Sociology Ch. 5 Terms

Front 1

achieved status

Back 1

a social position that an individual voluntarily occupies as a result of their effort or choice.

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anomie

Back 2

a condition or situation of normlessness in which society provides little moral and behavioral guidance to individuals.

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ascribed status

Back 3

a social position that is acquired at birth or involuntarily acquired later in life.

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dramaturgical analysis

Back 4

the study of everyday social interaction in theatrical terms.

Front 5

ethnomethodology

Back 5

the study of common sense knowledge that people use to understand and organize their everyday surroundings and events.

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master status

Back 6

a status that has exceptional importance in shaping a person's identity; a person's most salient social identity.

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nonverbal communication

Back 7

communication with others that employs facial expressions, body movements, and gestures other than speech.

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presentation of self

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the manipulation of one's role performance designed to create a particular impression.

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role

Back 9

the set of behavioral and attitudinal expectations that accompany a particular status

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role conflict

Back 10

conflict between the roles associated with two or more statuses.

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role exit

Back 11

when someone disengages from an important social role.

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role expectation

Back 12

society's or a group's expectation of the manner in which a role ought to be performed.

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role performance

Back 13

how a person actually behaves and acts in a role, in contrast to how the role is expected to be played.

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role set

Back 14

the different roles that are attached to a specific status.

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role strain

Back 15

tension among the roles linked to a single status

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self-fulfilling prophecy

Back 16

a false or inaccurate label, belief, prediction, perception, or stereotype that evokes behavior, which then makes the originally false belief come true.

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social construction of reality

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the process by which people's subjective definitions and interpretations of events shape their perceptions of reality.

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social interaction

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the process by which people act and react toward other people.

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social structure

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any relatively stable, recurring pattern of relationships that exists within a society.

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status

Back 20

a socially defined position that an individual occupies.

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status set

Back 21

all of the statuses a person occupies at a given time.

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Thomas theorem

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the concept that situations that are defined as real are real in their consequences.

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Erving Goffman

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pioneered method of dramaturgical analysis to explain social interaction in theatrical terms.

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Harold Garfinkel

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ethnomethodologist who theorized that social interaction is based upon assumptions of shared expectancies.

Front 25

What are achieved and ascribed statuses? How do they differ?

Back 25

An achieved status is a social position one occupies voluntarily as a result of one's effort, talent, or choice. College student is an achieved status. An ascribed status is a social position that is inherited at birth or acquired involuntarily later in life. Gender and the status of a felon are ascribed status. They are both recognized social positions that people occupy, though not as a result of personal choices.

Front 26

What is the relationship between social statuses and social roles?

Back 26

A status is a socially recognized position that an individual occupies, while a role is the set of behavioral and attitudinal expectations that someone in that position is expected to exhibit. We occupy a status and perform a role.

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What is master status? Is it achieved or ascribed?

Back 27

A master status is a social position that has exceptional importance in shaping a personal identity and self-image. It can overshadow the other statuses a person may occupy. A master status can be ascribed, such as being a woman or belonging to an ethnic or racial minority. A master status can also be achieved. Occupation serves as a master status for many adults.

Front 28

Describe and illustrate the difference between role strain and role conflict.

Back 28

Role strain involves tension between the different roles attached to a single status. For instance, in the status of college professor, there may be role strain between the roles of colleague and advisor if a coworker asks questions about a confidential conversation between the professor and a student. Role conflict involves tension between the roles attached to two or more statuses. For instance, the role attached to the status of employee may conflict with the role attached to the status of mother. If role strain or role conflict becomes too acute, a person may disengage from one of the roles. This is termed role exit.

Front 29

How do sociologists analyze the congruency or discrepancy between expected and actual behavior?

Back 29

Sociologists use the terms role expectation and role performance to analyze whether someone is behaving the way they ought to behave. Role expectation refers to society's or a group's expectation of how a role ought to be performed. Role performance is how someone actually plays the role they occupy.

Front 30

Describe dramaturgical analysis.

Back 30

Dramaturgical analysis was developed by Goffman and involves the study of everyday social interaction in theatrical terms. A status is likened to a part in a play, while a role serves as the script one is expected to follow. How one performs a role involves presentation of self, which consists of manipulation of one's role performance intended to leave a specific impression on the audience. Role performance can involve verbal as well as nonverbal communication. For example, interviewing for a new job involves an elaborate presentation of self.

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Why do sociologists argue that reality is socially constructed?

Back 31

Not everyone performs a role in the same way, and not everyone interprets and defines social interaction in the same way. How we interpret interactions and how we respond in our role performance are influenced by factors such as social class, gender, age, and ethnicity. Because a person's subjective interpretation of events shapes his or her definition of reality, and, in turn, the way he or she behaves, sociologists argue that reality is socially constructed.

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What is the Thomas theorem? How does it differ from self fulfilling prophecy?

Back 32

The Thomas theorem states that situations defined as real are real in their consequences. The self fulfilling prophecy is an initially false or inaccurate belief, perception, label, stereotype, or prediction that evokes behavior that makes the originally false belief or prediction come true. The key difference between the two concepts is that the behavior evoked by a self-fulfilling prophecy ensures the originally false definition comes true, while the behavior evoked by the Thomas theorem does not necessarily result in the original misdefinition coming true.

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What is ethnomethodology?

Back 33

Ethnomethodology is a manner of studying the common-sense knowledge that people use to make sense of and organize their everyday social lives. It claims that everyday interactions are structured by assumptions of shared expectancies. To uncover what these assumptions or background expectancies are, ethnomethodologists frequently "break the rules" of everyday interaction. By breaking the rules, ethnomethodologists attempt to draw out the actual meanings, assumptions, and methods people use to construct their everyday reality.