Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

Often, an occupational status is the most dominant, usually because individuals spendso much of their time working. An ascribed status is one that a person has no control over, like race or gender. An achieved status is one that a person has earned; this type of status changes according to an individual’s behaviors. On occasion, a status inconsistency, a contradictory set of statuses applied to one person, appears in a society. • A role is an established pattern of behavior, usually associated with a set of obligationsand privileges. Many roles are attached to a particular social status. In fact, a single status may have a role set, many related roles. Roles are more flexible and undergo redefinition almost constantly. Role expectations are the social norms attributed to a certain role and determine how a person behaves in that role. This may, in fact, contradict the actual role performance , or actual behavior exhibited by someone in that role. Sometimes, a person who has several different social statuses, each with different roles attached to it, can become confused and experience role confusion. Role strain refers to the problem that results from too many expectations being inherent in one role. Role conflict is the problem that occurs when two or more ofa person’s roles contradict each other. • A group is two or more people who share common ideas, feelings, or pursuits andwho interact with a social structure. Most social interaction occurs in groups, also called social systems. A primary group is the smaller number of individuals who know one another and interact more frequently and intimately. A secondary group consists of persons in thesame roles united in a specific, short-term, impersonal scenario. o An aggregate is different because it is made up of people who happen to be in the same location at the same time. Social categories are not technically groups, either, because they are people who are connected by an ideal, but who lack social structure. • A social institution is an established set of roles, statuses, and groups, all of which share common norms and values that has developed out of social need. The common features of a social institution are: o Resistant to change o Unanimously accepted – usually without question o Interdependent o Successive change – when one institution changes, others tend to change as well o Failure of an institution equates to social problems These structures of society are seen in communities throughout the nation; communities tend to focus on home and workplace structures and the daily interactions that occur there. A society is known as the cumulative institutions that are needed to meet the needs of humanity. The world system is an interrelated conjunction of all the societies in the world, interacting on economic, political, and cultural levels. Perspectives on Societal Structure The functionalist and conflict viewpoints each view the structure and makeup of societydifferently. • Functional Perspective: Functionalists are concerned with the stability of the entire social system and how an institution affects that stability. Failure of an institution is labeled as a

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