Reading Activities and Notes
Chapter 4 Section 1
Status and Roles Comprehension
Directions: Review the first chart. Review the definitions for status and roles and
study the given examples. Answer the question below the chart.
Status
Examples of Roles
Fire Fighter
Mother
1.
2.
3.
4.
Putting fires out
Saving lives
Wearing a uniform
Driving a fire truck
1.
2.
3.
4.
Providing food and shelter
nurturing family
disciplining children
cleaning house
Question: Read the chart above. In the space below, explain the difference between the statuses
and roles.
Complete the following chart by filling in the missing status and roles.
1. Usually, earns money to take care
of the family.
2. Usually makes the major
decisions for the family.
3. Often likes to watch/play sports.
Father
Movie Star
1.
2.
3.
Usually, earn money by acting
Entertain people
They usually have their own
charming point
4. They have specific traits
*****Read Chapter 4 Section 1*****
Reading Activities and Notes
Complete the chart below by reading the directions in each box.
Status
Examples of Roles
Study to obtain knowledge
Follow the school rule
Do homework
Respect teacher
Student
Teenager
Concept
Usually, they go to school and take education
Play with friends
Help parents
Define the following concepts:
Definition
Status
Socially defined position in a group or in a society
Master Status
Role
Greatest role in shaping a person’s life and determining his/her
social identity
The master status is often the most important part in the
composition of an individual’s identity.
Are the component of social structure that bring statuses to life
Role Set
Different roles attached to a single status
Reading Activities and Notes
Status/Role Web Charts
Directions: For the following status web charts below, type in your master status in
the center circle. Then, in the outer circles, state the role set that accompanies the
status by describing the roles in the surrounding circles. Do the same thing for your
secondary status web chart.
Master Status
Study in
school to be
sophisticated
adult in future.
Communicate
with friends.
Follow the
school rules
Student
Learn to have
responsibilities
by finishing
HW or other
way.
Respect
teachers
Reading Activities and Notes
Secondary Status
Follow teachers
direction.
Follow the low
Go to school
and study
Teenager
Help parents
Play with
friends(commun
ication)
Define the following concepts:
Concept
Reciprocal Roles
Definition
Corresponding roles that define the
patterns of interaction between related
status
Reading Activities and Notes
A role or roles that cannot be played
because of another role
Role Conflict
When fulfilling the role expectations of
one status makes it difficult to fulfill the
role expectations of another status
When a person has difficulty with single
role.
Role Strain
Answer the following questions in the space below each item.
1. What is the reciprocal role example provided in the book? List 3 pairs of statuses
that would contain reciprocal roles. Explain why each status has a reciprocal role.
Doctor-patient
Athlete-coach
Friend-friend
2. In either of your status web charts above, are their any reciprocal roles that help
define your status. If so, what are the reciprocal roles?
Student-teacher
Son-parents
Complete the chart below:
Directions: Complete the chart below by providing the book example and your
example. In the last two columns describe the differences between Role Strain and
Role Conflict.
Role Strain
Role Conflict
Book Example
Your
Example
Boss who must
maintain the
morale of
workers while
getting them to
work long
periods of
overtime
I need to
study hard
for TOEFL
but I was
lazy to
study so I
didn’t
Be a good
employee an
individual needs
to stay home
and take care of
a sick child
I want to
study for
TOEFL but
I cannot
study for it
because of
my huge
homework
Similarity
Difference
They both
have
difficulty
with their
expected role
Role strain have
difficulty
because of
another role but
role conflict has
difficulty of
single status or
role.
Reading Activities and Notes
Review the two Status Webs Charts above and
answer the following questions:

Examine your master status. What are the role strains you experience when
fulfilling your master status? Explain how you experience this strain.
My master status is the student. Strain is the homework. When I had many homework,
I couldn’t finish them all

Examine both statuses you identified. What are some possible role conflicts that
might occur between these two statuses? Explain these conflicts and why they
might happen.
Vocabulary Synthesis: For each word, create your own synthesized definition using
your own words. Review the VRS and the notes above. Then, synthesize the two
definitions to create one definition for the key terms below. Do not use the book for
this exercise.
Word
Role
Expectations
Ascribed
Definition
Are the component of social
structure that bring statuses to
life
Hope which someone want
he/she to do so.
Give something as cause
Status
One’s position
Achieved
Status
Role
Performance
Succeeded
One’s position
component of social structure
that bring statuses to life
Act something
Concept Synthesis
Role Expectations:
Expected in a person’s
behavior, play in role
Ascribed Status:
A person is being its position
because of one’s inherited
status
Achieved Status:
A person’s own direct effort
includes special skills,
knowledge or abilities.
Role Performance:
Their performance in role
playing
Reading Activities and Notes
Complete the chart below:
Ascribed Status
Achieved Status
Book Example
Your
Example
Because of your
age. You did
nothing to earn
this status neither
can you change it.
Other examples of
ascribed status
include your sec,
family heritage
and race.
Because I am
17, I cannot
drink with
father.
A person achieves
the status of
basketball player
because of his or
her physical skills
and knowledge of
the game.
Because I
studied hard,
I could get
500 in
TOEFUL
Similarity
Difference
Both are result
of being
something or
doing
something
One is without
effort and one is
result of effort
1. In your Status Web Charts above, describe whether your statuses are ascribed
statuses or achieved statuses. Explain why!!!
My status is ascribed status because I want to work but because I am student, I cannot
work.
2. In the right column list 3 status examples you have not use above. In the second
column, describe at least two role expectations for each example status. Finally,
in the third column, explain each status’s role performance problems.
Status
Role Expectations
Role Performance Problems
Example: Doctor
Example: Treat patients with
skill
Treat patients with care
Honest with patients
Example: Doctor focuses on
making money and ignores
patient needs.
House Designer
Design attractive room
Design convenient room
Police
Help people
Capture criminals
Teacher
Teach in effective way
Teach students norm and
morals
There are no customers who
buy his designed room
People might say this room is
uncomfortable
Might lose criminals
Couldn’t save person’s life
Students might hate that
teacher because he/she teach
too passion way
If teacher make mistake, it
will affect to all the students.
And it will be pressure for
teacher
Reading Activities and Notes