Socially defined position in a group or in a society

Each person has several statuses Status defines relationships Status clarifies rights and obligations

Assigned according to standards that are beyond our control

Based on inherited traits or are assigned based on reaching a certain age

Not based on abilities, accomplishments or efforts

Examples: teenagers, black, female, Ethiopian

Acquired through effort or competition

Based on special skills, knowledge or ability

Based on standards that YOU controlExample: college graduate, parent,

spouse, doctor

Status= social categoriesMaster status= plays the greatest

role in your life Determines your social identity Can be either achieved or ascribed Changes over time

The behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status

Roles bring status to life

Corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses

Examples: Husband-wife Athlete-coach Friend-friend

Socially determined behavior expected of a person performing a role “cop’s aren’t supposed to commit

crimes”- Training Day Parents are supposed to give their

children love and physical security, not abuse them- A Child Called It”

Role performance- actual role behavior A person’s actual behavior may not match

what society expects their behavior to be Sometimes behaviors that are okay in a

subgroup are not okay in the larger society▪ Example: Americans value equality, yet some

subgroups deny women this equality Sometimes roles can be contradictory to

each other

• Role set- different roles attached to a single status

• Role conflict- fulfilling the role expectations of one status make it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status– Example: good employee v. good parent

• Role strain- difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status– Example: A teacher trying to establish a good

rapport yet having to enforce the rules of the school

• A system of statuses, roles, values and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more basic needs of society– Economics- producing goods and services– Education- transmitting knowledge– Family- providing physical and emotional

support for members of the society– Law- maintaining social control– Medicine- healing the sick and injured,

caring for the dying– Military- protecting us from enemies

Politics- allocating power, determining authority, preventing chaos

Religion- dealing with ideas about life after death, the meaning of suffering and loss

Science- mastering the universe Mass media- distributing information,

molding public opinion, reporting events

• Mechanic solidarity– Pre industrial societies are held together by

the close-knit social relationships that result when a small group of people share the same values and perform the same task

• Organic solidarity– Industrial societies lead to impersonal social

relationship because of increased job specialization and individuals become dependent on other for aspects of their survival• Need becomes more important that shared values

• Gemeinschaft (community)– Close relationships, activities centered

on family and community– Strong sense of group solidarity

• Gesellschaft (society)– Relationships are based on need rather

than emotion– Individual goals are more important than

group goals