Social status- a certain position in the social structure of a group or society, connected with other positions through a system of rights and obligations. The status “teacher” makes sense only in relation to the status “student”, but not in relation to the salesman, pedestrian or engineer. For them, just an individual.

The teacher is obliged to transfer scientific knowledge to the student, test and evaluate it, and monitor discipline. He is endowed, in particular, with the right not to certify the student and leave him for the second year. And everyone knows how this can affect the fate of a teenager. The student is required to regularly attend classes, fulfill the teacher’s requirements, and prepare homework. In other words, the teacher and student enter into social relations with each other as representatives of two large social groups, as bearers of social status.

It is important to understand the following:

• social statuses are interrelated with each other, but do not interact with each other;
• Only subjects (holders, bearers) of statuses interact with each other, i.e. people;
• It is not statuses that enter into social relations, but their bearers;
• social relations connect statuses, but these relations are realized through people who are carriers of statuses.

One person has many statuses because he participates in many groups and organizations. He is a man, a father, a husband, a son, a teacher, a professor, a doctor of science, a middle-aged man, a member of the editorial board, an Orthodox Christian, etc. One person can occupy two opposite statuses, but in relation to different people: for his children he is a father , and for his mother a son. The totality of all statuses occupied by one person is called status set(this concept was introduced into science by the American sociologist Robert Merton).

In the status set there will definitely be a main one. Main status name the most characteristic status for a given person, with which he is identified (identified) by other people or with which he identifies himself. For men, the main thing most often is the status associated with the main place of work (bank director, lawyer, worker), and for women - with the place of residence (housewife). Although other options are possible. This means that the main status is relative - it is not uniquely associated with gender, race or profession. The main thing is always the status that determines the style and lifestyle, circle of acquaintances, and behavior.

There are also social and personal statuses. Social status is the position of a person in society, which he occupies as a representative of a large social group (profession, class, nationality, gender, age, religion).

Personal status is the position of an individual in a small group, depending on how he is assessed and perceived by members of this group (friends, relatives) in accordance with his personal qualities. To be a leader or an outsider, the life of the party or an expert, means to occupy a certain place in the structure (or system) of interpersonal relationships (but not social ones).

Varieties of social status are ascribed and achieved statuses. Ascribed is the status in which a person is born ( inborn status), but which is later necessarily recognized as such by society or group.

This includes gender, nationality, and race. Negro is an innate status in the sense that it is impossible to change the color of the skin and the physiological characteristics of the body associated with it. However, blacks in the USA, South Africa and Cuba have different social statuses. In Cuba, as in most countries, the Negro, a representative of the indigenous population, which constitutes the absolute majority, has equal rights with others. In South Africa, as in Cuba, blacks are the majority of the population, but during the apartheid period they were subjected to political and social discrimination.

In the United States, blacks are a minority of the population, but the legal situation in a certain historical period was reminiscent of the situation in South Africa.

Thus, the Negro is not only a born (given by nature), but also an ascribed status. Ascribed and innate statuses include: “member of the royal family,” “descendant of a noble family,” etc.

They are innate because royal and noble privileges are inherited by a child as a blood relative. However, the liquidation of the monarchical system and the destruction of noble privileges indicate the relativity of such statuses.

The innate status must be reinforced in public opinion and the social structure of society. Only then will it be innate and ascribed at the same time.

The kinship system gives a whole set of innate and ascribed statuses: son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, nephew, aunt, cousin, grandfather, etc. They are received by blood relatives. Non-blood relatives are called in-laws. The mother-in-law is the mother-in-law, the father-in-law is the father-in-law. These are ascribed, but not innate, statuses, because they are acquired through marriage. These are the statuses of stepson and stepdaughter obtained through adoption.

In the strict sense, ascribed is any status acquired against one's own free will, over which the individual has no control. Unlike him achievable status is acquired as a result of free choice, personal effort and is under the control of a person. These are the statuses of a president, a banker, a student, a professor, an Orthodox member of the conservative party.

The statuses of husband, wife, godfather and mother are attainable because they are obtained at will. But sometimes the type of status is difficult to determine.

In such cases we talk about mixed a status that has the characteristics of ascribed and achieved. For example, the status of unemployed, if it was obtained not voluntarily, but as a result of a massive reduction in production, an economic crisis.

So, let's summarize what has been said: status is the position of an individual in a group or society. Therefore, there are personal and social statuses. In addition to them, there is the main (what you identify with), attributed (given by circumstances beyond your control), achieved (by free choice) and mixed.

The listed sets of statuses existing in human society are not exhausted. Attributed, achieved, mixed, social, personal statuses, as well as professional, economic, political, demographic, religious and consanguineous statuses belong to the variety main statuses.

In addition to them, there are a huge number of episodic, non-core statuses. These are the statuses of a pedestrian, passer-by, patient, witness, participant in a demonstration, strike or crowd, reader, listener, television viewer, standing in line for housing, dining in a canteen, etc.

Typically this is temporary states. The rights and obligations of holders of such statuses are often not registered in any way. They are generally difficult to detect, say, in a passerby. But they exist, although they influence not the main, but the secondary traits of behavior, thinking and feeling. Thus, the status of a professor determines a lot in the life of a given person. What about his temporary status as a passerby or a patient? Of course not.

So, let’s summarize: a person has basic (they determine the main ones in life) and non-basic (they influence the details of behavior) statuses. The first are significantly different from the second.

At no point in time does any person exist outside of status or statuses. If he leaves one cell, he will definitely end up in another. It is not at all necessary that at a given moment in time one person has only one status. Quite the contrary, there are a lot of them, and much more than we suspect.

Behind each status - permanent or temporary, main or non-main - there is large social group, or social category. Orthodox Christians, conservatives, engineers, men (main statuses) form real groups. All tenants, patients, pedestrians standing in line for housing (non-primary statuses) form nominal groups, or statistical categories. As a rule, holders of non-main statuses do not coordinate their behavior with each other in any way and do not interact. They are a typical object of statistics.

A person is characterized by at least two types of mismatches:

1. thoughts, words and actions (according to the principle: I think one thing, say another, and do a third);
2. needs, values ​​and motives. Both relate to our inner world.

However, there are other types of mismatches. One of them describes the external position of the individual in society or group. It's called mismatch (or divergence) of statuses.

An individual has many statuses and belongs to many social groups, the prestige of which in society is not the same: businessmen are valued higher than plumbers or general workers; men in production have greater social weight than women; belonging to the main nation is not the same as belonging to a national minority, etc.

In public opinion, it is developed over time, orally transmitted, supported, but, as a rule, is not registered in any documents status hierarchy and social groups where some are valued and respected more than others.

A place in such an invisible hierarchy is called rank. They talk about high, middle or low ranks. Hierarchy can exist between groups within the same society (in which case it is called intergroup) and between individuals within the same group ( intragroup). And here a person’s place is denoted by the same term “rank”.

Status discrepancy describes the contradiction in intergroup and intragroup hierarchies. It occurs under two circumstances:

• when an individual occupies a high rank in one group and a low rank in the second;
• when the rights and duties of one status conflict or interfere with the rights and duties of another.

A highly paid banker (high professional rank) will most likely also have a high family rank - as a person who provides material wealth for the family. But it does not automatically follow from this that he will have high ranks in other groups - among friends, relatives, co-workers or Sunday joggers.

Another example: a woman’s relatively low production rank will most likely cause her subordinates to doubt her high professional qualities as a department head. It is generally accepted that women are bad leaders.

Another situation: it is officially prohibited to combine the functions of a people's deputy and a minister, but unofficially, that is, again in public opinion, the combination of statuses by police officers as members of a criminal gang is not approved.

So, let's conclude: some human statuses are in harmony, while others are in contradiction. It is called status mismatch: a high rank in one social group and a low rank in another.

Although statuses do not enter into social relations directly, but only indirectly - through their carriers, they mainly determine the content and nature of social relations. A person looks at the world and treats other people in accordance with his status.

The poor despise the rich, and the rich disdain the poor. Dog owners do not understand non-owners who complain that they have become the owners of a forest park. A professional investigator, although unconsciously, divides people into potential criminals, law-abiding and witnesses. A Russian is more likely to show solidarity with a Russian than with a Jew or Tatar, and vice versa.

Political, religious, demographic, consanguineous, economic, professional statuses of a person determine the intensity, duration, direction and content of people’s social relations.

If you want to find out what kind of relationship you will have with a non-relative or non-friend (and relative and friend are statuses in different structures), you must find out the content of their statuses. Status determines the interest that a given person will explicitly or implicitly, permanently or temporarily, pursue and defend. An entrepreneur is interested in you only as a client, a woman - as a potential sexual partner, a seller - as a possible buyer.

This is the hidden motive of their relationship with you. Interest in you, the duration and intensity of your relationship will be determined by how soon this other person realizes that you are not giving what he expected to receive from you.

Of course, a person does not express true interest directly. He disguises it and surrounds it with rules of polite behavior. The latter create the illusion that a trusting relationship has developed between you.

So, let's summarize what has been said: it is statuses that determine the nature, content, duration or intensity of human relationships - both interpersonal and social.

A person interacts with different people and social groups every day. It rarely happens that he fully interacts only with members of one group, for example a family, but at the same time he can also be a member of a work collective, public organizations, etc. Entering simultaneously into many social groups, he occupies the corresponding position in each of them. position determined by relationships with other members of the group. To analyze the degree of inclusion of an individual in various groups, as well as the positions he occupies in each of them, the concepts of social status and social role are used.

Status (from lat. status- position, condition) - position of a citizen.

Social status usually defined as the position of an individual or group in a social system, which has characteristics specific to this system. Each social status has a certain prestige.

All social statuses can be divided into two main types: those that are prescribed to the individual by society or a group, regardless of his abilities and efforts, and those that the individual achieves through his own efforts.

Variety of statuses

There is a wide range of statuses: prescribed, achieved, mixed, personal, professional, economic, political, demographic, religious and consanguineous, which belong to the variety of basic statuses.

1. Prescribed status - acquired regardless of one’s desires, imposed by society regardless of the conditions and merits of the individual (social origin, place of birth). Within the framework of prescribed statuses, so-called natural statuses are often distinguished - gender, nationality, race.

2. Acquired (achieved) - positions that a person achieves himself (teacher, professor, etc.).

3. General status - the status of a person, his rights and obligations, the status of a citizen. General statuses are, as it were, the foundation of a person’s status position.

In addition to them, there are a huge number of episodic, non-main statuses. These are the statuses of a pedestrian, passer-by, patient, witness, participant in a demonstration, strike or crowd, reader, listener, television viewer, etc. As a rule, these are temporary states. The rights and obligations of holders of such statuses are often not registered in any way. They are generally difficult to detect, say, in a passerby. But they exist, although they influence not the main, but the secondary traits of behavior, thinking and feeling. Thus, the status of a professor determines a lot in the life of a given person. What about his temporary status as a passerby or a patient? Of course not.

So, a person has basic (determining his life activity) and non-basic (affecting the details of behavior) statuses. The first are significantly different from the second.

In addition, integral and personal statuses of a person are distinguished. Integral status - determines the style or way of life of a person, his circle of acquaintances and manner of behavior. The most used, aggregate, integrative indicator of a status position is profession.

Personal status is the position that a person occupies in a small or primary group (depending on how he is assessed by his individual qualities).

Behind each status - permanent or temporary, basic or non-basic - there is a special social group or social category. Catholics, conservatives, engineers (main statuses) form real groups. For example, patients, pedestrians (non-primary statuses) form nominal groups or statistical categories. As a rule, holders of non-main statuses do not coordinate their behavior with each other in any way and do not interact.

People have many statuses and belong to many social groups, the prestige of which in society is not the same: businessmen are valued higher than plumbers or general workers; men have more social “weight” than women; belonging to a titular ethnic group in a state is not the same as belonging to a national minority, etc.

Over time, public opinion is developed, transmitted, supported, but, as a rule, no documents record a hierarchy of statuses and social groups, where some are valued and respected more than others.

A place in such an invisible hierarchy is called rank, which can be high, medium or low. Hierarchy can exist between groups within the same society (intergroup) and between individuals within the same group (intragroup). And a person’s place in them is also expressed by the term “rank”.

The discrepancy between statuses causes a contradiction in the intergroup and intragroup hierarchy, which arises under two circumstances:

1. when an individual occupies a high rank in one group, and a low one in the second;

2. when the rights and obligations of one person's status conflict with or interfere with the rights and obligations of another.

A highly paid official (high professional rank) will most likely also have a high family rank as a person who provides material wealth for the family. But it does not automatically follow from this that he will have high ranks in other groups - among friends, relatives, colleagues.

Although statuses do not enter into social relations directly, but only indirectly (through their bearers), they mainly determine the content and nature of social relations.

A person looks at the world and treats other people in accordance with his status. The poor despise the rich, and the rich disdain the poor. Dog owners do not understand people who love cleanliness and order on their lawns. A professional investigator, although unconsciously, divides people into potential criminals, law-abiding and witnesses. A Russian is more likely to show solidarity with a Russian than with a Jew or Tatar, and vice versa.

A person’s political, religious, demographic, economic, and professional statuses determine the intensity, duration, direction, and content of people’s social relationships.

Modern status symbols: what are they? What status symbols work nowadays?

Every person belongs to one or another social group or class. This affiliation gives it some distinctive features and characteristics. But it is not only the social group that shapes a person. Often he himself has to support and somehow indicate his position in society, it is advantageous to “stand out” from the whole mass of people.

They show a person's wealth. With their help, they recognize “their own” and find the key to communicating with others. They - status symbols. Why do people surround themselves with status symbols? Let's try to figure it out.

By definition, social status is the position occupied by a person (or social group) in society. At the everyday level, social status is considered an important part of a person’s self-determination. An idea of ​​the situation in society at certain stages of personal development helps to set goals and identify the range of tasks necessary to achieve them.

The philosophical encyclopedia interprets status as a person’s position in the social system. The position is determined according to a system of economic, professional and ethical characteristics. Depending on whether a trait is inherited (for example, gender, race) or acquired during life (for example, professional experience, personal achievements), prescribed and achieved statuses are distinguished. Accordingly, a person receives prescribed statuses by birth - belonging to a certain gender, nationality, race, given biologically beyond human will and consciousness. Achieved statuses are acquired by a person thanks to certain efforts - qualifications, education, position, etc. It is believed that the freer the society, the more important the achieved statuses play, and the less important the prescribed ones.

Position in society is closely related to social role, in other words, to work performed for the benefit of people. It is worth noting that the concept of status and the above characteristics are constantly changing.

Thus, the status of a military officer in the Russian imperial army a century ago was associated with above-average income, comprehensive education according to stricter world standards, and a strict code of honor. By the mid-1980s, a significant part of the USSR army officers served far from large cities, but were provided with housing. The size of the salary depended on the type of military service and place of service, but the income was significantly above average. Education was still considered the best. Although the code of honor was observed, it was considered a relic.

Now military officers are financially secure at an average level, and in some places even lower. Education is at an average level, and the notorious code of honor is being restored.

Russian veterinarians, who 100 years ago were part of the elite along with officers, are now completely self-sufficient. But this was not always the case. Thus, at the beginning of the last century, Russian veterinarians, upon entering government positions, received housing and funds for independent equipment of the hospital. Previously, they studied at the best higher educational institutions and received moral training. After all, I had to work literally “in the middle of nowhere.” After the First World War, veterinarians had to be found throughout the country. There was such a shortage of specialists that a livestock catastrophe began, and in the late 1920s. The veterinary service was transferred to the NKVD. Veterinarians were awarded officer ranks and provided with appropriate salaries and even rations. The level of education has fallen.

By the middle of the last century, the level of official incomes of veterinarians decreased, and so did their education. All that was left was moral toughening. Recently, the level of education of veterinarians has been rising, but unevenly. Moral strength has almost disappeared, and official incomes are below average.

Representatives of other specialties face a similar situation. Thus, engineers a century ago were far from the state elite. They received a varied education, which determined their income level. And, alas, they were deprived of both ethical community and the concept of a workshop code. Therefore, some took into the air the largest aircraft at that time, the Ilya Muromets, while others puzzled over increasing the efficiency of presses for squeezing out oil. With pay corresponding to the task.

The social or labor task assigned to representatives of the profession ultimately determines prestige. It is one of the main criteria of social status.

However, the status is not limited to all of the above. It is important for a person to show his position in society not only in his immediate environment. Since people are social beings, manifestations of status are aimed primarily outward, at other members of society. So that they appreciate it.

Status symbols: types

Status symbols are designed to show the owner's position in society. This demonstration is achieved in different ways. However, the ways to show one's position in society depend on one's status and change over time.

So, in the past, merchants, in order not to get lost in the general background, wore clothes of a certain style. The nobles surrounded themselves with a retinue and messengers. They stood out due to the style of clothing, heraldic signs on carriages, weapons and even elements of clothing.

Surviving status symbols can be divided into general and specific, that is, characteristic of social groups.

The category of general status symbols includes things that emphasize the high income and (or) social significance of the owner. They have no specific affiliation; they are sometimes used by numerous groups of people over a large territory. Common status symbols are:

Military ID with a record of service. In most regions of the country with a patriarchal structure, and often in the central ones, it is perceived as the only normal identification of a healthy male identity. Entries like “did not serve” or the absence of a military ID raise doubts: the man is either seriously ill, or has a criminal record, or is of the wrong sexual orientation. In most cases, being on the same hectare with “such a person” is shameful.

Own housing all over the world it is a sign of wealth. The level of wages that allows you to buy an apartment or house, in the assessment of an employee, means recognition of the specialist’s merits. In assessing a businessman, these signs indicate an effective manager and a prudent owner.

Own car has several significant meanings. For men, a car, first of all, is an analogue of knightly armor and a horse. In other words, a symbol of power, strength, masculinity. For women, the car represents the semblance of a medieval carriage - a means of transportation with luxury, distinguishing the owner from the crowd. Secondly, the make and condition of the car emphasize the wealth of the owner. In the third, they show the owner’s social class.

Family also has a number of meanings. Thus, for a woman, family is one of the main goals in life, and at the same time a platform for full realization. For men, family serves as a sign of wealth and organizational capabilities. At the same time, the family evaluates the man’s level of capabilities. Thus, a single person often does not get a high position. Not so much because of organizational abilities, the manifestation of which is a strictly individual matter. A high position means serious workload. But a man can relax after exhausting work either in a bar with a drink, or at home with his wife. Sooner or later, drinking alcohol ends in deteriorating health. In most cases, employers are not interested in the health of the employee, but in the ability to cope with the assigned tasks. Of course, a healthy person always does a better job than a sick person.

Shoes, or rather, its state, is perceived together with the state of affairs in a person. A man's sparkling shoes are part of the impeccable image of a successful man. A woman's elegant, clean shoes are part of the image of a successful lady.

Cloth reflects a person's occupation. Of course, in some segments of society, the classic suit is considered the only acceptable style. However, barely noticeable folds and abrasions in clothing give the owner away. For example, a suit that is too expensive for a novice businessman indicates to potential investors that he is a spendthrift and has little interest in the work of the enterprise. And yes, a man looks more respectable in a cheap suit than in expensive jeans and a sweater. Expensive but tasteful clothes on a woman show her husband’s earnings.

Wristwatches for men reflect the level of earnings and style of occupation. The vast majority are exclusively male.

Tie is one of the phallic symbols and a “secondary sexual characteristic” in men's clothing. At the same time, it indicates the owner’s tastes and ability to achieve his goals. The classic symbol of a successful man is a blue striped tie.

Tattoos- a separate topic in symbols of success. There are decorative, specific and identification tattoos. Specific tattoos include criminal ones. They can be applied voluntarily or forcefully, such as the “ring of meanness.” Most army and navy tattoos serve as identification. Sometimes people involved in extreme hobbies get tattoos indicating their blood type. Decorative tattoos reflect the interests of the owner and serve as a means to stand out.

Specific status symbols serve several functions. In most cases, emphasizing the position in society for such symbols is a secondary function. Specific status symbols include:

Slang. In most cases, jargon serves as a means of communication in a professional environment. "Broom" can mean not only a sweeping tool, but also a data storage device in a computer. And “Cheburashka” is not only a fairy-tale character, but also a slang name for one of the mobile radars for army needs.

Style of clothing accessories emphasizes the direction of the owner’s activities. Moreover, much stronger than clothes. For example, a shoulder-strap laptop bag can only hold a few papers and the device itself. However, most people do not need to carry a laptop with them often. Combination with other clothing details reveals a curious tourist or a programmer rushing to work.

Regular record keeping characteristic of people with a high level of organization of work and mental processes. In most cases, these are middle and senior managers, writers.

Only status symbols that are found at almost every step are described. Listing all the symbols with a two-sentence story about each would take up an entire volume of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Therefore, we are forced to stop for now within the framework of this article.

Symbols and life

Status symbols are used unconsciously in most cases. People want recognition for their merits, and as long as the desire does not cause discomfort to others, it is quite normal. After all, the society that has become our habitat is created by joint labor. However, deciphering status symbols can be used in everyday life.

Male gaze

Thus, clothing and slang can reveal a representative of a certain profession to a random travel companion. By talking with him about his activities, you will learn a lot of new things and update your knowledge. And, according to the ancient proverb, “the road will be halved.”

Clients come to most organizations with their own set of needs. By learning about the reasons for the client's concern, you help solve his problem. You raise your level as a specialist, “grow” your earnings and acquire a regular client. These are the “bonuses” that understanding the symbols of a person’s social status can bring.

Live, communicate. And be happy.

Female look

It’s not for nothing that they say that “you meet people by their clothes.” A person’s appearance can say a lot: who he is, what he does, his hobbies, what he loves, and where he is in a hurry now. World progress, moving by leaps and bounds, encourages us to constantly stand out from other representatives of the same society. Well, few people want to “graze the rear” or simply be mediocre. In addition, many professions and social roles literally dictate their conditions to us: you must look like this and that, have this and that, and nothing else. Otherwise, you won’t be “one of us” in the “wolf pack”. This is how modern symbols of social status come into our lives and firmly establish themselves there. Whether this is good or not is most likely not for us to judge. After all, if such symbols exist, people probably need them and continue to fulfill the roles for which they were invented by the same representatives of humanity. And, therefore, as before, a man in a Bentley will look more like a wealthy businessman than a guy who arrived on a tram. Even if in fact the latter pickles dollars in three-liter jars under metal lids. However, you and I will never know about this.

In my opinion, any status symbols, of course, have the right to life and prosperity. But the main thing is that behind them the only, important, unique thing that personifies the innermost essence of each of us is not lost. Individuality, personality, soul, if you like. Something without which a person becomes simply a “subject”, without his own face. Even if he is in an expensive suit and the clouds are reflected in his shoes. But that's a completely different story...

“We wish you new discoveries, achievements, self-realization and great happiness!”
Evgeniy and Anna Kutyavin

Introduction

The word “sociology” literally means “the science of society” (socio - society, logy - science, knowledge).

Georg Simmel believed that all reality is already “divided” between different sciences, and therefore sociology represents a special view of phenomena that do not belong to it.

Sociology studies people, social phenomena, social processes, causal relationships between social phenomena and people, and, consequently, ways of influencing society.

It has long been known that mental and psychophysiological disorders often take a person beyond the boundaries of social life and beyond the scope of social laws: a person simply turns out to be unable to act in accordance with the norms or loses such an ability.

How do prescribed or desired actions relate to the individual? This question can be answered if we dwell on the concepts of social status and social role.

Social statuses.

The meaning of the term "status"

Social status is the place in the social system that a particular person occupies; This is a set of roles that a person is forced to perform when occupying a certain position in society.

There are two main meanings of the term “status”:

1. Social status can be considered as a kind of brick, that is, an important element of any social system, since the latter is necessarily a set of statuses that are in certain relationships with each other. This understanding of status was proposed by R. Linton.

2. The concept of “status” can be associated with ideas about authority, honor and prestige. In this case, it may underlie the stratification of society (stratification within society), based on the concept of class. This use of this concept was proposed by M. Weber.

Usually a person has several statuses, but there is only one that truly determines a person's position in society; as a rule, this is a person’s profession, or more precisely, the position he holds (for example, teacher, professor, banker, courier). This status is called integral.

Types of statuses

One person has many statuses because he participates in many groups and organizations. He is a man, father, husband, son, teacher, professor, doctor of science, middle-aged man, member of the editorial board, Orthodox, etc. One person can occupy two opposite statuses, but in relation to different people: for his children he is a father, and for his mother he is a son. The totality of all statuses occupied by one person is called a status set (this concept was introduced into science by the American sociologist Robert Merton).

In the status set there will definitely be a main one. The main status is the most characteristic status for a given person, with which he is identified (identified) by other people or with which he identifies himself. For men, the main thing most often is the status associated with the main place of work (bank director, lawyer, worker), and for women - with the place of residence (housewife). Although other options are possible. This means that the main status is relative - it is not uniquely associated with gender, race or profession. The main thing is always the status that determines the style and lifestyle, circle of acquaintances, and behavior.

There are also social and personal statuses. Social status is the position of a person in society, which he occupies as a representative of a large social group (profession, class, nationality, gender, age, religion). Personal status is the position of an individual in a small group, depending on how he is assessed and perceived by members of this group (friends, relatives) in accordance with his personal qualities. To be a leader or an outsider, the life of the party or an expert means to occupy a certain place in the structure (or system) of interpersonal relationships (but not social ones).

Varieties of social status are ascribed and achieved statuses.

Ascribed is a status into which a person is born (innate status), but which is later necessarily recognized as such by society or a group. This includes gender, nationality, and race. Negro is an innate status in the sense that it is impossible to change the color of the skin and the associated physiological characteristics of the body.

However, blacks in the USA, South Africa and Cuba have different social statuses. In Cuba, the Negro, a representative of the indigenous population, which constitutes the absolute majority, has equal rights with others. In South Africa, as in Cuba, blacks represent the majority of the population, but during the apartheid period they were subject to political and social discrimination. In the United States, blacks constitute a minority of the population, but the legal situation during a certain historical period was reminiscent of the situation in South Africa.

Thus, the Negro is not only innate (given by nature), but also an ascribed status. Ascribed and innate statuses include: “member of the royal family,” “descendant of a noble family,” etc. They are innate because royal and noble privileges are inherited by a child as a blood relative. However, the liquidation of the monarchical system and the destruction of noble privileges indicate the relativity of such statuses. The innate status must be reinforced in public opinion and the social structure of society. Only then will it be innate and ascribed at the same time.

Explanatory example

The ascribed status of a shaman. They are not made, but born. You must have a special predisposition to spell diseases and evil spirits.

Previously, some positions could only be held by men, for example, policeman, soldier, general. These are ascribed statuses. But when women were allowed to serve in the police and army, status became attainable. The Pope is a male-only position.

The kinship system gives a whole set of innate and ascribed statuses: son, daughter, sister, brother, mother, father, nephew, aunt, cousin, grandfather, etc. Blood relatives receive them. Non-blood relatives are called in-laws. The mother-in-law is the mother-in-law, the father-in-law is the father-in-law. These are ascribed, but not innate, statuses, because they are acquired through marriage. These are the statuses of stepson and stepdaughter obtained through adoption.

In the strict sense, ascribed is any status acquired against one's own free will, over which the individual has no control. In contrast, the achieved status is acquired as a result of free choice, personal efforts and is under the control of a person. These are the statuses of a president, a banker, a student, a professor, an Orthodox Christian, and a member of the Conservative Party.

The statuses of husband, wife, godfather and mother are attainable because they are obtained at will. But sometimes the type of status is difficult to determine. In such cases, they speak of mixed status, which has the features of ascribed and achieved. For example, the status of unemployed, if it was obtained not voluntarily, but as a result of a massive reduction in production, an economic crisis.

So, let's summarize what has been said: status is the position of an individual in a group or society. Therefore, there are personal and social statuses. In addition to them, there is the main (what you identify with), attributed (given by circumstances beyond your control), achieved (by free choice) and mixed.

Suggest what determines a person’s choice of his main status. Using the text and facts from social life, make two assumptions and briefly explain each.

Read the text and complete tasks 21-24.

Each person occupies several positions in society. For example, a woman can be a musician, a teacher, a wife and a mother. Each of these social positions, associated with certain rights and responsibilities, is called status. Although a person may have a number of statuses, one of them, which can be called the main status, determines his social position...

Some statuses are given from birth... Such statuses are called assigned (prescribed).

On the contrary, the achieved (acquired) status is determined by what a person has accomplished in his life. The status of a writer is acquired as a result of the publication of a book; status of husband - after obtaining permission to marry and entering into marriage. No one is born an author or a husband. Some statuses combine prescribed and achieved elements. Earning a PhD is undoubtedly an achievement. But once acquired, the new status remains forever, becoming a permanent part of a person’s personality and social role, defining all his intentions and goals as a prescribed status.

A role is the expected behavior determined by a person's status...

Each status usually includes a number of roles. A person who has the status of a teacher behaves differently with students, other faculty members, representatives of the Ministry of Education, or the rector. The set of roles corresponding to a given status is called a role set.

How do we learn roles? Assimilation of different roles is a significant part of the socialization process. Our roles are defined by what others expect of us. In our society (and most others), it is expected that parents should take care of their children, that an employee should do the work assigned to him, that close friends care about our problems. If they don't "perform" their roles according to our expectations, we are surprised, angry or hurt, and our relationship changes.

A distinction can be made between formal and informal role expectations. The most striking example of the former are laws. When we sign a contract to purchase a house, we are expected to buy it; If we fail to do this, we may be sued for breach of contract. Marriage is another type of contract that can be dissolved through divorce. Criminal laws prohibit murder, rape, and other acts that harm others. Other expectations may be less formal—such as table manners, dress code, and politeness—but they also have a big impact on our behavior.

The reactions that can be caused by our actions that do not conform to role expectations can also be classified as formal and informal... When a person's actions correspond to role expectations, he receives social rewards such as money and respect. Taken together, these rewards and punishments are called sanctions. Whether applied by one or more interacting individuals or by others, sanctions reinforce rules that determine what behavior is appropriate in a given situation.

Explanation.

Two questions must be answered:

1) answer to the first question:

Social position associated with certain rights and responsibilities;

2) answer to the second question:

Prescribed, achieved, and statuses combining prescribed and achieved elements.

How, according to the author, are social status and social roles related? How do social roles learn? What is the place of social control in this process? Based on social science knowledge, explain the meaning of the concept of “socialization”.

Explanation.

The correct answer must contain the following elements:

1) answer to the first question:

Each status includes a number of roles;

2) answer to the second question:

Roles are learned through the process of socialization;

3) answer to the third question:

It is an indicator of how well the role fulfills social expectations.

4) an explanation of the concept is given, for example:

Socialization is the process of an individual’s assimilation of sociocultural experience, norms, behavior patterns, and values, which ensures his successful integration into society and the formation of his worldview.

Answers to questions can be given in other, similar in meaning formulations

Using the role of a school student as an example, illustrate two role expectations (formal and informal) and two sanctions (formal and informal).

Explanation.

The correct answer should include examples:

1) formal role expectations from the student: school administration and teachers expect that the student will not be late for classes, will wear a school uniform, maintain discipline in class, and do homework;

2) informal role expectations from the student: classmates expect the student to be a reliable friend or just a pleasant conversationalist or play partner;

3) formal sanctions in relation to the student: the student received an “A” for a good answer in history;

4) informal sanctions in relation to the student: the student received a reprimand from the teacher after he began to talk with his neighbor at his desk during the lesson.

Other examples may be given for each position.

Explanation.

The correct answer should make assumptions and provide explanations, for example:

1) the choice of the main status may depend on life circumstances of force majeure (for example, a woman became a mother, and this status became the main one for her, since she is vitally necessary for her child);

2) the choice of the main status can be determined by a person’s life goals (for example, a person strives to find a prestigious job and make a career, & therefore, first the status of a student, and then an employee of the organization is the main thing for him).

Other assumptions may be made, other explanations may be given.