Social Structure & Interaction Assignment 1. How do ascribed and achieve 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 assigns a person in a culture based on innate characteristics that can barely be changed while an achieved status assigns that person based on positions that have been earned over time and can be changed. Ascribed statuses include age, gender, and ethnicity, and inevitably enable or restrict which career paths or life opportunities are available. Achieved statuses may be as large-scale as leadership positions or as local as friendship or school/work connections. Since achieved statuses can change over time, the person’s place in a culture may vary, but there can only be so much change when that person possesses both an achieved status and ascribed status. A reference group is one that individuals use as a level of expectancy for their own behaviors and identity. An example is an individual looking to dress and behave the same way as an idolized rock band who appears to live the way the individual aspires to live. Reference groups have two main purposes: they perform a normative function by setting and enforcing standards of conducts and beliefs on individuals, and they perform a comparison function by setting and enforcing standards against which people evaluate themselves and others. - Adrian Kim 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). A social role is the acceptable behavior that has been taught to individuals. For example, during the early years of the U.S. colonies and for a majority of U.S. history, women had a specific role in society, which was to stay at home, raise the children, and cook for their working husband. Furthermore, social roles are fluid depending on your social status within your community, such as slaves compared to plantation owners. One can violate their role in society by going above what they can do and not doing enough for society. Celebrities carry a high-profile elaborate image of being fancy and involved in society, but can break their role by not wearing designer clothes, eating at fast-food restaurants, or not donating time or money to those in need as normal or poor citizens in society would do. A role exit is when one stops engaging in their current role in society in order to take up a new identity or a new role in society. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act allowed African Americans to have a tremendous role exit. The Act authorized for the 14th and 15th amendments to take place, which included equal protection of the laws and protected voting rights. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or origin was ceased, and African-Americans earned better jobs, education, and public accommodations. The socialization process is when children and adults learn from others and acquire a certain culture. A role exit relates to the socialization process, because each role exit a person learns a new culture and develops a new way of life physically and mentally, which is ultimately is part of the process. In society, people have primary and secondary groups. A primary group is an intimate close knit group with a few people that share a bond that is unbreakable. Everyone in the group knows personal secrets and information about the people in the group, and they share common life interests with the people in the group. A secondary group is a large group that associates with one another, they share common short term interests, but won’t share their personal life. They are often only together for a certain part of the persons life, while that person is focused goal, and the group is held together by activities and their culture. For instance, within a primary group might be childhood friends, high school friends, or family, while a secondary group may consist of occupation relationships, athletic teams, or classmates for a certain one class. - Nathan Difiori 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? According to Witt, primary and secondary groups are classified into two subcategories: in-group and out-group. Sociologist, William Sumner (1840-1910) established the concepts of in-group and out-group. In-group is the group where individuals share a common identity and similar interests. These individuals have a mutual sense of belonging, which they believe it to be an important part of who they are. Individuals see themselves superior and better than others. The in-group is who you would consider elite, the popular crowd, the sports jocks or The Haves. Out-group is the group where individuals don’t belong and do not fit in. These individuals are looked down on. They are who you would consider common, the unpopular crowd, the science geeks and nerds or The Have Nots. Sport teams, sororities, and unions are examples of both in-groups and out-groups. In-group and primary group have a long term pledge and/or commitment. They are a smaller group characterized by intimate face-to-face association. These groups are more involved with each other creating emotional bonds, having a common ground and sharing the same beliefs. Like sports teams and sororities they create a strong bond of commitment. They are “like family”, tending to be more cooperative and friendly. Out-group and secondary group are connected because they are both impersonal, less intimate and not having emotional ties to each other. These larger group of individuals do not interact with people in the group, having less social interaction. They become seen and/or known as the outcasts. Like a worker union, they are a larger group of individuals not always agreeing or having the same interests or beliefs. Focusing on goal oriented tasks, outcomes and accomplishments for a limited period of time. - Diana Marie Steverson 4. What are the five functional prerequisites that a society must satisfy if it is to survive? Describe the differences between organic and mechanical solidarity. The five functional prerequisites that a society must satisfy to survive are: replacing members, socialization, production and distribution, preserving orders, and providing purpose. Replacing Members: Without replacing members, the society will decrease the effectiveness overtime. This is to refresh society as a whole when they replace members that negatively affected them. Socialization: This is a formal introduction with new members and old members. This is to prevent chaos from the mishap of uncalled new members. This helps both new and old members in welcoming people in society. Production and Distribution: This is where society needs to make goods and distribute it to the economic institution. Preserving Orders: This is to prevent the society from chaos between the laws and the action from the people. Providing Purpose: This is a huge stance on what society is calling out for. Without purpose, they are disorganized and are less likely to get what they ask for. Usually keeping the purpose in one stance is better than many purposes. This is what they sacrifice in order to achieve to what’s necessary. Emile Durkheim, a famous sociologist who founded many theories in his studies, which also includes organic solidarity and mechanical solidarity. Organic and mechanical solidarity are two forms of consciousness that plays in the role of society. Organic Solidarity: This is where a group of people are different in their own unique ways. They are also known as the modern society. This is a solidarity from inter- dependence consciousness showing that they rely on each other. Organic solidarity is malleable when things goes wrong within the society, they can either advise them into improving or replacing members. Mechanical Solidarity: This is where a group of people are same through experiences, knowledges, and much more. They are known as the pre-modern societies. This is a solidarity from collective consciousness. Mechanical solidarity may be hard keep the society in shape because when one person falls out, the rest may retaliate which causes issues with society. - Lilly Lau |
This assignment is a collaboration with three other members in the group. So far I took 3 online classes, and this is my first time using collaboration provided on Canvas. It was a little bit tedious to use, but once I found my group I knew it can work. Here we are given questions to answer. Each of the members are responsible to answer thoroughly. This assignment had taught me of group work, even if we're in an online course. This assignment can help me carry outside of this online class by the planning with group work. I'm usually in favor with independent work, but I can not control that, so this takes me out of my comfort zone and work with other people. At first, I thought working on this collaboration assignment means working together This was an opportunity to keep in check with each other throughout the assignment. Looking over in my part of the assignment, I seem to analyze to a minimum. The thing I wish to change in my part of the assignment was to thoroughly explain, I feel like my responses was very vague. Overall in this assignment I learned more about sociology that I was not familiar with. I had used many resources to understand what they all mean, and most importantly, working with a group and turning in with quality and in a timely manner.
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