Social Structure
Social structure = regular patterns of behaviour and organized social arrangements that persist through time
2 building blocks:
- Status
- Role
Status
- recognized social position that a person occupies
- Defines relationships
- built in norms
Status set: All statuses a person holds at a given time
There are 2 categories of status:
- Ascribed status: Social position a person receives at birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. Little or no choice
- Achieved status: Social position a person achieves voluntarily that reflects ability and effort
Master Status: Status that has special importance for social identity (ex: becoming a prime minister, or being disabled). This is the main way you are seen by others, and the way you see yourself.
- Personal reflection: If you become famous, this will be your master status. You might pigeonhole yourself.
Role
- Behaviour expected of someone who holds a particular status
- varies by culture
- varies from person to person
Role Strain refers to tension between roles connected to a single status. Ex: Being a school principle is being warm and welcoming, a person that you can turn to. However, a principal is also someone who disciplines.
Role ? Process of disengaging from important social statuses and their corresponding roles. May need to redefine, rebuild relationships or find new group