Social Structure and Status
CHAPTER 5 SECTION 1
Section Preview
 We will cover:
 Social Structure
 Status
 Ascribe Status
 Achieved status
 Journal #21
 What status do you have? Examples of statuses I have are
teacher, brother, son, etc.
Role Play
 I need six volunteers
 One student represents status by being a “student”

As a class brainstorm a list of expectations and responsibilities of
being a student.
 Other volunteers will act out the first five items listed.
 Students doing the actions are roles while the first
student is status.
 Journal #21


What status do you have? Examples of statuses I have are teacher,
brother, son, etc.
Do students have more roles than statuses? Why do you think that
might be?
What is social structure?
 Social structure – the underlying patterns of
relationships in a group.
 What does that mean?
Status
 We are not born with mental maps of our status, we
must learn.
 Status – a position a person occupies within a social
structure.

Student, doctor, teacher, mother, son, etc.
 Status helps us define who and what we are in
relation to others within a the same social structure.
 Why do you think sociologists study status?
Ascribed vs. Achieved Status
 There are two basic types of social statuses:
 Ascribed and Achieved
 Ascribed Status – a position that is neither earned
nor chosen but assigned.

Male/Female
 Achieved Status – a position that is chosen or
earned.

Husband/Wife, teacher, pro football player, etc
 Demonstration
 Number off every third person.
Status Set
 As a student you do not occupy just one status
 Status Set – all of the statuses that a person occupies
at a particular time.
 Do people with a similar status share the same status
sets?
Master Status
 Are there statuses that you hold that are more important to you
than others?

If so, there statuses are called master status
 Master Status – a position that strongly affects most other aspects
of a person’s life.
 Some statuses have a stronger influence on where, how well, and
how long you live.
 Do you think there is such a thing as ascribed or achieved master
statuses?
 With a partner:


Make a list of five famous people in history (max of three people living)
For each person, list their master status and how that influences how we think of
them now.

Example: Abe Lincoln
In class assignment
 Section 1 Assessment: #1-9
 You only have to write the letter a,b,c,d