Social Structure

  Social Structure the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction   Status a socially defined position in a group or in a society

Is status given to someone or are we born into it? There are three types of status:

Ascribed Status   status that is assigned according to qualities beyond a person’s control   not based on a individual’s abilities, efforts, or accomplishments   based on person’s inherited traits or assigned automatically when a person reaches a certain age   you don’t earn it, and you can’t change it

Ascribed Status  Examples: Infant Infant Toddler Toddler Teenager Teenager Adult Adult Man Man Woman Woman etc etc

Achieved Status   status acquired through their own effort   efforts include special skills, knowledge, or abilities   people have control over their achieved status

Achieved Status  Examples Baseball players Actors Husband Wife Parent etc

Master Status   one status takes rank above all others   status that plays the greatest role in a person’s life and determining his or her social identity   can be ascribed or achieved   changes over the course of life; often based on one’s occupation

Roles

  Role the behavior – the rights and obligations – expected of someone occupying a particular status

  Role Expectations The socially determines behaviors expected of a person performing a role Example: doctors are expected to treat their patients with skill and care

Are expectations always met?   Role Performance their actual role behavior people’s performance don’t always match their expected behavior

Does a single status have only one role?   Role Set different roles attached to a single status   Role Conflict occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status

  Role Strain occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status