1.

How do ascribed and achieve statuses serve to identify who a person is in a

culture? What are reference groups? How are reference groups experienced in
society?
Haonan Zhao
The ascribed status is a societal platform that is depicted upon a person from society that
has no regard to an individual's uniqueness such as their talents or personal characteristics. This
status is usually given at birth since it usually encompasses aspects such as sex, ethnicity, and
age (Witt 104). This status can also be used in order to pinpoint differences in both social status
and wealth and it is often impossible to change who we are, but it is not impossible to attempt
change in societal norms. For example, we can educate people who dont understand different
races or ethnicities or we can look at people such as Gray Panthers who worked alongside the
rights for the elderly and his attempts to change society's negative opinions on them (Witt 104).
On the other spectrum we have the achieved status. This differs from ascribed status
because it is in our power to change and we must do something in order to earn this title. Things
such as complete different levels of schooling, master talents and skills and create new
inventions; however, there can be negative acquired statues too such as committing and being
found guilty of a crime. Both these statuses go hand in hand sometimes. Our ascribed status can
have both a negative and positive effect on our achieved statuses. An example would be that
males are less likely to follow a career in child care (Witt. 104).
2. What is a social role (give examples)? How does one violate his or her role?
What is meant by role exit? And how does role exit relate to the socialization
process? Distinguish between primary and secondary groups (give examples).
Andrea Morales
A social role is expectations that of person who is occupying a status. For an example would be
mother when she has a baby she receives the status of mother and her social role is to be a
mother and those responsibilities that comes with this role. The way she would violate this role
would be abandonment of this child and totally negating her role as mother and the expectations
that society gives a mother. The way role exit would apply to this example would be when the
women becomes a mother and has to change her lifestyle to adjust herself to the role on she will
be taking. As a society a women is usually taught what it takes to be a mother and the basic idea
of what motherhood is. Be learning this lesson by seeing our own mother and other mothers we
may know in our life. We also learn the role of motherhood from the way society portrays it in
the media and in entertainment purposes
3. What is meant by in-group and out-group? How is in-group connected to
primary group? How is out group connected to secondary group?
Jeffrey Lu
In-group is when an individual is involved in a group where he or she feels a sense of belonging
and believes that the influences from the group is a vital part of what makes that individuals life.
Out-group is the complete opposite of in-group as out-group is when an individual does not feel
a sense of belonging in a group as that person does not feel comfortable with a certain group. An
example of an in-group is where girls in different sororities click with their sisters as they
share similar personalities and views. An example of an out-group could be in a workplace where
one does not get along with his or her co-workers due to little interactions. In-groups are
connected and related to primary groups because through face-to-face engagement and emotional
expressiveness, people have a greater chance in creating bonds as one learns more about the
other, eventually feeling a sense of comfort among each other. In other words, because primary
groups are in smaller groups, people are more intimate with each other, which eventually creates
an in-group feeling/environment. On the other hand, out-group is connected and related to
secondary group because through involvement in a larger group and limited time, people have a
lesser chance of creating bonds and developing a sense of belonging within the group. Because
secondary groups are in a larger setting of people, individuals lose the opportunity of creating
relationship with others as they are more focused on their own duties. Thus, people in secondary
groups are less expressive which eventually results in them feeling uncomfortable around their
group as they never develop a sense of acceptance.
4. What are the five functional prerequisites that a society must satisfy if it is to
survive? Describe the differences between organic and mechanical solidarity.
Valeria Carlos
The five functional prerequisites that a society must satisfy if it is to survive are: family,
education, religion, economy, and government.
-Family: maintain human continuity; they carry out both biological and social reproduction and
they provide care and protection for their members.
-Education: the process of learning and accomplishing new tasks through learning skills. It is
taught more formal and public culture necessary to members of the larger society. Education
includes different subjects, such as math, english, etc., but most importantly it includes learning
how to interact with others.
-Religion: motivates a person to achieve their accomplishments. Shared beliefs and practices; the
development of critical thinking, and enforcing rules and norms.
-Economy: an economic system; it produces goods and services to maintain stability.
-Government: helps maintain order through the use of laws, policing, and punishment. It also
establishes relations with other societies through diplomacy.
Organic solidarity- Social cohesion based on mutual interdependence in the
context of extreme division of labor (pg.121).
Mechanical solidarity- Social cohesion based on shared experiences, knowledge,
and skills in which things function more or less the way they always have (pg 121).
Organic solidarity operates in societies that are advanced and complex. The people who are apart
of this solidarity need one another in order to work together. Organic solidarity is based on
difference, while mechanical solidarity is based on similarities. Mechanical solidarity operates in
less complex societies and this solidarity makes people feel connected through similar work.