Social Structure & Interaction Flashcards
What is a social structure? /5
stable pattern of relationships that exits within a particular group or society
connects the individual to the larger society
defined by culture
learned through socialization
macro theories
What is the relationship between macro theories and social structure? /2
focus on the structure
start with the assumption that an individual’s group membership will determine their behavior
What are the components of social structure? /8
culture
social class
social institutions
status
roles
solidarity
conformity
groupthink
What is social class? /2
differentiates and ranks groups of people
based on income, wealth, education, and occupation
What are social institutions?
complex systems of roles organized around a central activity or social need
What is status?
socially defined position characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties
What is a status set?
all the statuses that a person occupies at a given time
What is ascribed status? /3
status given at birth
received involuntarily later in life; individual has no control
can have a significant influence on the achieved statuses we attain
ex. ethnicity, sex, disability
What is achieved status? /2
status assumed voluntarily as a result of personal choice, merit, or direct effort
ex. education, occupation, marriage
What are status symbols? /2
material signs that inform others of a person’s specific status
not necessarily associated with prestige
ex. wedding ring, vaccine passport, hijab
What is a role? /3
set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status
based on a range of acceptable behavior
occupy a status = play a role
What is a role expectation?
society’s definition of how a role should be played
ex. student = go to class
What is a role performance? /2
how the person actually plays the role
when far from the expectation, it’s deviance
What is a role conflict?
when two or more statuses place incompatible demands on the person
ex. mother and manager - when child is sick on the day of an important meeting, female athletes
What is role strain?
incompatible demands built into a single status that a person occupies
ex. unhappy marriage
What is solidarity? /2
force that connects people to each other
“glue” that binds a society
What is mechanical solidarity? /2
type of community bonding that is usually found in traditional societies
based on shared beliefs, values, and performing common activities
What is organic solidarity? /5
when people live in a society with a diverse division of labor
more complex societies = change from mechanical to organic
division of labor = variety of jobs (ex) : forces people to depend on one another
beliefs and values remain important
interdependence binds people together
What is conformity? /2
process in which we alter our behavior, attitudes, and opinions based on what we think is socially appropriate
unwillingness = risk of social rejection
ex. marriage
What is groupthink? /2
group decisions that are made without objective thought or reason
groups of people like to agree
What is social interaction? /3
process by which people act/respond to others
foundation for all relationships and groups in society
communication allows us to express ourselves and understand others = orderly social relationships
What is social construction of reality?
our perceptions/behaviors are shaped by our subjective definition of a situation and the meaning we give to it
What is impression management?
all the things we do to try and control what others think of us
What is a social group? /2
two or more people who interact with one another
share a common identity
What are primary groups? /3
small
intimate
long-lasting
What are secondary groups? /3
formal
superficial
last for a short/fixed time
What is an in-group?
a group we feel an affinity or closeness
What is in-group bias?
feeling that our groups are better than others
What is an out-group?
a group we fell different and disconnected
What is are reference groups?
people we use to evaluate ourselves
ex. celebrities, influencers
What is a social network? /3
web of ties you have with others
basic tools used by individuals to meet other people, have fun, and find social support
help create cultural capital
What is cultural capital?
all individuals and collective resources available to a person
What is role-taking?
When you copy the role of someone else
Ex. Of Asian descent, but acts American
