeting the expectations of a single status (ex: grade paper, plan lessons, offer extra help, attend meetings) social institution- when statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society (ex.: family, the economy, politics, education, religion, the media, medicine, science)