Roles and Statuses in Sociology

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

What does the term 'role set' refer to according to Robert Merton?

The roles an individual is expected to play in a group

The set of societal norms associated with a role

The various statuses an individual holds in different groups

All the roles that are attached to a particular status (correct)

Which of the following is an example of role strain?

A divorcee trying to establish a new identity after a divorce

A student catching a classmate cheating (correct)

A mother struggling to balance work and family responsibilities

A professor holding conflicting expectations from colleagues and students

What is the process of disengaging from a role that has been central to one's identity and attempting to establish a new role called?

Role exit (correct)

Role conflict

Role strain

Role transition

In small-group settings, what can statuses be used to establish?

The pecking order or hierarchy within the group Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of role conflict?

A mother struggling to balance work and family responsibilities Signup and view all the answers

What did Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe introduce in 1920?

The concept of the pecking order Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of master status as proposed by Hughes?

A status that dominates all an individual's other statuses in most social contexts Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by status consistency?

When an individual's statuses are all ranked at the same level in the social hierarchy Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of status inconsistency?

An immigrant female cabinet minister Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which groups are assigned into marginalized categories?

Marginalization Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of a social role?

A set of behaviors and attitudes associated with a particular status Signup and view all the answers

How are statuses ranked in the status hierarchy?

Based on prestige and power Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of 'status' as explained in the text?

A recognized social position that an individual occupies Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes a collection of statuses people have over a lifetime, such as daughter, mother, wife?

Status Set Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between 'ascribed status' and 'achieved status'?

'Achieved status' is a status you enter at some stage of life by personal choice, while 'ascribed status' is what you are born into. Signup and view all the answers

What does social mobility refer to?

The extent to which people's social and economic statuses can change Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the degree to which an individual's status is achieved or ascribed?

Social Mobility Signup and view all the answers

How are ascribed and achieved statuses related in an individual's life?

They play a role in shaping a person's identity and position in society Signup and view all the answers