Social Structure & Interaction

Question 1

What is a social structure? /5

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is the relationship between macro theories and social structure? /2

Answer 2

focus on the structure

start with the assumption that an individual’s group membership will determine their behavior

Question 3

What are the components of social structure? /8

Answer 3

culture

social class

social institutions

status

roles

solidarity

conformity

groupthink

Question 4

What is social class? /2

Answer 4

differentiates and ranks groups of people

based on income, wealth, education, and occupation

Question 5

What are social institutions?

Answer 5

complex systems of roles organized around a central activity or social need

Question 6

What is status?

Answer 6

socially defined position characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties

Question 7

What is a status set?

Answer 7

all the statuses that a person occupies at a given time

Question 8

What is ascribed status? /3

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is achieved status? /2

Answer 9

status assumed voluntarily as a result of personal choice, merit, or direct effort

ex. education, occupation, marriage

Question 10

What are status symbols? /2

Answer 10

material signs that inform others of a person’s specific status

not necessarily associated with prestige

ex. wedding ring, vaccine passport, hijab

Question 11

What is a role? /3

Answer 11

set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status

based on a range of acceptable behavior

occupy a status = play a role

Question 12

What is a role expectation?

Answer 12

society’s definition of how a role should be played

ex. student = go to class

Question 13

What is a role performance? /2

Answer 13

how the person actually plays the role

when far from the expectation, it’s deviance

Question 14

What is a role conflict?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What is role strain?

Answer 15

incompatible demands built into a single status that a person occupies

ex. unhappy marriage

Question 16

What is solidarity? /2

Answer 16

force that connects people to each other

“glue” that binds a society

Question 17

What is mechanical solidarity? /2

Answer 17

type of community bonding that is usually found in traditional societies

based on shared beliefs, values, and performing common activities

Question 18

What is organic solidarity? /5

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What is conformity? /2

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What is groupthink? /2

Answer 20

group decisions that are made without objective thought or reason

groups of people like to agree

Question 21

What is social interaction? /3

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What is social construction of reality?

Answer 22

our perceptions/behaviors are shaped by our subjective definition of a situation and the meaning we give to it

Question 23

What is impression management?

Answer 23

all the things we do to try and control what others think of us

Question 24

What is a social group? /2

Answer 24

two or more people who interact with one another

share a common identity

Question 25

What are primary groups? /3

Answer 25

small

intimate

long-lasting

Question 26

What are secondary groups? /3

Answer 26

formal

superficial

last for a short/fixed time

Question 27

What is an in-group?

Answer 27

a group we feel an affinity or closeness

Question 28

What is in-group bias?

Answer 28

feeling that our groups are better than others

Question 29

What is an out-group?

Answer 29

a group we fell different and disconnected

Question 30

What is are reference groups?

Answer 30

people we use to evaluate ourselves

ex. celebrities, influencers

Question 31

What is a social network? /3

Answer 31

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

Question 32

What is cultural capital?

Answer 32

all individuals and collective resources available to a person

Question 33

What is role-taking?

Answer 33

When you copy the role of someone else

Ex. Of Asian descent, but acts American