Sociology Chapter 2

What are the three steps of the "Generalized Other"?

1) Preplay- Newborn, start learning 2) Play- You start to realize that other people see the world and act differently than you 3) Game (Important!) - You learn "role taking" and begin to act out 'roles' that you experience in the world.

Which type of role or status is the most dominant?

Master statuses are relevant and dominant over most of the other roles

Give an example of a role

A college student or a role in a play, everyone acts differently as they are individuals, but regardless the role is being played out

Give an example of an ascribed status

A grandmother: you achieve being a mother but you are ascribed being a grandmother

Give an example of an achieved status

A mother or a professor

Achieved Status

A position that is earned or chosen that reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts

What is a symbol?

A shared social meaning

Ascribed Status

A social status that is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life

Master status

A status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a persons entire life. Your culture defines these statuses are more important than others

Give an example of a master status

Beauty, age, class, sexuality, race, and gender

Give an example of role strain

Being a college student and needing to write a paper for one class and also study for an exam in another

Who came up with "The Looking Glass Self"?

Cooley

What is the Definition of a Situation?

Different meanings for situations based off of the aspects of the situations

How does family influence socialization?

Especially in younger years, they influence where you go (church, camp, which school, etc) and who you hang out with

What are the major agents of socialization?

Family, religion, education, and especially peers

Who came up with the "Generalized Other"

George Herbert Mead

Give an example of the definition of a situation

Giving the middle finger in class can be funny; giving it on the road is aggressive

What is "The Looking Glass Self"?

It's your sense of self, developed by the people around you and the agents of socialization one experiences. Your view of yourself comes from the contemplation of personal qualities and impressions of how others perceive us

Are master statuses ascribed or achieved?

Most are ascribed

Give an example of the third step, "Game", in the "Generalized Other"

Seeing your mother cook and clean so you act out cooking and cleaning with imagination and props like toy foods

Define role

The expected way to act/ of behaving in the positions given to you through a status

Identity Salience Hierarchy

The various identities that compromise the self are ranked. The most important identity to you is who you are

How do you develop your "Generalized Other"?

Through socialization

Role conflict

Two roles pushing against each other; the "self" must choose which role is more important to them and choose. The roles you perform are the most important, because they make up your identity and who you are.

Role strain

When the same role pulls in multiple ways

Give an example of role conflict

When you are a student and an employee and you need to study for an exam the next day but you have to work

Give an example of "The Looking Glass Self"

Your friends all say you're very beautiful so you begin to think you're beautiful

Define status

a position in a social role; a student, parent, sibling, teacher

Give an example of a symbol

gestures or words you're socialized to know (this differs within cultures and groups)