Exam 4: Social Structure

Some social positions are earned or selected by the people who occupy them. These are called__________ statuses.

Which of the following situations is most likely to be a result of status inconsistency?

Mary O'Brien is a sociologist, a wife, a mother, president of the local PTA, and a democrat. These are all examples of ____________ statuses.

Below are some incorrect statements. Drawing upon what you have learned in class and in the readings, refute XX of these statements. (Caution: do not just explain that the statement is false. In order to receive points for your answer, you must explain how or why the statement is false). Feel free to use examples to help demonstrate your understanding. a. According to Charles Cooley, the most important thing about primary groups is that they are loving and harmonious. b. The term master status refers to the social status that the individual chooses to emphasize about him or herself in public. c. Sociologists use the term "group" to refer to any collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time. d. Primary groups tend to have Gesellschaft-type relationships because people in them view each other as means-to-(ulterior) ends. e. When Weber described the "ideal typical" bureaucracy, his focus was on discovering the best kind of bureaucracy.

John Smith is a school teacher and a father. The school authorities say that his son, little Billy Smith, cannot be a student in his father's class. They fear

According to the sociologist's point of view, a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time, are a social

The problem of status inconsistency generally arises when people achieve statuses that do not seem to fit with what other people expect of individuals with their ascribed statuses.

If each one of your professors were to act as if his or hers is the only class you are taking, this would likely result in role strain for you.

Billy Meyers quits his job and applies to medical school. He isn't admitted because at 45 years of age, he's "too old" (according to the admissions committee). He is being rejected on the basis of

Social structures are composed of

Which of the following would you be most surprised to find in a true bureaucracy?

Describe the elements of your role as a college student.

Husband and wife are statuses that are ascribed to people who marry.

As a general rule, the more diverse a population is, the larger the sample must be in order to be representative.

The police officer's badge, the attorney's brief case, the physician's medical bag, and the fire fighter's hat, are all examples of

List at least five of the statuses that you occupy. Indicate whether each status is achieved or ascribed. Explain how you distinguish between ascribed and achieved statuses.

When Max Weber wrote about the ideal type bureaucracy, he was writing about

One's position in a particular social group or structure is called a

Only relatively wealthy people tend to own status symbols.

Robert Merton would suggest that teachers and students who emphasize grades over learning are demonstrating