Building Blocks of Social
Structure
4.1
Social Structure
 Social structure gives a society its enduring
characteristics and makes patterns of human
interaction predictable
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Sociologist view society as a system of interrelated parts, as
structure since Comte
 Social structure: network of interrelated statuses and
roles that guide human interaction
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Status: socially defined position in a group or in a society
Roles: the behavior- the rights and obligations expected of
someone occupying a particular status
Ascribed Status
 Each individual in society occupies several statuses
 Father, husband, teacher, coach, spiritual leader of family
 Define where individuals fit in society and how they relate to
others in society
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What is your status……..?
 Ascribed status: assigned according to qualities
beyond a person’s control
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Inherited traits: race, nationality etc
Reach a certain age: teenager, young adult, adult
Did nothing to earn it
Cannot change it
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Other ascribed statuses……?
Achieved Status
 Achieved status: acquired through the individuals
own direct efforts
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Have control over achieved status
All occupations can be achieved status in U.S
Special skills and knowledge
 Special abilities
 Becoming a sports star
 Becoming a lawyer
 Husband
 Wife
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Master Status
 Master Status: all individuals hold many statuses;
one status may rank above all others….master status
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Can be achieved or ascribed
U.S. adult’s master status is usually achieved
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Occupation, wealth, marital status, or parenthood
Changes over course of life
Teenage years-student or athlete
 Adulthood- based on occupation
 Late adulthood- being a grandparent or past accomplishments
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Roles
 Roles: component of social structure that bring
statuses to life
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Occupy a status, play a role
Play many different roles during the day
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What roles do you play…… at school/at home/friends?
Reciprocal roles: corresponding roles that define the patterns
of interaction between related statuses
Can not be a husband without a wife
 Can not be a parent with out a child
 Doctor patient
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Role Expectations
 Role expectations: socially determined behavior
expected of a person performing a role
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People interact with one another their behavior corresponds
to the particular roles they are playing
Parents provide love and nurturing for their children
 Police uphold the law
 Children respect parents and adults
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Role Performance
 Role performance: actual role behavior- does not
match the behavior expected by society
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Problems arise because role behaviors considered appropriate
by a certain segment of society are seen as inappropriate by
society as a whole
May try to fulfill the role but may fall short of expectations
 Problem occurs because each of us is asked to perform many
roles, some of which are contradictory
 Parents mistreat their children
 Doctors do not provide the best care for their patients
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Role Set/Conflict
 Single status, still many interrelated roles to perform
 Role set: different roles attached to a single status
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Wear many “hats”!!!
 Role conflict: fulfilling the role expectations of one status
makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of
another role
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Be good employee, got to go to work, but to be a good parent one
needs to be home and take care of a sick child
 Role strain: occurs when a person has difficulty meeting
the role expectations of a single status
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Maintain morale by a boss when having the employees work long
hours
 Social Institutions: statuses and roles organized to satisfy
one or more of the basic needs of society
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Basic Needs of Society
Physical and emotional support
 Transmitting knowledge
 Producing goods and services
 Maintaining social control
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Social Institutions:
Media
 Medicine
 Science
 Family
 Religion
 Education
 politics
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