Social Structure, Social Status, Social Roles
Social status
A position in a social system or social positions; the building blocks in social structure positions within social structure
Reciprocal role
A role with a corresponding set of expectations to another role
Social structure
Patterns around which society is organised; framework of society; backbone of society even before one is born
Status incumbet
People who occupy positions in a social system at a given time
George Herbert Mead
Proponent of Symbolic Interactionism
Robert Park
Proponent of the Role Theory
Your response-your action
Results from your interpretation of a symbol
Norms
Rules of behaviour that define acceptable conduct
Exchange Theory
Social action as an ongoing interchange or exchange of activities between individuals who decide whether they will perform a given action based on its relative rewards or cost
Achieved
The status describing the positions that we attain through our own efforts, education or occupation
Ascribed
The status describing the positions we attain through circumstances of our birth and that we can do nothing to change Ex. Race-ethnicity, gender
Cooperative relationships, and Linkages with others, to the social structure or the patterns that underly social life
Central in the Symbolic Interaction Theory
Role distancing
Happens when an individual disagrees with the expectations associated with a particular role; individual may try to de-emphasize the importance of that role. An act of separating oneself from the role.
Role conflict
Happens when some roles performed conflicts with other major roles. Ex. A mother vs. being a teacher simultaneously
Role strain
Happens when the role demands are more than one can adequately fulfill
Erving Goffman's Dramaturgical Theory
"The show must go on." - We do cover up for embarrassing situations, just so to move on -We cover up the failure of others to perform their expected roles
Social exchanges
Always involve the element of power
Social roles
Always reciprocal. For every defined...there is a reciprocal role with a corresponding set of expectations Ex. You can't be a student without a teacher, or a parent without having a child
Act in ways that conform to social roles--we legitimise them
As said in the Role Theory (Robert Park), in each of our interactions we...
Symbols
Basic to social life; presented and intepreted in our interactions
Status, roles
Elements of social structure
Role
Expected patterns of behavior, obligations, and priviliges attached to a given status
Social Roles
Expected patterns of behaviour, obligations and priviliges attached to a given status; the characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual.
Form the basis of Society
In applying the ideas of the symbolic interactionists, in the ability to assume others' roles and to interpret symbols we...
Valid Real
In the Role Theory (Robert Park), we help promote the view that social roles are... By fulfilling our social roles we help make them...
Social structure
In the Role Theory, we are constantly constructing and maintaining the...
Social interaction
In the Symbolic interaction theory, this involves a constant process of presenting and interpreting symbols
"Rewards" and "Cost" (Exchange Theory)
Involves not only money, but also non-material things like love and esteem
Misinterpretation
Issue in the Symbolic Interaction Theory
Roles
May also be seen as a way to simplify our understanding of the world and to smoothen our interactions with others
Master
Most important status occupied and affects almost all aspects of one's life
Ascribed-involuntary
No control over, positions we attain through circumstances of our birth Ex. race-ethnicity, sex, age, family, economic status
Ascribed and Achieved
Statuses involved in the Role Theory
The symbolic interaction theory
Taking others' roles
Roles
The norms or expectations associated with statuses, these define the obligations and expectations associated with a status
Role prescription
The norms permissible and behaviour desirable
Exchange Theory
The perspective that focuses on the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and the reasons underlying individual's choices
Role Theory
The perspective that looks at the social norms that influence people's actions
Symbolic interactionism
The perspective that looks at the thought processes
Role exit
The process where the person starts to disengage from his/her particular role or social role. Ex. ex-priest, ex-nun
George Homans
The proponent of the Exchange Theory and believes we can better understand society by examining interactions between people, specifically the pattern of rewards and costs that occur within said relationships.
Exchange Theory Role Theory Symbolic interactionism
The three perspectives in creating social structure through interactions
Role Theory
Through this, life is relatively predictable from day to day or from situation to situation
Ascibred-involuntary Achieved-earned Master Status set Status incumbents
Types of Social status
Idea of power
Useful if it is viewed in terms of a relationship between two or more elements of social network--you cannot be powerful by yourself
"Take the role of the other person."
When you think about what that person must be thinking or trying to tell you, and you interpret the symbol
Achieved-earned
Worked for it, merit choice, positions that we attain through our own efforts Ex. education, occupation