Social Structure
Socialization: the interactive process through which individuals learn the basic skills,
values, beliefs, and behaviors of a society.
Social Structure: the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human
interaction
 Status: a socially defined position in a group/society
 Role: the norms (behaviors, rights, obligations) expected of someone occupying
a particular status
Status: a socially defined position in a group/society
 Individuals occupy several statuses
 Helps to define the relationships among individuals w/in a society
 Ascribed Status
o Assigned according to standards beyond a person’s control
 Inherited b/c of gender /ethnicity/age
 Ex: Male, White, Adult
 Achieved Status
o Acquired based on abilities, efforts or accomplishments
 Individual has some degree of control
 Ex: marital status. occupation, club/hobby
 Ex: Father, Teacher, Golfer
 Master Status
o Status that plays the greatest role in shaping a person’s life & determining
their social identity
 Ascribed or achieved
 Dynamic
Roles: the norms expected of someone occupying a particular status
 Play many roles during the course of one day
 Role Expectation v. Role Performance
o Expectation: socially determined behaviors (norms)
 Ex: Parents – physical security, emotional support; Doctor –
diagnose & treat illness/disease
o Performance: actual behavior that is carried out
 Doesn’t always meet the expectation
 Parents – abuse/molest children; Dr’s – misdiagnose, do more harm
than good
 Perform many roles during one day, hard to be “perfect”
 Role Conflict v. Role Strain
o Conflict: when fulfilling expectations of one role makes it difficult to fulfill
the expectation of another
 Ex: Parent v. Employee
o Strain: when it becomes difficult meeting the expectations of one role
 Ex: Boss – maintain positive culture v. need people to work overtime
 Role Set & Reciprocal Roles
o Set: the different roles attached to a single status
o Reciprocal: corresponding roles that define patterns of interactions btwn
statuses
 Ex: Husband v. Son
Ascribed/
Achieved
Status
Status
Status
Status
Status
Role
Reciprical
Expectation
Performance
Conflict
Strain