User:Vikingsilver

Ben's user page. Topic: Social Roles!!!!

a. What is social role: book definition: A set of expectations governing the behavior of persons holding a particular position in society; a set of norms that defines how persons in a particular position should behave. Important social roles have scripts that those who perform those roles are supposed to follow.

Wikipedia definition: A role (sometimes spelled rôle) or a social role is a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations as conceptualized by actors in a social situation. It is mostly defined as an expected behavior in a given individual social status and social position http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role

b. how determined:

Achieved Roles: Book definition: A position gained on the basis of merit (in other words by achievement) - military ranks - jobs

wikipedia def: Achieved status is a sociological term denoting a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Examples of achieved status are being an Olympic athlete, being a criminal, or being a teacher. Achieved status is distinguished from ascribed status by virtue of being earned. Most positions are a mixture of achievement and ascribment; for instance, a person who has achieved the status of being a doctor is more likely to have the ascribed status of being born into a well-off family. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achieved_status

Ascribed Roles: Book definition: A position assigned to individuals or groups without regard for merit but because of certain traits beyond their control, such as race, sex, or parental social standing. - male/female - son/daughter/mother/father - student - teenager

wikipedia definition: Ascribed status is the social status a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. For example, a person born into a wealthy family has a high ascribed status. In contrast, an achieved status is a social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and merit. The various factors which determine ascribed status are: age, kinship, sex, racial group, or caste. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascribed_status

II Characteristics that influence a social role” a. Norms of behavior Persons are expected to fulfill their role in society. Society regulates the behavior of different roles on a reward or punishment system. Individuals primarily attempt to fulfill their roles for their own succession. Rewarded- Individuals are rewarded for living up to their roles (i.e. students getting an “A” on their exam) Punished- Individuals are punished for not completing the duties of their role (i.e. a salesman is fired for not selling enough product)

b. Role-Set wikipedia definition: A role set is a situation where a single status may have more than one role attached to it. This multiplicity of roles is what sociologists termed it as such. Consider a student for instance, involves one role as a pupil, another as a user of university library, and another as a member of a faculty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_set

A role set is the array of roles one individual’s status takes on.

Wikipedia and Other Sources:

Social Roles Wikipedia Resource Site List:

Social Role Valorization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_role_valorization

Role Theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_theory

Role http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role

Social Role Theory http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/social_role.htm

Social Role Valorization Site http://www.socialrolevalorization.com/

Women’s New Social Role http://www.sispain.org/english/populati/women.html

Social Status http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_status

Social Position http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_position

Conflict Theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_theory

Basic Outline of Stuff To Cover:

Role

Role performance Rewarded- Individuals are rewarded for living up to their roles (i.e. students getting an “A” on their exam) Punished- Individuals are punished for not completing the duties of their role (i.e. a salesman is fired for not selling enough product)

Roles of Culture- Different cultures place different values on certain roles based on their lifestyle. (i.e. soccer players are regarded higher in European countries than in the United States where soccer is less popular)

Gender Roles- Gender is the most definable set of genetic social role. Male and females lead completely different lives and have different biological functions.

Society’s Influence on Role- The structure of society often forms individuals into certain roles based on the world around them. Parents enrolling their children in certain programs at a young age increases the chance that the child will follow that role. (i.e. children who take art at a young age are more likely to become artists than children who do not take art).

Genetic Influence on Role- People take on roles that come naturally to them. Those with athletic ability generally take on roles of athletes. Those with mental genius often take on roles devoted to education and knowledge. This does not mean that people must choose only one path, multiple roles can be taken on by each individual (i.e. Mark can be the point guard on the basketball team and the editor of his school newspaper).

Role Conflict- Often, two or more roles collide in certain situations. Take for example a father who is the coach of his son’s baseball team. The man takes on both the role of father and coach. If the boy makes a bad play in the game a father would be inclined to support and comfort his son, but a coach would be inclined to show the boy exactly what he did wrong. How does the man decide what to do?

Societal Roles- every society has roles, no matter how simple or complex. Roles keep order and levels of importance.

Role Requirements- For many roles, individuals must meet certain sociological conditions. For instance, a boy cannot take the role as a mother. Other roles require training or experience. For instance, a student must complete his studies and gain experience in the workforce before taking the role of professor.