Social Structure & Interaction Assignment

1) How do ascribed and achieved statuses serve to identify who a person is in a culture?
What are reference groups? How are reference groups experienced in society?

An ascribed status is one that people have little or no choice in occupying, and is
normally assigned at birth. An achieved status comes from talents, choices, actions, and
accomplishments. Ascribed status is normally used to identify cultural sub-groups, classes, or
privileges in society. The way ascribed status is interpreted is also different from culture to
culture. For example, being elderly in China is a position of respect, but being called old in the
United States is more of a derogatory term. Achieved statuses is also a means of how people in
society look at you, but it can be changed. For example, being a student, doctor, or teacher are all
achieved statuses, but can be changed relatively easily in comparison to an ascribed status.
A reference group is any group that an individual compares themselves to.
Reference groups tend to serve two major purposes. The first is that they set standards for
different views, attitudes, and beliefs. Different reference groups will have different standards, so
they have an influence on the way people can perceive similar situations. The second purpose is
to be a standard to which people compare themselves to. People tend to measure every part of
themselves to these groups, from level of skill to basic appearance. (David Shin)

2. What is a social role (give examples)? How does one violate his or her role? What is
meant by role exit? And how does role exit relate to the socialization process? Distinguish
between primary and secondary groups (give examples).

Social roles refer to the expected behavior from a social status. If you were a police
officer, you were expected to enforce the law. If you were a student, you were expected to go to
school and study. If you were a parent, you were expected to care for your child.
Violating ones role refers to role conflict. Role conflict occurs when incompatible
expectations arise from two or more social statuses held by the same person. In a situation where
a long time worker suddenly gets promoted to a managerial position, the worker now has two
social roles. The worker would have made friends with his/her fellow co-workers from working
there so long. The worker is now a supervisor and a friend. If a co-worker that was his/her friend
wasnt working to his/her full potential should the supervisor fire him/her? The supervisor will
have to make a decision that will violate one of his/her roles.
Role exit refers to a person leaving from ones self-identity to establish a new role and
identity. This happens to many of us when we change careers. We quit our job and may go back
to school for a new form of education. After that, we find a new job, starting a new career.
Primary group refers to a small group that we are closely bonded with. Families and close friends
constitute primary groups. A sports team may also be another example of primary group. When
we join a sports team, at first, we may not see them as close friends. But after getting to know
them for a year, you become a lot closer. Secondary group refers to an impersonal group in
which there is little social intimacy between everyone. An example of a secondary group is a
general club in high school. Key club was a big club at my school with over 100 members. It was
about volunteering to help people but because it was so big, you didnt know everyone in the
club. (RICHARD LAI)

3. What is meant by in-group and out-group? How is in-group connected to primary

group? How is out group connected to secondary group?

In- group is where it is a group of people who share a common identity and interest. Out-
groups is the opposite of what an in-group would be. People who dont belong or do not share a
common interest. Primary groups are small groups of individuals who you share an interest with
and are usually people who are significant in your life. These are usually interactions that are
face to face and are more long term commitment and are usually seen for emotional bases. In-
group is connected to primary group because the individual has a sense of belonging and have a
shared interests in something. In-groups can lead to primary groups because every day you are
interacting with people. You meet others and become friends with those who you share a
common interest with and could lead to lifelong friendship which are made of a fairly small
group of individuals significant to your life.

Secondary groups are large groups of individuals whose interactions are goal and tasked
oriented and often impersonal. Out groups are connected to secondary groups because we tend to
only interact with individuals when there is a task at hand. There is a mutual understanding of the
goal at hand and little intimate conversation in-between. The only common interest is finishing
that tasked together as a group and afterwards each individual continues on living their life.
These interactions are often quite short and often dont involve any emotions. (Tanya Chen)

4) What are the five functional prerequisites that a society must satisfy if it is to survive?
The 5 prerequisites for a society to survive are family, education, religion, economy, and
government. Each of these helps contribute to social order collectively. Family plays a role in the
creation of offspring and the continuation of the species. In additional to biological production
there is also social reproduction. This entails the teaching them how to survive, teaching them
culture, providing safety, and care. Education is taught to be more formal and understand the
larger public of society. It also teaches members of the family to step outside of their group and
interact with others in society. Religion is used for many different things such as discipline in
how to be a good person in society, shared beliefs and practices, and answering basic answers
about the meaning of life. Government and how its helps keep order in a society, is the 4th
needed component. Government does this by enforcing law, authorities, punishment, public
officials, and forming and stabilizing foreign diplomacy. The last thing a surviving society
should have is the economy. This is the heart of production, distribution, consumptions of goods
and services.
Describe the differences between organic and mechanical solidarity.
Durkheims idea of mechanical solidarity is the idea that there is social connection with

everyones experiences, knowledge, and skill in which things function the way they have always

ran. These people tend to do the same work over time, from generation to generation. If there is

someone who wants to get off track then they will be view as a threat to their stability since there

is no room for change. Now with organic solidarity, there is a clear understanding that we are

more independent. It states that we need one another but we are starting to be alone more and

more. One is the extreme division of labor and the other is minimal division of labor. mechanical

is also traditional while organic is more modern. (David Alvarez)