Individuals as Status-Occupants “only insofar as”

Social Status Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Interests [Conflict is built-in society.] Power & Authority Social Capital [Access to Opportunities and Resources] [Inequality is built-in society]

Obligations and Responsibilities What all am I supposed to do? Where do these come from? Social Status How do they change over historical time? - ie., fathers and parenting The extent to which individuals who occupy a given status live up to the responsibilities and obligations that are called for varies. Individuals who occupy a given status must take these into account.

Social Status Obligations and Responsibilities [What all am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status

Normative Expectations (Rules) How am I supposed to do all this? Guidelines, rules for social conduct. They indicate how one “ought” to act or behave in social settings: Prescribe - Proscribe Permitted - Preferred Social Status Norms vary from one culture to another. Norms vary from one sub-culture to another. Norms vary over historical time.

Normative Expectations (Rules) How am I supposed to do all this? Do not confuse “norms” with actual action or behavior. Social Status The extent to which people consider norms legitimate varies. The extent to which people comply with norms varies. Norms vary in their importance: Folkways - norms for routine or casual interactions Mores - norms that are derived from moral values Laws - norms that are codified and are sanctioned Taboos

Social Status S Obligations and Responsibilities T Y Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Mutually reinforcing and reciprocal expectations Whether we recognize it or not, we possess a vast storehouse of “social knowledge” and, to varying degrees, know what is expected of us & know what to expect of others.

Social Status S Obligations and Responsibilities T Y Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Interests [Conflict is built-in society.]

Conflict is built-in society. Interests Conflict is built-in society. Social Status People who occupy different social positions - by virtue of occupying different positions - will have different sets of LEGITIMATE interests, values and attitudes. The vast majority of conflict that occurs in society is the result of people - status-occupants - living up to the expectations placed upon them.

Social Status S Obligations and Responsibilities T Y Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Interests [Conflict is built-in society.] Power & Authority

Power & Authority Social Status Power: the capacity to impose one’s will over others, even against the resistance of others; coercion. Social Status Authority: the capacity to have others comply with your wishes - even if they would prefer not to - because they recognize the legitimacy of the request. Power and authority are not individual attributes, they are located in the positions people occupy; i,e., the President.

Power & Authority Social Status Power and authority are not equally distributed in all social statuses: Social Status Examples: employer - employee; male - female; professor - student; dean - professor; wealthy - poor; white - non-white

Social Status S Obligations and Responsibilities T Y Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Interests [Conflict is built-in society.] Power & Authority

Access to Opportunities and Resources Inequality is built-in society Social Capital Access to Opportunities and Resources Inequality is built-in society Social Status “Central or Controlling Statuses” Different statuses provide occupants different degrees of access to resources and opportunities - some more, some less. Merton: Opportunity Structures

Social Status S Obligations and Responsibilities T Y Obligations and Responsibilities [What am I supposed to do?] Normative Expectations (Rules) [How am I supposed to do all this?] Social Status Cognitive Attributes: Beliefs, Values, Motivations and Attitudes Interests [Conflict is built-in society.] Power & Authority Social Capital [Access to Opportunities and Resources] [Inequality is built-in society]

Status-sets

Status-Activation & “Salient Statuses” Status-sets “identities” Father Husband Age: 54 Race: “White” Professor Executive Director Friend Status-Activation & “Salient Statuses” Since individuals occupy multiple statuses, which specific status becomes activated at any given time? How is this “socially negotiated” by partners in interactions? How are discrepant activations resolved?

Status-sets “identities” Father Husband Age: 54 Race: “White” Professor Executive Director Friend Since individuals occupy multiple statuses they are subject to “cross-pressures.” “Status-consistency” - to what extent are the beliefs, values attitudes, interests and social standing attached to different statuses in an individual’s status-set consistent? How are the inevitable inconsistencies that arise managed?

Status-sets

Master and Dominant Statuses Master status: the status within an individual’s status-set that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life. Dominant status: the status within an individual’s status-set that is given priority when the behavioral expectations associated with two or more statuses come into conflict.

Status-conflict; Status-strain Father Husband Age 52 Race: “White” Professor Executive Director Friend Conflict: living up to the demands and obligations of one status precludes fulfilling the demands and obligations of another status. Strain: you can fulfill all of the demands and obligations but at less than peak efficiency. You “prioritize” and cut corners.

Social Status and corresponding Role-Set

Professor Role-set corresponding to the status of “Professor” Students Colleagues Deans Support Staff Community

Status-conflict or Status-strain Role-conflict or Role-strain

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts . . . As You Like It. Act ii. Sc. 7.

The “Dramaturgical Perspective” Erving Goffman 1922-1982

The “Dramaturgical Perspective” Actor Social Roles Scripts Rehearsal Erving Goffman 1922-1982

The “Dramaturgical Perspective” Actor Audience Social Roles Scripts Rehearsal Front Stage vs. Back Stage Evaluation of Role Performance Erving Goffman 1922-1982

The “Dramaturgical Perspective” The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life “impression management” Behavior in Public Places taken-for-granted rules and procedures of interaction; “expressions-given” vs. “expressions-given-off” Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity tribal identities, bodily abominations, blemishes of character Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior “embarrassment” as a social phenomenon “face-work: deference & demeanor