SOCIAL STRUCTURE
WHO ARE YOU?
HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOURSELF?
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
• THE NETWORK OF INTERRELATED STATUSES AND ROLES
THAT GUIDE HUMAN INTERACTION.
• VERY LOOSE DEFINITION
EMPEROR DORSEY-GORDON
• I hereby decree that every student must pay me $1 to enter my
classroom.
• Additionally, whenever I walk by in the hallway I must be saluted
with a fake trumpet sound.
• It is also necessary to fly the flag of Mr. D at all times, replacing
the American Flag.
• Lastly, pudding is now the official food of
my kingdom that extends 50 miles in all directions.
WHY WON’T ANYONE FOLLOW MY
RULES?
• BECAUSE MY STATUS IS SOCIALLY DEFINED.
• I CANNOT JUST DECIDE WHAT MY ROLES (RIGHTS AND
OBLIGATIONS) ARE, IT MUST BE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED.
• ALTHOUGH I HAVE IMMENSE POWER AS A TEACHER, I
CANNOT DECLARE MYSELF EMPEROR…
•UNLESS…
EMPEROR NORTON
• OR… HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY EMPEROR NORTON I
• IN 1859, THIS CITIZEN OF SAN FRANCISCO, DECLARED HIMSELF “EMPEROR
OF THESE UNITED STATES” AND “PROTECTOR OF MEXICO”
• MANY CONSIDERED HIM A BIT… “OFF”
• BUT NORTON WAS CELEBRATED BY OTHERS. PEOPLE
EVEN ACCEPTED THE CURRENCY THAT HE CREATED AS MONEY.
• WHEN HE DIED: OVER 30,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
STATUS – A SOCIALLY DEFINED POSITION IN A GROUP OR A
IN A SOCIETY
EACH STATUS HAS ROLES ATTACHED TO IT
ROLE – BEHAVIOR , RIGHTS, AND OBLIGATIONS
EXPECTED OF SOMEONE OCCUPYING A PARTICULAR
STATUS
THREE TYPES OF STATUS
• ASCRIBED STATUS – ASSIGNED ACCORDING TO QUALITIES
BEYOND A PERSON’S CONTROL
• EX.) AGE, BIRTH ORDER, GENDER, RACE
• ACHIEVED STATUS – ACQUIRED THROUGH DIRECT EFFORTS
• EX.) EDUCATION, PHYSICAL STATUS- TO AN EXTENT, JOBS,
MARRIAGE
• MASTER STATUS – THE STATUS THAT PLAYS THE
GREATEST ROLE IN SHAPING A PERSON’S LIFE AND
DETERMINING THEIR SOCIAL IDENTITY.
• THE ONE STATUS THAT RANKS ABOVE ALL OTHERS
• CAN BE ASCRIBED OR ACHIEVED
• USUALLY SET BY ADULTHOOD, BUT VARIABLE DURING
TEENAGE AND ADOLESCENCE YEARS
SPIDERMAN
ASCRIBED STATUS
ACHIEVED STATUS
SON
MALE
SPIDER POWERS
ONLY CHILD
PHOTOGRAPHER
SUPER HERO
STUDENT
HUSBAND
FATHER
CLONE
CAUCASIANSOMETIMES AFRICAN
AMERICAN
STATUS ASSIGNMENT – 25 POINTS
• DRAW YOURSELF IN THE CENTER… LIKE SPIDERMAN
• WRITE ASCRIBED AND ACHIEVED STATUS ON LEFT AND RIGHT
SIDES… LIKE SPIDERMAN
• ALSO PUT YOUR NAME IN THE TOP CENTER… LIKE SPIDERMAN
• FINALLY, PUT YOUR MASTER STATUS ON THE BOTTOM CENTER
MORE DETAIL ON ROLES
• STATUSES ARE SOCIAL CATEGORIES, ROLES ARE COMPONENTS
THAT BRING MEANING TO STATUS.
• “YOU OCCUPY A STATUS BUT YOU PLAY A ROLE”
• REMEMBER THE DEFINITION• ROLE – BEHAVIOR , RIGHTS, AND OBLIGATIONS EXPECTED OF
SOMEONE OCCUPYING A PARTICULAR STATUS
ROLE EXPECTATION
• SOCIALLY DETERMINED BEHAVIORS
EXPECTED OF A PERSON
PERFORMING A ROLE
• YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT A
DOCTOR TO KILL PATIENTS
• YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT A
POLITICIAN TO BE CORRUPT
• YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT A FIREMAN
TO START FIRES
ROLE PERFORMANCE
• HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY
PERFORM THESE ROLES, IS
VERY DIFFERENT
• USUALLY, SOCIETY IS
MOST OUTRAGED WHEN
PERFORMANCE DOES NOT
MATCH EXPECTATION
EVEN HARDER WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO
PERFORM MULTIPLE ROLES
• ARE STUDENTS IN MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
SPOILED?
• HOW OR WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?
• PARENTS HAVE MANY ROLES:
• THEY MUST BE PROTECTOR, AND DISCIPLINARIAN, AND HELPER
(ADVOCATE)
• ROLE CONFLICT -
OCCURS WHEN FULFILLING THE EXPECTATIONS OF ONE
ROLE MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO FULFILL THE EXPECTATIONS OF ANOTHER
STUDENT-ATHLETE
• FORGET ABOUT COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETES
• WE HAVE STUDENT ATHLETES IN THIS CLASS
• HOW DOES ROLE CONFLICT PLAY OUT IN YOUR LIFE?
• HOW DO YOU BALANCE SPORTS / CLUBS / ACADEMICS / WORK / FAMILY
OBLIGATIONS?
• ALL EXAMPLES OF ROLE CONFLICT
• ROLE STRAIN - WHEN THERE IS DIFFICULTY WITH A SINGLE STATUS
• HOW DOES A BOSS IMPROVE MORALE AND GET PEOPLE TO WORK HARD?
ROLE EXIT
• ROLE EXIT –PEOPLE DETACH FROM A ROLE THAT IS CENTRAL TO
THEIR IDENTITY
• DIVORCED PEOPLE, EX-CONVICTS, PARENTS WHO LOSE
CHILDREN, RETIRED PEOPLE
• STAGES SUCH AS DISILLUSIONMENT, AND SEARCH FOR
ALTERNATIVES FOLLOW.
• CONFLICT OCCURS BECAUSE OTHERS STILL SEE THEM IN THEIR
FORMER ROLE. THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.
•
THAT’S WHY IT CAN BE BITTER-SWEET TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL AND WHY PRISONERS HAVE A 60-70%
RECIDUVISM RATE.