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)