SYG 2000: Lecture 10. Chapter 4: Social Structure
I. Macrosociology:focus broad feature/lg scale forces, eg class/educ/func & conflict pers
A. Cf. microsociology: examine social interaction/example is symbolic interactionism
1. focus on streetcorner men:rules,survival strategy,relationships, pecking order, lang
B. structure: typical patterns of a group that guide our behavior, eg rel b/men & women
1. tends to override personal feelings/desires; estab limits for street people/instructors
2. people learn beh/attitudes:because of location in social structure, not due to biology
a. example of football: each position (status) has a role: certain expectations attached
C. status set: refers to all the status positions that are occupied simultaneously
D. acribed status: involuntary/inherited—eg male/son/niece/grandson/senior citizen
E. achieved status: voluntary/can be earned/eg student, friend, spouse, rabbi, dropout
F. status: position provides guidelines for how we are to act and feel
G. status symbols: signs that identify status/eg wedding rings, CONVICTED DUI (-)
H. master status: cuts across other statuses that are held, eg sex/race/age/rich/disfigured
I.status inconsistency(discrepancy):contradiction/mismatch b/statuses/eg 14yr col stud
J. difference between role and status: occupy a status and play a role
K. roles: have sociological significance because lay out what is expected of people
1. like a fence: allow certain amount of freedom, but doesn’t go very far
L. role exit: ending of role, involving adjustments, eg divorced person
M. group: people who have something in common and believe this is significant
1. people who regularly and consciously interact with one another
2. belong to a group: is to yield to others right to make decdisions @ our behav
3. assume obligation: to act according to expectations of other members of group
a. parents
might say to daughter: as long as under this roof, be home by