Chapter 5

Question 0

Ascribed status

Answer 0

Status that is given to you by birth right, ex gender, race, ethnicity, age

is assigned to a person by society without regard for the person’s unique talents or characteristics. Generally, the assign- ment takes place at birth; thus, a person’s racial background, gender, and age are all considered ascribed statuses. Though these characteristics are biological in origin, they are significant mainly because of the social meanings they have in our culture.

Question 1

Achieved status

Answer 1

Through personal effort

Comes to us largely through our own efforts

Question 2

Statuses

Answer 2

Social position that you have in society.

Question 3

Social interaction

Answer 3

Refer to the ways in which people respond to one another, whether face-to-face or over the telephone or on the computer.

Question 4

Social structure

Answer 4

Refers to the way in which a society is organized into predictable relation-ships.

Question 5

Master status

Answer 5

Status that dominates all statuses.

Status that dominates others and thereby determines a person’s general position in society.

Question 6

Social role

Answer 6

Set of expec-tations for people who occupy a given social position or status.
Social expectations, social positions, social behavior.

Question 7

Role conflict

Answer 7

Occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person

Question 8

Role strain

Answer 8

Difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes con- flicting demands and expectations.

Question 9

Group

Answer 9

Any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.

Question 10

Primary group

Answer 10

Refer to a small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and coopera- tion.

Question 11

Secondary group

Answer 11

A formal, impersonal group in which there is little social inti- macy or mutual understanding.

Secondary groups often emerge in the workplace among those who share special understandings about their occupation

Question 12

In group

Answer 12

Defined as any group or category to which people feel they belong.

Question 13

Out group

Answer 13

A group or category to which people feel they do not belong.

Question 14

Reference group

Answer 14

Any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior