Terms in this set (22)
Roles
. The expected behaviors of people occupying particular social positions. The idea of social role originally comes from the theater, referring to the parts that actors play in a stage production. In every society, individuals play a number of social roles.
One major social determinant of human behavior is our social roles.
A social role
is a pattern of behavior that is expected of a person in a given setting or group (Hare, 2003). Each one of us has several social roles.
What is the term for a person’s expected behavior based on their status?
Social Role
. An expected behavior associated with a particular status. Set of expectation for people who occupy a given status . You occupy a status, you play the role (Ex: Student – come to class every day, study). Role will change as status changes.
What do we call behaviors that individuals expect from others?
obligation
. a behavior that individuals are expected to perform toward others.
social status
. specific social positions that carry expected behaviors with them. social structure.
What roles are available to individuals in society?
The roles an individual plays are
of a neighbor, an owner of the house or a tenant etc
. The basic responsibilities of an individual are respect, cooperation, and participation.
What are some roles in society?
- cultural roles: roles given by culture (e.g. priest)
- social differentiation: e.g. teacher, taxi driver.
- situation-specific roles: e.g. eye witness.
- bio-sociological roles: e.g. as human in a natural system.
- gender roles: as a man, woman, mother, father, etc.
We considered seven types of roles:
leader, knowledge generator, connector, follower, moralist, enforcer, and observer
.
What is a role expectation?
the traits, attitudes, and behaviors considered appropriate for an occupant of a particular position within a group or social setting
.
Social roles include a defined set of actions assigned to every individual in the society. … For example, the social roles of
an electrician, a doctor, a psychologist, a mother
, a grandfather are all different from each other.
Social behavior characterizes the interactions that occur among individuals. These can be
aggressive, mutualistic, cooperative, altruistic, and parental
.
Humans are known for their emotions and their abilities to express their feelings. Positive social behaviors are considered to be the most effective way of dealing with other people as it involves
empathy
– a feeling that is intended to help others in whatever means possible.
What do sociologists call behaviors that individuals can expect from others?
In every society, there are certain norms and values which is expected from a person to follow. These norms are also known as
social norms
. The social norms can be referred to as the informal rules that are accepted by the society and these rules govern the behavior of an individual in societies and groups.
What is a position in society?
Social position is
the position of an individual in a given society and culture
. A given position (for example, the occupation of priest) may belong to many individuals. Social position influences social status. Social position can help to identify a person’s position within the social hierarchy in a society.
Acting via roles, social networks, and status, social structure can
affect the health, values, occupational attainment, and sense of belonging in society
. … Many studies show that people who are part of social networks are less likely to be negatively affected by stressful life events and are less likely to become ill.
Social interaction is the process by which we act and react to those around us. … Social interactions include a large number of behaviors, so many that in sociology, interaction is usually divided into five categories. These are:
exchange, competition, cooperation, conflict and coercion
.
