Sociology Notes
Ch:5 L1 (red is evaluating explanation)
Culture shapes our social behavior like how we act feel and think towards
something
Without culture, we would have no blueprint (culture norms) for social living.
We learn this blueprint through socialization.
Throughout socialization we learn the structure of social groups, for example,
teacher leads and explains whilst students listen and raise hands. If it’s the
other way around students will be confused and wouldn’t know how to act.
The role of social structure, then, is to help us see how we fit into a group.
The importance of social structure is that it helps people interact, or relate
to one another, more smoothly.
social structure – the pattern of social relationships within a group.
we develop an understanding of the social structure of different groups by
watching how others act in those groups, observing statuses and roles which
are crucial parts of social structure.
Status – a position that the person occupies within a social structure
Status helps us define who and what we are in relation to others within the
same social structure.
There are two types of social status—ascribed and achieved:
ascribed status – a position in a social structure that is neither earned nor
chosen by a person to acquire but is, regardless, assigned/given to that
person.
Ascribed status is based on a person’s characteristics, (ex. age gender and
race) and treats someone not as an individual but as a member of a group
achieved status – a position in a social structure that is earned or chosen.
Mainly reflects a person’s individual accomplishments or choices.
Some ascribed statuses can change over time. Age is an example, Once a
person enters any of age’s life stage, like adulthood or old age, he or she is
expected to interact with others in accordance with society’s view of
appropriate behavior for that position.
, Social status is often hierarchical. People with higher status have the ability
to control or influence the behavior of people with lower status. Like how a
superintendent has power over the heads of education and how those have
influence over teachers, etc.
status set – all the statuses a person occupies at any given time
The status sets of two individuals can be very different, even if they have the
same status in one particular group.
master status – a position that strongly influences most other aspect of a
person's life. They can be achieved or ascribed:
occupations, usually achieved statuses, are master statuses. Why?
Because your occupation influences things like where you live, how well you
live, and how long you live.
a person has to do something to have the status of “criminal.” Once earned,
though, the status has a profound effect on a person’s life
choices. This is in part because expected behavior is often based on master
statuses.
Gender, age, race, and ethnicity are all ascribed master statuses, ascribed
because they have a membership in those groups and master statuses
because they significantly affect the likelihood of achieving other social
statuses.
For example, when will the United States have a female president? or, would
you want a fifteen-year-old or a fifty-year-old to give you advice on
comparing colleges?
Sociologists study status for several reasons. first, social status is a major
aspect of social structure, ex. ascribed status plays a huge role in
determining what opportunities someone has in life.
Secondly, sociologists are interested in the relationships among people with
different statuses.
Ch:5 L2 (red is evaluating explanation)
Role –expected behavior associated with a particular status.
Important: Think of roles as statuses in action. Whereas statuses
describe positions, roles describe behaviors.
Ch:5 L1 (red is evaluating explanation)
Culture shapes our social behavior like how we act feel and think towards
something
Without culture, we would have no blueprint (culture norms) for social living.
We learn this blueprint through socialization.
Throughout socialization we learn the structure of social groups, for example,
teacher leads and explains whilst students listen and raise hands. If it’s the
other way around students will be confused and wouldn’t know how to act.
The role of social structure, then, is to help us see how we fit into a group.
The importance of social structure is that it helps people interact, or relate
to one another, more smoothly.
social structure – the pattern of social relationships within a group.
we develop an understanding of the social structure of different groups by
watching how others act in those groups, observing statuses and roles which
are crucial parts of social structure.
Status – a position that the person occupies within a social structure
Status helps us define who and what we are in relation to others within the
same social structure.
There are two types of social status—ascribed and achieved:
ascribed status – a position in a social structure that is neither earned nor
chosen by a person to acquire but is, regardless, assigned/given to that
person.
Ascribed status is based on a person’s characteristics, (ex. age gender and
race) and treats someone not as an individual but as a member of a group
achieved status – a position in a social structure that is earned or chosen.
Mainly reflects a person’s individual accomplishments or choices.
Some ascribed statuses can change over time. Age is an example, Once a
person enters any of age’s life stage, like adulthood or old age, he or she is
expected to interact with others in accordance with society’s view of
appropriate behavior for that position.
, Social status is often hierarchical. People with higher status have the ability
to control or influence the behavior of people with lower status. Like how a
superintendent has power over the heads of education and how those have
influence over teachers, etc.
status set – all the statuses a person occupies at any given time
The status sets of two individuals can be very different, even if they have the
same status in one particular group.
master status – a position that strongly influences most other aspect of a
person's life. They can be achieved or ascribed:
occupations, usually achieved statuses, are master statuses. Why?
Because your occupation influences things like where you live, how well you
live, and how long you live.
a person has to do something to have the status of “criminal.” Once earned,
though, the status has a profound effect on a person’s life
choices. This is in part because expected behavior is often based on master
statuses.
Gender, age, race, and ethnicity are all ascribed master statuses, ascribed
because they have a membership in those groups and master statuses
because they significantly affect the likelihood of achieving other social
statuses.
For example, when will the United States have a female president? or, would
you want a fifteen-year-old or a fifty-year-old to give you advice on
comparing colleges?
Sociologists study status for several reasons. first, social status is a major
aspect of social structure, ex. ascribed status plays a huge role in
determining what opportunities someone has in life.
Secondly, sociologists are interested in the relationships among people with
different statuses.
Ch:5 L2 (red is evaluating explanation)
Role –expected behavior associated with a particular status.
Important: Think of roles as statuses in action. Whereas statuses
describe positions, roles describe behaviors.
