Assignment 2: Exploring Social Structure and Social Interaction

This assignment, focusing on social structure and social interaction, begins with an exploration of the student's status set, identifying and categorizing five statuses as ascribed, achieved, or master statuses. The student then delves into the role associated with being a sister to eight brothers, describing the learned behaviors and responsibilities inherent in this ascribed status. The assignment further examines a personal experience of role conflict, specifically between the roles of a sister and a student preparing for an exam. The student details the conflict, the resolution through communication with a brother, and the active listening skills employed. The assignment concludes with a list of references used in the analysis.

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Josephine Hutchinson
Introduction to Sociology
Professor: Dr. G
(Date)

1ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Status Set
 List 5 statuses that you currently have.
 Label each status as either ascribed, achieved, or master.
1. Sister to eight brothers (Ascribed status)
2. Full time leasing consultant (Achieved status)
3. Youth counselor at church (Achieved status)
4. A full time under graduate business student (Achieved status)
5. Single mother to an eight years old boy (Master Status)
Ascribed status: a status that denotes position that one acquired by birth and not by choice is
ascribed status (Hammond, Cheney & Pearsey, 2015).
Achieved status: a status that denotes a social position that is acquired by an individual on
the basis of merit and capability is called achieved status. It is earned or chosen (Lindsey,
2015).
Mater status: a master status is a number of statuses including both ascribed and achieved,
however, it is a status that overpowers other positions or statuses (Parsons, 2017).

2ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Roles (Write a paragraph of at least 5 to 7 sentences answering the following questions.)
 Choose 1 status from your list.
 Describe the role that is associated with the status.
 Describe how you learned that role.
Role Conflict (Write 1 to 2 paragraphs of at least 5 to 7 sentences each answering the
following questions.)
 Describe a time when you experienced a conflict because of the demands of two different
roles associated with any of your statuses.
 How did you resolve the conflict? (Discuss any conversations or social interactions that
you had.)
 List any active listening skills you used to resolve the conflict. If you didn’t use active
listening skills, then list the skills you could have used to resolve the conflict.
I am the only sister to eight brothers. It is an ascribed status, being a sister, as I am born
with this particular status. As soon as my brothers were born, I was entitled to it. It was
immediately when I was born that I became the sister. As a sister, I always help my brothers
with their work. I know I will be provided with help anytime I require because I am the only
sister. I have learned my dresses and choices will differ from my brothers to some extent
since I am a girl and they were boys. I have always encouraged my brothers and taken care
of them. I know it is my responsibility and duty to be there for them and stand by them in
every situation as they are my family. I have learned all these behaviour while growing up,
from my parents and from any elders whom I met throughout my life.

3ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
I am a sister to eight brothers which is my ascribed status. I am also a student of a full-time
undergraduate business student which is my achieved status. There are specific
responsibilities I have as a sister as well as a student. I am supposed to learn what I need to
in my course with my best ability, however, I am also supposed to perform a few tasks at
home. I had encountered a situation when I had to be there for my youngest brother with
whom I am very close. In the same time, I needed to prepare for an upcoming exam at my
college. This was a time I was in a conflict of performing which role first or give
importance. My exam was necessary, and as a student, I was supposed to give my best to it.
In the same time, being the sister I needed to be by my brother too.
I decided to speak to my brother. I had a conversation with him, explaining the importance
of y upcoming exam. He was very understanding and said he would manage for a while till
my exam. He said he would be with the brothers and come to my place if he extremely
needed me.
The skills I used in order to resolve the conflict were:
• Brief verbal affirmation and responses
• Demonstrating concern for the issue.

4ASSIGNMENT 2 SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
References:
Hammond, R., Cheney, P., & Pearsey, R. (2015). Introduction to sociology.
Lindsey, L. L. (2015). The Sociology of Gender Theoretical Perspectives and Feminist
Frameworks. In Gender Roles (pp. 23-48). Routledge.
Parsons, T. (2017). The present status of “structural-functional” theory in sociology. In The idea
of social structure (pp. 67-84). Routledge.