Name _________________________________ Date ____________________________
Sociology 12 - Unit 4—Social Organization (Social Stratification Assignment)
4.2 examine the role of social stratification in the organization of human societies, in relation to
gender, race, and socio-economic status
• Define social stratification and its related concepts (i.e., status and role).
See chapter 8 and 5 to define the terms related to social stratification, status, and role.
1. Social stratification
is the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their
control over basic resources
2. Life chances
describes the extent to which persons have access to important scarce
resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and employment
3. Social marginality
is the state of being part insider and part outsider in the social
structure
4. Stigma
is any physical or social attribute or sign that so devalues a person’s
social identity that it disqualifies that person from full social acceptance
5. Status
is a socially defined position in a group or society characterized by
certain expectations, rights, and duties
6. Status set
is made up of all the statuses that a person occupies at a given time
7. Ascribed status
is a social position conferred at birth or received involuntarily later in
life
8. Achieved status
is a social position a person assumes voluntarily as a result of
personal choice, merit, or direct effort
9. Master status
is the most important status a person occupies
10. Status symbol
are material signs that inform others of a person’s specific status
11. Role
is a set of behavioural expectations associated with a given status
12. Role expectation
is a group’s or society’s definition of the way a specific role ought to be
played
13. Role performance
is how a person actually plays the role
14. Role ambiguity
occurs when the expectations associated with a role are unclear
15. Role conflict
occurs when incompatible role demands are placed on a person by
two or more statuses held at the same time
16. Role strain
occurs when incompatible demands are built into a single status that a
person occupies
17. Role distancing
occurs when people consciously foster the impression of a lack of
commitment or attachment to a particular role and merely go through
the motions of role performance
18. Role exit
occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been
central to their identity