Chapter 5: Social Interaction

1. Social Structure

1. Status: Terms

1. status: a recognized social position that an individual occupies. It defines who and what we are in relation to others.
2. status set: consists of all the statuses a person holds at a given time.
3. ascribed status: a social position that one receives at birth or involuntarily assumes later in life.
4. achieved status: a social position that one assumes voluntarily and that reflects personal ability and effort.
5. master status: a status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping one’s entire life.

1. Role: Terms

1. role: behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status.
2. role set: a number of roles attached to a single status.
3. role conflict: the incompatibility among roles corresponding to two or more different statuses.
4. role strain: the incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status.
5. role exit: the process by which people disengage from social roles that have been central to their lives.

Remember: People hold status. People perform roles.