Social Structure and the Individual Flashcards
The boundaries people confront as they make decisions about their individual and collective actions
Social structure
Things we may have or that we acquire, such as money, education, and status, which are valuable or allow us to accomplish goals
Resources
A person’s or group’s socially determined positions within a larger group or society
Social statuses
Results at least in part from your efforts. ex; occupation, level of education, class, and marital status
Achieved status
Assigned to you by society without regard for your unique talents, efforts, or characteristics; this often happens at birth
Ascribed status
Social ranking systems
Social hierarchies
Opportunities to provide yourself with material goods, positive living conditions, and favorable life experiences
Life chances
A set of expectations about the behavior and attitudes of people who occupy a particular social status
Social role
Inconsistency between two or more of the roles we fill
Role Conflict
Consists of two or more people with similar values and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis
Social group
The rules and expectations by which a group guides the behavior of its members
Norms
Behavior that meets the rules and expectations of a group
Normative
A series of social relationships that links a person directly to other individuals (such as friends) and indirectly to even more people (for instance, friends of friends)
Social network
Enduring practices and rules (both formal and informal) that organize a central domain of social life
Social institutions
Our ability to act given the structural rules and resources that impact our behaviors
Agency