Mr. Niño | Sociology | Chapter 4 |

Social Structure

• Objectives• Two major components of social structure• How social structure affects human interaction

• Define• Social structure, status, role, ascribed status, achieved status, master

status, reciprocal roles, role expectations, role performance, role set, role conflict, role strain, social institution

Section 4.1Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Society has always been viewed as a system of parts—a structure

• Social Structure—the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction

• Status—a social defined position in a group/society• Each status has a role—the behavior, rights, and obligations,

expected of someone occupying a particular status

Section 4.1Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Social Structure is built on status• Individuals occupy several statuses

• Ex: teacher/father/husband/African-American

• Statuses define where individuals fit/relate to others in a society

Status

• Ascribed and Achieved Status• Ascribed Status—a status assigned according to qualities beyond a

person’s control; based on inherited traits or age.• Ex: teenager/adult; sex, heritage, race

• Achieved Status—status based on the individuals direct efforts, skills, knowledge or abilitites.

• Ex: basketball player, actor, husband/wife, college grad

Status

• Master Status• Ranks above all other statuses• Plays greatest role in life and social identity• Can be achieved or ascribed• Changes over time (adolescence, early adulthood, midlife, late adulthood

• Ex: occupation, wealth, marital status, parenthood

Status

• Statuses serve simply as social categories• Roles are the component of social structure and bring statuses

to life• “You occupy a status. You play a role.” –Ralph Linton

• You play several roles in a day• Son/daughter, student, athlete, brother

Roles

• Most roles are reciprocal roles—corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses

• Ex: husband-wife, teacher-student, doctor-patient• Others?...

•

Roles

• Role expectations—the socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role

• Ex: doctors treat patients with skill/care; parents provide emotional and physical security for their children

• Role performance—the individual’s actual/real role behavior• Does not always match expectations• Serving many roles overwhelms• Asked to perform contradictory roles

Roles: Expectations vs. Performance

• Role set—the different roles attached to a single status• We all perform many roles• Leads to conflict and strain

• Role conflict—occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another

• Ex: good employee = go to work while being a good parent= staying home, taking care of a sick child

Roles: Conflict and Strain

• Role strain—occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the role expectation of a single status

• Boss keeps up morale, working long hours

Roles: Conflict and Strain (cont.)

• Statuses and roles determine social structure• When they are organized to satisfy one or more of the basic

needs of society, the group is called social institution• Ex: physical/emotional support, transmitting knowledge, producing

goods and services, maintaining social control• Major social institutions include: family, economy, medicine, politics, education

Social Institutions

Status Examples of Roles Conflicts/Strains

Fire-fighter Putting out fires, saving lives, wearing a uniform

Voluntarily puts self in danger but has loved ones who depend on him/her

Status/Roles Chart