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