Ascribed Status  The social status a person is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life. It is a position that is neither earned nor chosen, but assigned  Example: Race, Ethnicity, Gender or Age

Ascribed Status

Achieved Status  Earned or gained through individual effort  Not necessarily tried to group or class  Example: Education / Occupation  Social mobility is possible  It reflects personal skills, abilities and efforts.

Achieved Status

Norms  Laws that govern society’s behaviours  They are based on social control.  Norms allow for a sense of conformity in any given society/culture  Those who do not follow the social norms are labelled as deviants

Norms  Informal Norms: Based on routines that people follow everyday. Legal punishment is not linked to informal norms, but warnings can occur. Example: Incest is not illegal, but is considered “wrong” in our society  Formal Norms: Based on norms that are linked to laws. Example: Driving on the right side of the road

Mores  Mores are norms that are more widely observed by a society and have a greater moral significance.  The term originated from Sociologist William Graham Sumner  Mores distinguish the difference between right and wrong Example: Social taboos such as murder or uttering the name of God in some cultures

Folkways  Also created by William Graham Sumner  Folkways are norms for routine or casual interaction. This includes ideas about appropriate greetings and proper dress in different situations  Folkways draw a line between right and rude Example: Respecting individuals right to privacy in the bathroom or burping during a dinner party

Reflection Activity  Make a list of 20 norms you follow everyday  Explain what would happen if you broke each one of them.  Which social norm would you be willing to break today?  What are some cultural norms from other countries that you know of?  Who in our culture would you considered to be a social deviant (living outside of the norms of society)? Explain your choices  Due at the end of class Worth 5 points!