SocialStructuresand

Interaction
Group #5
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1.)Ascribedstatusesservetoidentifywhoapersonisinculturebecauseitisapositionthat
getsassignedtoanindividualbasedonthingstheydidnotachievethemselvessuchasapersons
age,theirraceorethnicity,andtheirsex.Ascribedstatusareoftenusedasasjustificationfor
certainprivilegesorreflectaperson'smembershipwithinagroup.Achievedstatusesserveto
identifywhoapersonisinculturebecauseitisapositionthattheindividualhasearned
themselvessuchasbeingateacher,lawyerormusician.Eachtitlehasbeenachievedbytaking
actionstoreachsuchaccomplishments.Areferencegroupisanygroupthatanindividualusesas
theirbasicstandardsforevaluatingthemselvesandtheirownbehavior.Anexampleofhowa
referencegroupisexperiencedinsocietywouldbeastudentwhowishestobepartofahiphop
socialcircle.Tobecomelikethemtheindividualwillbegintodresslikehisorherpeers,watch
thesamemovies,hangoutatsamestoresandclubs.Thetwofunctionsofreferencegroupsis
thattheysetandreinforcestandardsofconductandbeliefandtheyareacomparisonfunction.
YasmiReyes

2.)AscribedStatusisasocialstatusgiventoanindividualbysociety.Thisstatuscannotbe
changes,astatusthatisdeterminedbyphysicalcharacteristics.Youareidentifiedinsocietyby
thewayyoulook.AchievedStatusisasocialstatusthatyougain,itistheeffortyouarewilling
toputinit.Thesocialstatusweearn.Referencegroupsarethegroups,inwhichasindividuals
welookupto,whowecompareourselvesto.Referencegroupsareexperiencedin2waysoneas
anormativefunctionandtheotherascomparisonfunction.
ChristinaFalls

3.)Aningroupisagroupthatsomeoneconsidersthemselvespartof.Forexample,ifsomeone
playssoftballtheyaregoingtoassociatethemselveswiththeirsoftballteamratherthanthe
cheerleadingteam.Anoutgroupisagroupthatsomeoneknowstheydonotidentifywith.
Similarlytotheexampleabove,howasoftballplayerknowstheyarenotapartofthe
cheerleadinggroup.Aningroupisconnectedtoaprimarygroupbecauseaprimarygroupisa
groupthatconsistofindividualsandtendstobemuchsmaller.Primarygroupsfocusmoreon
personalneeds,andhavingeveryonefitin.Butasecondarygroupismorelikeanoutgroup
becausetherearealotmorepeople.Forexample,aclass,noteveryoneisgoingtofeelasthough
theyfitintotheclass,somearegoingtofeelasthoughtheyaremoreoutcastedthanotherssince
secondarygroupsdonotfocusonindividualfeelingsbutasawholetasks.
SierraTrimmer

4.)Thefivefunctionalprerequisitesthatasocietymustsatisfyifitwantstosurviveare:Polity/
PreservingOrder(Powertomaintainsocialorder),ReplacingMembers(reproduction),
Production/Distribution(producegoods+serviceinordertosurvive/makeitfunctional),
Socialization(newmemberslearntointegrateintotheirsociety),andIdeology/Purpose(societies
commongoal,theywillcarenotforthemselvesbutforeveryone).Organicandmechanical

solidarityaretwoformsofconsciousnessDurkheimdevelopedwithinasocietyforsocialgoals.
Mechanicalandorganicsolidaritydohaveadistinctiontothemandeachcarrytheirownplacein
asociety.
MechanicalSolidarityisthesocialcohesionbasedonsharedexperiences,knowledgeand
skillsoftencreatesbondsofunity.Thisisthemoretraditional,itisaformofcohesion
thattakesplaceinternallyfrombeinglikeoneanother.Thismechanismtakesplacein
smallscalesocieties.Ithelpspeoplefeelmoreconnectedwithoneanothersharingthe
samework,education,religion,andlifestyle.Thisisidealtoamorekinshipsociety.
OrganicSolidarityisthesocialcohesionbasedonmutualinterdependenceinthecontext
ofasocietywhodividestheirlabordependingoneachother.Thismechanismtakesplace
insocietiesthataremoreadvanced/developedandcomplex,asocietyasawhole
workingtogethertokeepthingsgoing.Thisismoremodernandindustrial.
AshleyHernandez