Examples of the social role of a person. Social status: concept, types, examples Examples of social

This work is devoted to the study of sociological concepts of social status and social roles, introduced into scientific circulation in the 19th - 20th centuries by specialists studying the life of society and the individual in it.

Personal development always takes place in a specific social space. The personality in the process of becoming enters into various relationships with other individuals, groups, social communities. In each specific relation, a person has a certain status and plays a certain social role, which characterize his relationship with other individuals.

Social status is an indicator of the position occupied by an individual in society. A social role is an expected type of personality behavior, due to the totality of requirements imposed by society on persons occupying certain social positions .. An individual who occupies a certain status, but does not perform the expected role from him, as a rule, comes into conflict with the social structures of society, for which performing this role is socially significant.

In general terms, the topic turned out to be surprisingly interesting and very useful as an extension of the level of knowledge in the sociological discipline.

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Social statuses and roles

Sociology Abstract

Performed

Tishchenko T.M.,

a history teacher

April 19, 2014

Plan

Introduction

Statuses are the main elements of the social structure of society:

1.1. Social and personal status

1.2. Attributed and inborn status

1.3. Achievable status

1.4. Main status

2. Status elements:

2.1. Social role - the behavioral side of status

2.2. Status rights and obligations

2.3 Image - status image

2.4. Status identification

Conclusion

Introduction

While working on the topic, we studied the works of S.S. Frolova [9], A.I. Kravchenko, V.G. Nemirovsky, A.K. Skovikova, A.P. Boyko, S.S. Novikova, works on sociology edited by A.M. Wieselmann

[7], A.Yu. Myagkova [6], G.V. Osipova.

A.I. Kravchenko introduces readers in great detail to the concept of social status, but he says little about the social role, briefly. But in the work of V.G. Nemirovsky, on the contrary, much attention is paid to the study of the social role of the individual in society based on the research of world-renowned sociologists, and only a few phrases have been said about social status.

In the book of S.S. Novikov, to explain the concept of social role, the author uses an example taken from classical literature - the play of W. Shakespeare, which emotionally embellished the study of this topic. In the textbook A.Yu. Myagkova talks about the problem we are investigating literally on two pages, which upset us somewhat, since the author's style is simple, understandable even for an uninitiated reader. An indispensable help in the work was a reference manual for students in the form of a cheat sheet.

Some difficulties were caused by the conceptual apparatus given by the authors differently in different editions. Some of them talked about the status role, others - about the social role. Asking the question whether these two concepts are the designation of one phenomenon, we carefully studied the opinions of different parties and came to the conclusion that the concepts of status role and social role are an expression of the same thing - this is the expected behavior of a person associated with his status and typical for people this status in a given society.

In general terms, the topic turned out to be surprisingly interesting and very useful as an extension of the level of knowledge in the sociological discipline.

Statuses are the main elements of social

The structures of society. Types of statuses.

1.1. S o c i a l and l i n s t a t u s

The term "social status" (from Latin status - state of affairs, position) was first used in a sociological sense by the English historian GDS Main (Ancient law. N.Y., 1885). Initially, in ancient Rome, this term meant the legal status of a legal entity. Since the mid-30s. XIX century. R. Linton, F. Merill, T. Shibutani, R. Turner and others were engaged in the development of the theory of social status. Currently, this term is used by sociologists in two main senses: a) designation of the social position of an individual or a group in the social system; b) designation of the rank, prestige of this position. It is necessary to distinguish between two types of statuses:social and personal.

Social status is used in two meanings - broad and narrow. In a broad sensesocial status is the position of an individual in society, which he occupies in accordance with age, gender, origin, marital status.In a narrow sense, social status is the position of a person, which he automatically occupies as a representative of a large social group (professional, national).

Social statuses - "driver", "mother", "man", etc. are just empty cells in the social structure of society. Each of them is filled with a certain number of people, but they are constantly changing: someone dies, someone leaves and moves to another place. And the cells remain. They are necessary and useful to society: a doctor is needed to heal, a teacher to teach, and so on ad infinitum. Each cell is in its place and performs some important social function.

Anyone participates in many groups and organizations. For example, Mr. N. is a man, teacher, middle-aged person, candidate of sciences, scientific secretary of the scientific council, head of a department, trade union member, member of the republican party, Orthodox Christian, voter, husband, father, uncle, etc. The totality of all the statuses of a given individual in sociology is called the status set (this term was introduced by the famous American sociologist Robert Merton).

Personal statement -the position that a person occupies in a small, or primary, group, depending on how he is assessed by his individual qualities.It has been noticed that social status plays a leading role among strangers, and personal status among familiar people.

Suppose that Mr. N. hires a person against whom social group prejudices operate. At first, the employer and co-workers treat him with suspicion or caution. Then others change their attitude. Now the main thing for them is personal status. Sociologists would say that low social status gradually developed into high personal status.

1.2. Applied and annexed statutes.

In addition to the considered statuses, there are others.

Attributed status - it is the status in which a person is born or that is assigned to him over time.The attributed status does not match the innate status. The king is an ascribed status. It can only be purchased by those who were born into the royal family. The attributed status is very similar to the innate one, but it is not reducible to it.

Age is an attributed status. During life, a person passes from one age to another. Society assigns to each age category certain rights and responsibilities that other categories do not have. From a specific age category, people expect quite certain behavior: from young people, for example, they expect respect for their elders, from adults - to take care of children and old people.

The statuses of stepdaughter and stepson, although they are called daughter and son, the statuses of godfather and godmother cannot be considered innate. Even attributed, they should be called only to the extent that a person receiving such a status is not free to choose it. Consequently, "son" can be both inborn and attributed status.

Only three social statuses are considered inborn statuses: gender (man, etc.), nationality (Russian, etc.), race (Negro, etc.). Race, gender and nationality are set biologically, a person inherits them against his will and consciousness. Inborn statuses also include personal statuses: "son", "daughter", "sister", "brother", "nephew", "uncle", "aunt", "grandmother", "grandfather", "cousin".

It would seem that no one is able to change gender, race and nationality. However, the gender and skin color can be changed through surgery. The concepts of biological sex and socially acquired ones appeared. A man who has played with dolls since childhood, dressed, felt, thought and acted like a girl, through the efforts of doctors in adulthood, becomes a woman. He acquires his true gender, to which he was psychologically predisposed, but which he did not receive biologically. Which gender - male or female - should be considered natural?

Recently, scientists have begun to doubt whether an innate status exists at all, if people change gender, race and nationality in some cases. When the parents are of different nationalities, it is difficult to determine what nationality the children should be. Often they themselves choose what to write in their passport.

Thus, the attributed status is very similar to innate status, but it is not reducible to it. Biologically inherited status is called congenital. In contrast, socially acquired status is called attributed.The assigned status is beyond the control of the individual.

In order to avoid unnecessary confusion, sociologists agreed to call both types of status one - the assigned status.

1.3. Adequate

Significantly different from the attributed status of being achieved.Achievable is the status that a person receives through his own efforts, desire, free choice, or is acquired through luck and luck.If the attributed status is not under the control of the individual, then the achieved one is under control. Any status that is not automatically assigned to a person by the very fact of birth is considered to be attainable.

A person acquires (achieves) the profession of a driver or engineer thanks to his own efforts, training and free choice. He also acquires the status of a world champion, doctor of science or a rock star thanks to his own efforts, tremendous work. It is with less difficulty that statuses such as "schoolboy", "buyer", etc. are given. Achieved or acquired are the statuses of a deputy, worker, teacher, student.

The achieved status requires making an independent decision and independent actions. The status of a husband is achievable: in order to obtain it, a man makes a decision, pays a visit to the bride's parents, makes an official proposal and performs a lot of other actions.

Achievable status includes positions that people occupy due to their efforts or merit. "Postgraduate" is a status that university graduates achieve by competing with others and showing outstanding academic success. You can become an honorary citizen or an honorary doctor of a foreign university thanks to past achievements.

The more dynamic a society is, the more cells in its social structure are designed for the achieved statuses. The more attainable statuses in a society, the more democratic it is. After conducting a comparative historical analysis, scientists have established: earlier in the European society there were more attributed, and now there are more achieved statuses.

1.4. CHAPTER STATUS

Each personality, as a rule, has many statuses. But only one of them is the main, the main, determining the position of a person in society as a whole.The main status is the status most characteristic of a given individual, according to which others identify him or with which they identify him.

For women in traditional society, the main thing most often turned out to be the status of a housewife, and for men - both before and now - the status associated with the main place of work or occupation: director of a commercial bank, researcher, policeman. For the scientific intelligentsia, the main thing is often not a place of work or occupation, but an academic degree, but for managers - a position or hierarchical rank. Some statuses are so bright that they turn into the main ones, regardless of what the set of statuses a given individual has (for example, the status of a world champion).

Elements of personality status in society.

The elements of status are: social role (socially approved

behavior), rights and obligations, status image (conformity to the image

their social and personal status), identification (psychological

identification with your status).

2.1. Sots and ln and yarol - about the conduct of the day.

The term "social role" began to be developed at the beginning of the 20th century by E. Durkheim, M. Weber, and later - T. Parsons, T. Shibutani, R. Linton and others. In our country, much attention was paid to the development of the concept of the role theory of personality in their works such scientists as I.S. Kon, V.A. Poisons. “The social role,” writes I.S. Kon, “is something impersonal, not connected with anyone ... with anyone’s personality, this is what is expected in a given society from every person who occupies a certain place in the social system”.

In world literature, the image of a person as an actor playing assigned social roles is widespread, the change in which is in direct proportion to the change in his social status and age. A vivid confirmation of this are the words of V. Shakespeare, said by him in the play "As you like it":

The whole world is theater.

There are women, men - all actors.

They have their own exits, exits,

And everyone plays more than one role.

Seven acts in the play that First baby,

Howling bitterly in his mother's arms ...

Then a whiny schoolboy, with a book bag,

With a ruddy face, reluctantly, a snail

Crawling to school. And then a lover

Sighing like an oven with a sad ballad

In honor of the cute eyebrow. And then a soldier

Whose speech is always full of curses,

Overgrown with a beard like a leopard

Jealous of honor, bully in a quarrel,

Ready to seek perishable glory

Even in the cannon. Then the judge

With a rounded belly, where the capon is hidden.

With a stern gaze, a trimmed beard

A treasure trove of stereotyped rules and maxims,

This is how he plays a role. The sixth age is

It will be a beggar Pantalone,

With glasses, shoes, a wallet at the belt,

In trousers that in youth the shore, wide

It is replaced again by a childish treble:

Squeaks like a flute ... And the last act,

The end of this whole strange, complicated piece

Second childhood, half-oblivion:

Without eyes, without feelings, without taste, without everything.

Borrowed from theatrical life, the concept of "role" was introduced into the language of sociology and became widespread at first among American sociologists and social psychologists under the influence of the works of G. Mead and D. Moreno. I must say that the role-playing concept of personality is quite widespread both in the West (T. Parsons, T. Merton, T. Shibutani, etc.) and in domestic science (I.S.Kon, V.A. ).

Currently, it is actively used in the system of categories of modern sociology.A social role is a set of norms that determine the behavior of people acting in a certain social situation, depending on their status or position, and this very behavior that implements these norms.Any society or social group can be represented as a set of certain social positions (boss, subordinate, father, child, etc.). These positions dictate to a person special behavior arising from this position.

The social role can be figuratively represented as the point at which the individual and society converge, and individual behavior turns into social. The social role has, as it were, two poles: on the one hand, these are role expectations - what others expect from a person when performing a given role, on the other, role behavior - what a person performs within a given role.

The content of the social role consists of the value orientations of the individual, the social norms that regulate his activities in the most diverse areas of social life: from family to political. The role can be performed by a person both unconsciously, automatically, and quite consciously. Conscious acceptance of a role can be based on various needs of the individual (the need for activity, prestige, material well-being, etc.), and an external need.

There are four elements in the normative structure of the social role:

a description of the type of behavior corresponding to this role;
prescription - requirements in connection with such behavior;
assessment of the performance of the assigned role;
sanctions - the social consequences of an action within the framework of the requirements of the social. roles.

Each regulatory system has a specific “set of roles”.

The American sociologist T. Parsons believed that five characteristics should be used to describe the social role:

1. Emotionality. Some roles (for example, doctor, teacher, or police officer) require emotional restraint in situations where people tend to express their feelings violently.

2. Method of obtaining. A number of roles are determined by prescribed statuses (for example, child, youth, or adult citizen): they are determined by the age of the person playing the role. Other roles are won: when it comes to the role of a professor, we mean a role that is not achieved automatically, but as a result of human efforts.

3. Scale. Some roles are limited to strictly defined aspects of human interaction. Thus, the roles of the doctor and the patient are limited to issues that are directly related to the patient's health.

4. Formalization. Some roles provide for interaction with people based on established rules. For example, a librarian is obliged to lend books for a certain period of time and demand a fine for every day overdue from those who delay the books.

5. Motivation. The performance of different roles is due to different motives. So, it is expected that an enterprising person is absorbed in his own interests - his actions are determined by the desire to obtain maximum profit. But the priest is supposed to work primarily for the public good and not for personal gain. Parsons believes that any social role includes a certain combination of these characteristics.

Roles are assigned to individuals in several ways.

First, there are stable expectations of a society or a group regarding the behavior of a person with a certain status. The leader is expected to be competent, decisive, caring for subordinates, from the father - to take care of the maintenance and upbringing of children, from a friend - understanding and willingness to help.

Secondly, the roles exist in the form of a set of personal value orientations, called the "internalized" (internally accepted) role.

Thirdly, there are people whose behavior and internal appearance are considered as the ideal embodiment of the role and serve as role models.

None of the ways to assign roles is primary. The social role is formed at their intersection, but at the same time, in different cultures and spheres of public life, each of these methods has a different meaning.

A person's acceptance of a particular social role is influenced not only by social conditions, but also by natural factors: gender, age, typological characteristics of the nervous system, abilities, and state of health. So, many people cannot work in some specialties, engage in certain sports, for health reasons, play the role of a father or mother, etc.

Each person performs different roles at the same time.Therefore, it is important that the requirements for human behavior by different social roles do not contradict each other.

To describe the system of social roles of an individual as a whole, Russian traditional sociology uses two concepts: "lifestyle" and "lifestyle". A way of life can be defined as a set of stable forms of life of an individual or social group in unity with their conditions.

Lifestyle is a narrower concept and describes those types of human life (in conjunction with their conditions), which are chosen by him independently, without external coercion.In other words, if a person's lifestyle characterizes that side of the system of his social roles, which is adopted under the influence of social norms and requirements, then the lifestyle is social roles or their elements performed by him in accordance with an internal predisposition.

A social role, arising in connection with a specific social position occupied by an individual, which takes place in a social structure, at the same time - a specific (normatively approved) way of behavior, which is mandatory for all individuals performing such social roles.

The social role is the behavioral side of the status. For example, the status of a university professor implies such roles as "teacher", "researcher", "mentor of youth", "administrator", "clerk", "author of scientific articles", "specialist in his field of knowledge" and others. The set of roles associated with one status is called

Role in mn and b about m.

Each role in a role-play set requires a different demeanor and communication with people. Even two similar roles of a professor - "teacher" and "mentor" - imply different attitudes towards students. The first is to comply with formal rules and regulations: lecturing, checking coursework, taking exams. The second involves informal communication with students as a wise counselor or senior friend. With colleagues, the professor develops one relationship, with the university administration - others, with editors of magazines, students, industrialists - still others.

The society prescribes the requirements and norms of behavior to the status in advance. For the correct performance of his role, the individual is rewarded, for the wrong - punished. From a person with this status, those around them expect very specific actions and do not expect others who do not fit with their idea of this status. However, the owner of the status himself knows what others expect from him. He understands that others will treat him in accordance with how they see the fulfillment of this status.

A behavior model focused on a specific social or personal status is called a status role or social role, or simply a role.Others build relationships with the status bearer that correspond to the correct performance of the status role. With the violator, they try not to meet, not communicate, not maintain a relationship. The president of the country who makes speeches on a piece of paper, obeying his advisers or those behind his back in everything, will not inspire confidence in the people and will hardly be perceived by them as a true president capable of running the country for the good of the people.

The status of a king prescribes him to lead a completely different way of life than that of commoners. A role model corresponding to this status must meet the hopes and expectations of its subjects. Citizens, however, must act in strict accordance with a set of norms and requirements.

No role is a rigidly fixed pattern of behavior. Although society imposes a social role on the individual, the character of the individual has a decisive influence on the extent to which his behavior will meet the expectations of others.

So, the social role as a set of social functions performed by a person, conditioned by his place in the system of social relations and social status, is a kind of connecting link between society and the individual. It is in the system of social roles performed by the individual that social relations are personified.

When analyzing the role behavior of a person, it is important to take into account that a person is not a passive puppet in the hands of fate. People are free to choose not only their social roles, they can significantly retreat, deviate from following the prescriptions of the social role. A person is provided with ample opportunities to choose one or another variant of behavior within the framework of objective necessity and, therefore, creates the basis for the emergence of responsibility for their actions [3, p. 113].

2.2. Statutory rules and regulations.

A status role includes a collection of well-defined rights. A university professor has a number of rights that distinguish him from a student who does not have this status. It evaluates students' knowledge but, in accordance with its academic position, cannot be penalized for poor student performance. The academic status of a professor gives him opportunities that other people of the same high status do not have, say, a politician, doctor, lawyer or priest.

Since status rights are never strictly defined, and the status role is freely chosen by the person himself, a certain range arises within which behavior and the exercise of his rights vary. The status of a professor gives practically the same rights to a biologist, physicist, and sociologist. Most often they are called "academic freedoms": independence of judgment, free choice of topic and lecture plan, etc. But due to tradition and individual characteristics, a sociology professor uses his rights and behaves very differently in lectures and seminars than a physics professor.

Likewise, being a neighbor presupposes a free demeanor. No strict formal requirements are prescribed to him. If they do exist, they are rather informal or optional. The role model of behavior of a neighbor includes the exchange of congratulations and greetings, the exchange of household items, and the resolution of conflict situations. But someone shies away from all kinds of communication with neighbors, while the other may be overly sociable and obsessive in friendship.

Rights are inextricably linked with responsibilities.The higher the status, the more rights are vested in its owner and the greater the range of responsibilities assigned to him.The status of a laborer obliges little to anything. The same can be said about the status of a neighbor, beggar, or child. But the status of a prince of blood or a famous television observer obliges to lead a lifestyle that meets expectations and corresponds to the social standards of the same circle of people with them.

The upper classes exercise invisible control over the observance of status duties to a greater extent than the lower ones. Failure to fulfill their status duties may be insignificant and not overstep the boundaries of tolerance (or tolerance). If the violation is significant, the community applies formal sanctions against the perpetrator, not limited to informal ones, for example, mild conviction.

So, the court of officer's honor can deprive the guilty of his rank and demand expulsion from his midst. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there was a special institution - the court of noble honor, which performed punitive and at the same time educational functions. One of the means of protecting the honor of the nobility was a duel, which often ended in the death of one or another rival.

Thus, the higher the rank of status and the more prestigious it is, the more stringent the requirements for status duties and the more severely their violations are punished..

2.3. And m and dj - st and t u s n y about r and z.

Status rights, responsibilities, and roles create a status image. It is often referred to as image.Image - a set of ideas that have developed in public opinion about how a person should behave in accordance with his status, how rights and responsibilities should relate to each other in a given status.

The concept of what a lawyer, doctor, or professor should be like regulates and guides the behavior of those involved in legal proceedings, medical practice and teaching. The expression "do not allow yourself too much" accurately describes the image and sets the boundaries in which each of us strives to remain in the eyes of others to look appropriate. In other words, to match the image of your social or personal status. The teacher is unlikely to come to class dressed in a sweatshirt, although in the garden he only works in it. A doctor, even after retiring, does not allow himself to look sloppy. After all, he is used to being in public all the time. Those who do otherwise do not correspond to their status image.

2.4. STATUS N and D e n t i f i k a c and I.

Status identification is the identification of oneself with something or with someone - it indicates the extent to which a person brings himself closer to his status and status image. Thus, a suit with a tie should be an obligatory attribute of today's professor.

However, many teachers go to lectures in a sweater and jeans, doing so on purpose. Thus, they show that they do not want to distance themselves too much from students, thus suggesting that they behave in a more relaxed and confidential manner.

Reducing the interstate distance is sometimes called familiarity. But it arises only in those cases when such a distance is reduced to a minimum. The desire to stand "on an equal footing" with a person with a different rank of status leads to familiarity. Young men who speak disrespectfully with their elders or address them as "you" are familiar.

If the subordinate does the same in relations with the boss, then he is also being familiar, but the boss who addresses his subordinates as "you" is not being familiar, but rude.

The higher the rank of the status, the stronger the identification with it and the less often its bearer admits familiarity or rudeness towards himself, the more rigidly the interstate distance is maintained. The higher the status, the more often its owners resort to symbolic attributes - orders, regalia, uniforms, certificates.

The lower the personal status, the more often the benefits of social status are emphasized. An official's arrogant treatment of visitors indicates that he identifies with a social status, not a personal one. The less talents a person possesses, the stronger the identification with the status.

Status identification may or may not coincide with professional and job identification. An executioner who does not know leniency and an official who literally follows official instructions are examples of high professional and official identification.

An official taking bribes is an example of low identification with a job. If he holds a high government office. But dispensing with an official car, this is an example of low identification with social status.

Conclusion

Each person occupies a certain place in society and performs specific functions ( role ), having the appropriate rights and responsibilities, i.e. has a certain status. Distinguish between social and personal status.Social status- a person's position in society (profession, class, nationality). Personal status characterizes the position that an individual occupies in a small or primary group, depending on how he is assessed by his individual qualities.

Examples of personal status: husband, son, uncle, company soul, friend. Social status can also be divided: 1) ascribed (ie obtained regardless of the subject, often from birth - gender, age, nationality, race), for example: Russian, male; 2) on the achieved (ie, acquired by the individual's own efforts), for example: a deputy, a worker, a teacher, a student; or which is assigned to him over time, for example: an adult, mother-in-law, son-in-law, unemployed.

Each personality has many statuses, but only one of them is g lavny - the most characteristic status for a given individual.

Social role - this is the expected behavior of a person associated with his status and typical for people of this status in a given society. The set of roles corresponding to a given status is called a role system.

T. Parsons identifies 5 main features of any social role:

Emotionality (some roles require relaxedness, others - restraint); -the method of obtaining (some prescribe, others - conquer);

Scale (some of the roles are strictly formulated, others are blurred);

Formalization (action in strictly established rules, or arbitrary); -motivation (for personal profit, for the common good, etc.).

Social statuses are unequal. When it comes to their ranking, the concept of "social prestige" is applied. Prestige is a hierarchy of statuses enshrined in culture, in public opinion, and shared by society. A society in which there is an unjustified underestimation of the prestige of some statuses and, conversely, an unjustified overestimation of the prestige of others, cannot function normally.

For example, in modern Russia the status of a scientist, student, teacher, doctor is underestimated, i.e. the balance of statuses is lost. At the same time, there is a discrepancy between the real significance of some individuals and social groups and their social status, between work and remuneration for it. This phenomenon can be characterized as social injustice.

So, social status is rights and obligations, and the social role is the expectation of behavior typical for people of a given status in a given society, a given social system, i.e. a set of requirements imposed by society on a person with this or that status.

List of used literature

Kravchenko A.I. Introduction to Sociology. –M .: New school, 1995. –p.93-112.
Kravchenko A.I. Introduction to Sociology. M., 1996.
Nemirovsky V.G. General sociology. -Rostov n / a: Phoenix, 2004. -p. 105-113.
S. S. Novikova Sociology: History, Foundations, Institutionalization in Russia.- M: MPSI; Voronezh: NPO MODEK, 2000, p. 270-273.
Skovikov A.K., Boyko A.P. Sociology Cheat Sheets. Answers to exam questions for university students: Study guide - Moscow: Exam Publishing House, 2004. - 64 p.
Sociology. Fundamentals of General Theory: A textbook for university students. / Ed. A.Yu. Myagkova. - Moscow: Flint Publishing House, 2003. - p. 65-67 ..
Sociology. Fundamentals of sociological doctrines: A textbook for university students. / Ed. A.M. Wieselmann. - Moscow: SSU, 1999. –75 p.
Sociology. Textbook for universities / Ed. G.V. Osipova and others - M., 1995.
Frolov S.S. Foundations of Sociology. M.,: Jurist, 1997, p. 228-250

The role theory of personality occupies an important place in the sociology of personality. The main provisions of this theory were formulated by the American sociologists J. Mead and R. Mintop.

The role theory of personality describes its social behavior in two basic terms: "social status" and "social role". Status is the position occupied by an individual or social group in society. A person can have several statuses. But only one determines his position in society. This status is called the main(due to the position).

Sociologists distinguish:

1. Prescribed status - a status imposed by society, regardless of the efforts and merit of the individual (ethnic origin, place of birth).

2. Acquired status - the status is determined by the efforts of the person himself (writer, CEO).

It also stands out:

1. Natural status - presupposes significant and relatively stable characteristics of a person (men and women, childhood, adolescence, maturity).

2. Professional and official - the basic status of an individual, fixes the social, economic and production and technical situation of a person (banker, engineer, lawyer, etc.)

A social role is a set of actions that a person must perform in accordance with his status data. Each status usually includes a number of roles. The set of roles resulting from a given status is called a role set.

Sociology distinguishes between:

1. Institutionalized - this is the leading, emerging on the basis of the social structure of society. These roles are also historically conditioned. So, a medieval knight, musketeers, archers, yachtsmen, etc.

2. Conventional - roles are defined and arise arbitrarily in group interactions and show subjective coloring. A fussy, nervous person.

The social role should be considered in two aspects:

Role waiting;

Role-playing

There is never a coincidence between these two aspects, but each of them leaves a strong imprint on the personality. Our roles are determined primarily by what others expect of us.

There are situations when a person is faced with two or more simultaneous demands, in which the performance of one of the roles makes it impossible to perform the other roles.

13 ... Social status - the social position of a person within a group or society, associated with certain of his rights and obligations.

Types of statuses

1) general (general, basic ) - a key status that determines the social status and value of a person, associated with certain rights and obligations. This can be the status of a person (“A person - it sounds proudly”), a member of a given society, a citizen (citizen of Russia), a status position of an individual. For children, the main status is age; likewise, in many societies, gender is the main status. The main status forms the framework within which our goals are formed and our training takes place.

2) prescribed (ascriptive ) - statuses inherited from birth, for example, nationality, social origin, place of birth.

3) acquired (achieved) - statuses acquired by an individual in society, thanks to his own efforts, for example, professor, doctor, actor, student, policeman, pickpocket, etc.

Statuses can be formalized(for example, a plant manager) and informal(the leader of a company of close friends), which depends on whether this or that function is performed within the framework of formalized or non-formalized social institutions.

Explicit status - This is a status position, activated in a certain social context, the most important for actions and interactions in this particular area.

Hidden statuses - all other positions that the subject occupies, but which are not currently activated.

It is through an explicit position that others identify the subject, imagining him as a partner, establishing interaction with him. Certain external attributes inherent in such an explicit position (for example, wearing a uniform) contribute to an easier and more correct "identification" of the subject.

The life of each person consists of many social positions, which he takes not simultaneously, but in turn (for example, an infant - a child - a teenager - a mature person - an old man). In all such cases, we are talking about a sequential change of statuses. When it comes to a professional context, about service, work, this sequence is called a career.

There is a hierarchy of statuses. Allocation of the main status self-defines a person socially. We must be able to orient ourselves, figure out, decide which statuses are the most important for us, which are less significant.

Ranking of statuses is determined by social prestige. Prestige- This is a hierarchy of statuses shared by society and enshrined in culture and public opinion.

Society needs balance of statuses otherwise it cannot function normally.

Status has a significant impact on the perception of a person by others. One American researcher introduced the same man to students in several classes in his college. In one class this man was presented "as a student from Cambridge", in the second - as a "laboratory assistant", in the third - as a "teacher of psychology", in the fourth - as a "Ph.D. from Cambridge", in the last - as a "professor from Cambridge ". After the foreign guest left, the students were asked to estimate his height as accurately as possible. It turned out that the guest invariably "grew in height" as he climbed the academic ladder, so the latter group rated him 5 inches taller than the former. Meanwhile, the growth of the teacher, who walked with the guest and whose rank did not change, was assessed in all classes exactly the same.

Social role - (according to R. Merton) expectation of behavior typical for people of a given status in a given society.

Social role- a fairly complete (but not all-encompassing) behavioral characteristic. For example, the status of a university teacher is a wave of certain rights and obligations, most of which are legally fixed. The social role of a teacher also includes how he should behave with students, colleagues, the level of general culture, etc., that is, this is the expectation of the norm of behavior of a person of a certain status.

The essential characteristics of a social role include its functional feasibility, as well as the compliance of role expectations with a particular culture, value system. Functional expediency gives rise to many common features, in particular, in social and professional role models. Teachers, for example, everywhere should be intelligent people, they should be characterized by a certain type of behavior that ensures the effectiveness of education and training. But as for the socio-cultural aspect of the role, there are often differences, and quite serious ones. This is connected with the value system of each culture, as well as with how high the prestige of this or that status in a given society. A teacher, his status in some countries has always stood high, in other countries a teacher may be perceived as a failure, an intellectual-laborer.

Social role as a means of describing the relationship between the individual and society, it allows in many ways to comprehend social life in a new way, to establish, using scientific and logical methods, the mechanisms for connecting a person to complex social formations.

Types of roles (by J. Moreno)

1) "psychosomatic" roles, when behavior is associated with basic biological needs, and the playing of roles is objectively unconscious;

2) "psychodramatic" roles, when the behavior of a person is built in accordance with the specific requirements of a given social environment;

3) "social" roles, when a person behaves as expected from a representative of a particular social category (mother, worker, Christian).

The role is already of status. Status is a set of roles. Role-playing set- (R. Merton) a set of roles arising from this status. The role-playing set includes formal and informal roles. The variety of roles gives rise to internal conflicts of the personality, i.e., role conflicts or role tension.

14. Social norms - a set of requirements and expectations that a social community (group), organization, society makes to its members in their relationship with each other, with social institutions in order to carry out activities (behavior) of the established pattern. These are universal, permanent prescriptions that presuppose their practical implementation. They arise as a result of the need for a certain behavior. The most important characteristic of the norm is its universality and recognition.

Social norm is one of the complex forms of expression of social relations. It consists of many elements, each of which has different properties, which are also capable of changing within a fairly wide range. The social norm is embodied by the public will, the perceived social necessity. This is precisely how it differs from the so-called quasi-norms. The latter are most often of a rude, violent nature, shackle initiative and creativity.

The social norm performs the following functions. 1. The norms are designed to guide and 2. regulate the behavior of people in different situations. The regulatory impact is that the norm sets the boundaries, conditions, forms of behavior, the nature of relations, goals and ways of achieving them. 3. socializes the personality; 4. evaluates behavior; 5. Prescribes appropriate behavior patterns. 6. Means of ensuring order.

The main social purpose of a social norm can be formulated as the regulation of social relations and people's behavior. Regulation of relations through social norms ensures voluntary and conscious cooperation of people.

The following groups of norms can be conditionally distinguished: 1. By carriers: universal, O norms, group norms. 2. By field of activity: economic norms, political norms, cultural norms, legal norms. 3. There are formal and informal norms. 4. By the scale of the action: general and local. 5. By the way of providing: based on internal convictions, on public opinion, on coercion.

The main types of norms in order of increasing their social significance. 1. Habits are simply habitual, normal, most convenient and fairly widespread methods of group activity. New generations of people are embracing these social ways of living partly through unconscious imitation, partly through conscious learning. At the same time, the new generation chooses from these methods what it considers necessary for life. 2. Moral norms - ideas about right and wrong behavior, which require the performance of some actions and prohibit others. At the same time, members of the social community where such moral norms are in force share the belief that their violation brings disaster to the entire society. Members of another social community may, of course, feel that at least some of the group's moral standards are unreasonable. Moral norms are passed on to subsequent generations not as a system of practical benefits, but as a system of unshakable "sacred" absolutes. As a result, moral standards are firmly established and enforced automatically. 3. Institutional norms - a set of specially developed norms and customs concerning the important points of the activity of O, embodied in social institutions. 4. Laws are simply strengthened and formalized moral norms that require strict implementation

Violation of norms causes a specific and clear negative reaction from the O, its institutional forms, aimed at overcoming deviant behavior. Types of sanctions - negative or positive, i.e. punishments or rewards. Regulatory systems, however, are not fixed and permanent data. Norms change, and the attitude towards them changes. Deviation from the norm is as natural as following it. Conformity - full acceptance of the norm; deviation is a deviation from it. Sharp deviations from the norm threaten the stability of O.

In general terms, the process of the formation and functioning of social norms can be conventionally represented in the form of successively interconnected stages. The first stage is the emergence and continuous development of norms. The second is the individual's understanding and assimilation of the system of social norms of society, social group, personality, in other words, this is the stage of a person's inclusion in society, his socialization. The third stage is real acts, concrete behavior of the individual. This stage is the central link in the mechanism of social and normative regulation. It is in practice that it is revealed how deeply social norms have entered the consciousness of the individual. The fourth stage in the process of functioning of the norm is the assessment and control of human behavior. At this stage, the degree of compliance or deviation from the norm is identified.

Social norms are socially approved or legally enshrined rules, standards, patterns that regulate the social behavior of people. Therefore, social norms are divided into legal norms, moral norms and social norms proper.

Legal norms are norms that are formally enshrined in various kinds of legislative acts. Violation of legal norms implies legal, administrative and other types of punishment.

Moral norms are informal norms that function in the form of public opinion. The main instrument in the system of moral norms is public censure or public approval.

Social norms usually include:

group social habits (for example, "do not turn your nose up in front of your own");

social customs (eg hospitality);

social traditions (for example, subordination of children to parents),

public mores (manners, morality, etiquette);

social taboos (absolute prohibitions on cannibalism, infanticide, etc.). Customs, traditions, customs, taboos are sometimes called general rules of social behavior.

15. Social control- this is, on the one hand, the mechanism of social regulation, a set of means and methods of social impact, and on the other hand, the social practice of their use.

In general, the social behavior of an individual proceeds under the control of society and the people around him. They not only teach the individual the rules of social behavior in the process of socialization, but also act as agents of social control, observing the correctness of the assimilation of social behavior patterns and their implementation in practice. In this regard, social control acts as a special form and method of social regulation of people's behavior in society. Social control is manifested in the subordination of the individual to the social group in which he is integrated, which is expressed in the meaningful or spontaneous adherence to the social norms prescribed by this group.

Social control consists of two elements - social norms and social sanctions.

Social norms are socially approved or legally enshrined rules, standards, patterns that regulate the social behavior of people.

Social sanctions are rewards and punishments that motivate people to comply with social norms.

Types of social control

In sociology, two main processes of social control are distinguished: the application of positive or negative sanctions for the social behavior of an individual; interiorization (from the French. interiorization - transition from outside to inside) by an individual of social norms of behavior. In this regard, external social control and internal social control, or self-control, are distinguished.

External social control is a set of forms, methods and actions that guarantee the observance of social norms of behavior. There are two types of external control - formal and informal.

Formal social control, based on official approval or condemnation, is carried out by state authorities, political and social organizations, the education system, the media and operates throughout the country, based on written norms - laws, decrees, decrees, orders and instructions. Formal social control can also include the dominant ideology in society. Speaking of formal social control, they mean, first of all, actions aimed at making people respect laws and order with the help of representatives of the authorities. This control is especially effective in large social groups.

Informal social control based on the approval or condemnation of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, public opinion, is expressed through traditions, customs or the media. The agents of informal social control are social institutions such as family, school, religion. This type of control is especially effective in small social groups.

In the process of social control, violation of some social norms is followed by very weak punishment, for example, disapproval, an unfriendly look, a grin. Violation of other social norms is followed by severe punishments - the death penalty, imprisonment, expulsion from the country. Violation of taboos and legal laws is punished most severely, and certain types of group habits, in particular family habits, are the mildest.

Internal social control is an individual's independent regulation of his social behavior in society. In the process of self-control, a person independently regulates his social behavior, harmonizing it with generally accepted norms. This type of control manifests itself, on the one hand, in feelings of guilt, emotional experiences, "remorse" for social actions, on the other, in the form of an individual's reflection on his social behavior.

The individual's self-control over his own social behavior is formed in the process of his socialization and the formation of socio-psychological mechanisms of his internal self-regulation. The main elements of self-control are consciousness, conscience and will.

Human consciousness is an individual form of mental representation of reality in the form of a generalized and subjective model of the surrounding world in the form of verbal concepts and sensory images. Consciousness allows an individual to rationalize his social behavior.

Conscience is the ability of a person to independently formulate his own moral obligations and demand from himself to fulfill them, as well as to make a self-assessment of the actions and deeds performed. Conscience does not allow an individual to violate his established attitudes, principles, beliefs, in accordance with which he builds his social behavior.

Will is a person's conscious regulation of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome external and internal difficulties in the performance of purposeful actions and deeds. The will helps the individual to overcome his inner subconscious desires and needs, to act and behave in society in accordance with his beliefs.

In the process of social behavior, an individual has to constantly struggle with his subconscious, which gives his behavior a spontaneous character, therefore, self-control is the most important condition for the social behavior of people. Usually, individuals' self-control over their social behavior increases with age. But it also depends on social circumstances and the nature of external social control: the stricter the external control, the weaker the self-control. Moreover, social experience shows that the weaker an individual's self-control, the more rigid external control should be in relation to him. However, this is fraught with high social costs, since strict external control is accompanied by social degradation of the individual.

In addition to external and internal social control of the social behavior of an individual, there are also: 1) indirect social control based on identification with a reference law-abiding group; 2) social control based on the wide availability of various ways to achieve goals and satisfy needs, alternative to illegal or immoral.

Norm- in a number of sciences about living organisms, including about humans (medicine, biology, as well as sociology, etc.) is considered as a kind of reference point, standard, standard - for comparison with other options for the state of a living object (objects) (which can considered as deviation, pathology).

Pathology(from the Greek παθος - suffering, pain, illness and λογος - study) - a painful deviation from the normal state or development process. Pathologies include processes of deviation from the norm, processes that violate homeostasis, diseases, dysfunctions (see Pathogenesis).

Some relate this concept to social status, which brings it closer to status. Others suggest this is expected behavior.

Role examples

Let's give examples of social roles, so it will be easier to understand what exactly is being discussed. Let's say there is a school. Who is in it? Teacher, students, director. In the public sense, a teacher must know his subject well, be able to explain it, prepare for each lesson, and be demanding. He has certain tasks, and he fulfills his function. And the social status and social role of the individual depends on how well he does it.

At the same time, the teacher can be more demanding, harsh, or gentle, good-natured. Some limit themselves exclusively to teaching their subject, while others begin to more actively participate in the lives of their wards. Someone accepts gifts from their parents, others - categorically not. All these are shades of the same role.

What is included in the concept of a social role?

Social roles are essential to society because they allow us to interact with a large number of people without receiving a huge amount of information about who they are. When we see a doctor, a postman, a policeman in front of us, we have certain expectations. And when they make excuses, it contributes to order.

At the same time, one and the same person may have a large number of different roles: in the family - father, husband, in a friendly company - shirt-guy, at work - the head of the security department, etc. Moreover, the more an individual has the opportunity to switch, the his life is richer and more varied.

The diversity of social roles is especially noticeable in adolescence, when a person is trying to understand what is close to him. He can figure out for a long time how they are connected with each other, with status, prestige, with the reaction of society, with family comfort, etc. As the teenager develops a more mature and distinct awareness of what he needs , he begins to grow up.

And at the same time, in adolescence, there is a transition from one role to another. And in a certain interval, it seems to freeze on the edge. The teenager manages to get out of the state of a child, but not yet fully enter the life of an adult. Which is often perceived rather negatively.

Social role theory

A well-known researcher in sociology, the American Merton was the first to draw attention to the fact that any social status presupposes not one, but a whole set of social roles. This formed the basis of the corresponding theory.

Now in science, such a set is called a role-playing set. It is believed that the richer he is, the better for the realization of the person himself. But if that one has a small number of roles or only one, then in this case we are talking about pathology. Or, at least, about strong isolation from society.

How is a Role Set different from many Roles? The fact that the first refers to only one social status. But the second is more fragmented. In general, sociological focus groups are still conducting research on how a change in one position affects the status in the family, how much, why.

Scientists are now actively checking whether the following judgments are correct: the social role of a man at work does not in any way affect his position in the family. As you might guess, the answers received are also carefully analyzed in order to understand the reasons.

Types of social roles

So what kinds of social roles are there in general? There is a division associated with views. This is the expected role, that is, what one is tuned in to in the family, at work, etc. The second type is the subjective social role of the individual. Roughly speaking, what everyone expects from himself, internal attitudes. And, finally, the role played, a characteristic of what happened.

However, the classification of social roles is not limited to this. They are divided into prescribed (woman, daughter, Russian) and achievable (student, lawyer, professor). Also distinguish between the types of social formal and informal roles. In the first case, everything is strictly regulated: a military man, an official, a judge. In the second - the soul of the company, a lone wolf, best friend - a lot of unspoken, and often spontaneous.

It should be borne in mind that each role is influenced by the social attitude and how the carrier understands the tasks assigned to him. A seller in the UK and in Iran on the market are two big differences.

The concept of a social role in development

Keep in mind that a lot is changing quite actively today. Thus, the social role of women in modern society in the family, at work, etc. has become completely different compared to what it was 100 years ago. And the same applies to men, adolescents, representatives of various groups. What today is considered a permitted behavior, even a few decades ago, could severely offend others.

Why do you need to track this dynamics? In order to understand what kind of world we live in, where we are going, what types of social roles we will have to deal with in the future. Scientists are already collecting opinions, for example, whether the following judgments are correct: marriage as an institution has outlived its own, children cannot be physically punished, animals have the right to criminal protection from violence.

What do these trends show? Analyzing the opinion of many, one can see the needs of society. And to understand exactly where we will come, because the existing social demand will sooner or later be satisfied. In the present, social scientists state the growing importance of law in the life of the majority.

For example, many newlyweds, filling out a questionnaire, whether the following judgments are correct, indicated that they really signed a marriage contract. What seemed like a shocking detail from the world of oligarchs 15 years ago has now touched the middle class.

Varieties of social statuses

Since the issue of social role is very closely related to status, you need to at least briefly understand this concept. And are the following judgments correct: role and status are the same or very close concepts? As you will be able to see shortly, we are talking about different concepts.

So, they consider personal status, the one that a person receives in the primary group, and social, he acquires it later, achieving something with his mind, behavior, work. Sociologists also highlight the main, basic status with which many people associate themselves in the first place, and temporary, secondary ones. They arise for a short time, ad hoc.

It should be noted that roles and statuses in society are not equal to each other. There is a certain hierarchy due to the system of values and the importance of the owner of this or that status, how important he is for society, how much and what he can influence.

All this directly concerns the issue of prestige. And the more important this or that status is, the harder a person tries when performing a certain role, as a rule.

Social role

Are you here

Social role

Social role is a model of human behavior, given by the social position of an individual in the system of social institutions, social and personal relations. In other words, a social role is the “behavior” that is expected of a person holding a certain status.

Modern society requires a person to constantly change his model of behavior in order to fulfill specific roles. Young girls realize very early that they have to be beautiful, and boys - that their image should be complemented by the image of a beautiful girl walking next to them. Gender roles determine the age ratio in couples. In advertisements and TV shows, gray-haired men often appear in the romantic environment of partners much younger than themselves. Have you ever seen the opposite?

How and why does each new generation learn the behavior inherent in a particular gender role? This occurs in a learning process based on reinforcement, punishment, and simulation (Bussey & Bandura, 1999). Breaking a gender-specific behavior pattern is severely punishable, especially among adolescents. Suppose senior student Ernie invites friendly nice Ellen to a dance. Due to the fact that Ellen is not very good-looking, Ernie's friends mercilessly mock him for asking the "ugly woman" on a date. Ernie will not repeat his mistake again. His friend Justin, who saw all this, will be wary of inviting not too pretty girls on a date in the future. According to the cognitive theory of social learning, Justin only had enough observation of the punishment that befell Ernie to realize that young men should not ask unattractive girls out on a date.

Role is a socially defined model of behavior. By demanding the fulfillment of certain social roles, presenting certain expectations, some people control others.

Do you know how to play your social roles?

“I have already said that in life, as in the theater, you need to have a sense of proportion. This means that one should feel no more and no less than what corresponds to the truth of the situation. One must have talent not only to play on stage; talent is also necessary in order to live. This is understandable. The role of a person in life is always more complicated than any role that one can only imagine at the theater. If it is difficult to play on stage an already drawn figure of this or that person, then it is even more difficult, I think, to play your own role in life. If I check myself every minute, did I go that way, did I sit down, did I laugh or cry on the stage, then, most likely, I must check myself every minute and in life - did I do this or that? If on stage even the negative should look beautiful, then in life it is necessary that everything would come out beautifully ...

That is why I was always surprised when I met a noble landowner, a minister, a great prince, a king, who suddenly, like a bad actor on stage, in their mediocrity, spoke false words in a false voice and made false gestures, and just like mediocre actors on stage did not notice that they were playing badly. At times I was disgusted to look at these strange people, as it can be disgusting to look at a fake tantrum performed by a fake actress. From here, it seems to me, there are the beginnings of many misfortunes.

The landowner must go to the peasants and talk to them. And a landowner comes out, playing his role of a landowner poorly, and talking to the peasants, perhaps, is the matter, but he puts commas and semicolons in such a way, makes such inappropriate pauses that the peasants, instead of getting the most favorable impression from his often really good intentions, endure annoying impression. The landlord actor did not understand the atmosphere, did not know the correct intonation. Failed. A year later, you see - his estate is on fire.

A minister comes to parliament, say, to the Duma. Comes out to the podium and speak. It is no longer men who listen to him, but people who perfectly understand where the comma should be put, and perfectly understand where it is put by the minister. They immediately re-establish the grammatical inaccuracy in their ears. But the minister is a bad actor. He does not feel the situation, does not understand the "situation", and inaccuracies begin to pile up one on top of the other. Some dull head shouts out an unflattering remark. Like a bad actor from a mishandled line, the minister loses tone and composure. His voice begins to sound out of tune, his gestures cease to be appropriate to the brought case. The idea remained unsaid, the case was unfinished, and the impression was disgusting. The minister did not understand his role - he failed.

And the kings? You must be able to play the king. His role is of immense importance, of Shakespearean scope. The Tsar, it seems to me, needs some kind of special appearance, some kind of special eye. All this appears to me in a stately form. If nature made me, the king, a man of small stature and a little even with a hump, I must find a tone, create an atmosphere for myself - exactly the kind in which I, small and humpbacked, would make the same impression as I would make a large and majestic Tsar. It is necessary that every time I make a gesture in front of my people, an exclamation escaped from their chest to my whole kingdom: - This is so king! And if the atmosphere is not clear to me, then my gesture, like that of a mediocre actor, turns out to be fake, and the observer is embarrassed, and a half-murmur escapes from the people's chest, stifled and hoarse: - Well, the tsar. I didn't understand the atmosphere - I failed. The Empire is burning. "

Distribution of social roles in animals

Rats never swim together in search of food, they have a rigid distribution of roles: two exploited swimmers, two exploiters who did not swim, one independent swimmer and one non-floating scapegoat. This separation occurs always, in any rat and in a group of any size.

What is social roles? name 10 examples

Answers and explanations

A social role is a dynamic characteristic of a social position, expressed in a set of behavioral models that are consistent with social expectations (role expectations) and set by special norms (social prescriptions) addressed from the corresponding group (or several groups) to the owner of a certain social position. Holders of a social position expect that the implementation of special prescriptions (norms) results in regular and therefore predictable behavior, which can be guided by the behavior of other people. This enables regular and continuously planned social interaction (communicative interaction).

Social status is the position of an individual or group in the social system, determined by a number of economic, professional, ethnic characteristics (gender, education, profession, income).

Examples of statuses: I am a girl, I am a school student, he is an economist, she is a teacher, etc.

Social role-mojel of behavior corresponding to this status.

Example: the director of a company (status), his social roles: assign wages to his subordinates, issue a bonus, apply sanctions, control the work of his subordinates. Teacher (social status) social roles: lead a lesson, prepare in a lesson, ask students homework, give homework.

Social role and social status.

The concept of social status.

The social status of a person is the social position that he occupies in the structure of society. Simply put, it is the place that an individual occupies among other individuals. For the first time this concept was used by the English lawyer Henry Maine in the middle of the 19th century.

Each person simultaneously possesses several social statuses in different social groups. Consider the main types of social status and examples:

Natural status. Unchanged, as a rule, the status received at birth: gender, race, nationality, class or estate.
Acquired status. What a person achieves in the course of his life with the help of knowledge, skills and abilities: profession, position, title.
Prescribed status. The status that a person acquires due to factors beyond his control; for example - age (an older man cannot do anything about the fact that he is elderly). This status changes during life and passes into another.

Social status gives a person certain rights and responsibilities. For example, having achieved the status of a father, a person receives the responsibility to take care of his child.

The totality of all the statuses of a person that he has at the moment is called a status set.

There are situations when a person in one social group occupies a high status, and in another - a low one. For example, on the football field you are Cristiano Ronaldo, and at the desk you are a poor student. Or there are situations when the rights and obligations of one status interfere with the fulfillment of the rights and obligations of another. For example, the president of Ukraine, who is engaged in commercial activities, which he has no right to do under the constitution. Both of these cases are examples of status incompatibility (or status mismatch).

Social role concept.

A social role is a set of actions that a person is obliged to perform in accordance with the achieved social status. More specifically, it is a pattern of behavior that follows from the status associated with this role. Social status is a static concept, and social role is dynamic; as in linguistics: status is the subject, and the role is the predicate. For example, the best football player in the world in 2014 is expected to play great. Great acting is a role.

Types of social role.

The generally accepted system of social roles was developed by the American sociologist Talcott Parsons. He divided the types of roles according to four main characteristics:

By the scale of the role (that is, by the range of possible actions):

broad (the roles of husband and wife imply a huge number of actions and varied behavior);
narrow (the roles of the seller and the buyer: gave money, received the goods and change, said "thank you", a couple more possible actions and, in fact, that's all).

By the way you get a role:

prescribed (roles of man and woman, young man, old man, child, etc.);
achievable (the role of a pupil, student, employee, employee, husband or wife, father or mother, etc.).

By the level of formalization (formality):

formal (based on legal or administrative norms: police officer, civil servant, official);
informal (emerging spontaneously: the role of a friend, "the soul of the company", a merry fellow).

By motivation (according to the needs and interests of the individual):

economic (the role of an entrepreneur);
political (mayor, minister);
personal (husband, wife, friend);
spiritual (mentor, educator);
religious (preacher);

In the structure of the social role, an important point is the expectation by those around him of a certain behavior from a person in accordance with his status. In case of non-fulfillment or one's role, various sanctions are provided (depending on a specific social group) up to depriving a person of his social status.

Thus, the concepts of social status and role are inextricably linked, since one follows from the other.

Social status and social role. Social status of a person in society

Man does not exist outside of society. We interact with other people, we enter into various relationships with them. To designate a person's position among his own kind and characterize the behavior of an individual in certain situations, scientists have introduced the concepts of "social status" and "social role".

About social status

The social status of an individual is not only a person's place in the system of social relations, but also the rights and duties dictated by the position held. Thus, the status of a doctor gives the right to diagnose and treat patients, but at the same time obliges the doctor to observe labor discipline and to do his job conscientiously.

The concept of social status was first proposed by the American anthropologist R. Linton. The scientist made a great contribution to the study of personality problems, its interaction with other members of society.

There are statuses at an enterprise, in a family, a political party, a kindergarten, a school, a university, in a word, wherever an organized group of people is engaged in socially significant activities and the members of the group have certain relationships with each other.

A person is in several statuses at the same time. For example, a middle-aged man is a son, a father, a husband, an engineer at a factory, a member of a sports club, a holder of an academic degree, an author of scientific publications, a patient in a clinic, etc. The number of statuses depends on the connections and relationships that a person enters into.

Types of social status

There are several classifications of statuses:

Personal and social. A person occupies a personal status in a family or other small group in accordance with the assessment of his personal qualities. Social status (examples: teacher, worker, manager) is determined by the actions performed by the individual for society.
Major and episodic. The main status is associated with the main functions in a person's life. Most often, the main statuses are the family man and the worker. Episodic are associated with a moment in time during which a citizen performs certain actions: a pedestrian, a reader in a library, a student of courses, a theater audience, etc.
Prescribed, achievable and blended. The prescribed status does not depend on the desire and capabilities of the individual, since it is given at birth (nationality, place of birth, class). What is achieved is acquired as a result of efforts made (level of education, profession, achievements in science, art, sports). Mixed combines the features of the prescribed and achievable statuses (a person who has received a disability).
Socio-economic status is determined by the amount of income received and the position that an individual occupies in accordance with his well-being.

The collection of all available statuses is called a status set.

Hierarchy

The society constantly evaluates the significance of this or that status and, on the basis of this, builds a hierarchy of positions.

Assessments depend on the usefulness of the business that the person is engaged in, and on the system of values adopted in the culture. Prestigious social status (examples: businessman, director) is highly appreciated. At the top of the hierarchy is the general status, which determines not only the life of a person, but also the position of people close to him (president, patriarch, academician).

If some statuses are unreasonably underestimated, while others, on the contrary, are excessively high, then they speak of a violation of the status balance. The tendency to lose it jeopardizes the normal functioning of society.

The hierarchy of statuses is also subjective. A person himself determines what is more important to him, in what status he feels better, what benefits he derives from being in this or that position.

Change in social status

Social status cannot be something immutable, since people's lives are not static. The movement of a person from one social group to another is called social mobility, which is subdivided into vertical and horizontal.

Vertical mobility is spoken of when the social status of an individual rises or falls (a worker becomes an engineer, a head of a department becomes an ordinary employee, etc.). With horizontal mobility, a person retains his position, but changes his profession (to an equivalent in status), place of residence (becomes an emigrant).

Intergenerational and intragenerational mobility is also distinguished. The first determines how much the children have increased or decreased their status in relation to the status of their parents, and according to the second, they judge how successful the social career of representatives of one generation is (types of social status are taken into account).

The channels of social mobility are social institutions: school, family, church, army, public organizations and political parties. Education is a social lift that helps a person achieve the desired status.

A high social status acquired by a person or a decrease in it indicates individual mobility. If the status is changed by a certain community of people (for example, as a result of a revolution), then group mobility takes place.

Social roles

Being in this or that status, a person commits actions, communicates with other people, that is, plays a role. Social status and social role are closely interrelated, but differ from each other. Status is position, and role is socially expected behavior determined by status. If the doctor is rude and swears, and the teacher abuses alcohol, then this does not correspond to the status held.

The term "role" was borrowed from the theater to emphasize the stereotyped behavior of people of similar social groups. A person cannot do what he wants. The behavior of an individual is determined by the rules and norms characteristic of a particular social group and society as a whole.

In contrast to status, the role is dynamic, closely related to the personality traits and moral attitudes of a person. Sometimes role-playing behavior is adhered to only in public, as if putting on a mask. But it also happens that the mask grows together with its bearer, and the person ceases to distinguish between himself and his role. Depending on the situation, this state of affairs has both positive and negative consequences.

Social status and social role are two sides of the same coin.

Variety of social roles

Since there are many people in the world and each person is an individual, there are hardly two identical roles. Some role models require emotional restraint, self-control (lawyer, surgeon, funeral director), and for other roles (actor, educator, mother, grandmother) emotions are very much in demand.

Some roles drive a person into a rigid framework (job descriptions, charters, etc.), others have no framework (parents are fully responsible for the behavior of children).

The performance of roles is closely related to motives, which are also not the same. Everything is determined by social status in society and personal motives. An official is concerned about promotion, a financier is concerned with profit, and a scientist is concerned with the search for truth.

Role-playing set

A role-playing set is understood as a set of roles characteristic of a particular status. Thus, a doctor of sciences is in the role of a researcher, teacher, mentor, supervisor, consultant, etc. Each role implies its own ways of communicating with others. The same teacher behaves differently with colleagues, students, and the rector of the university.

The concept of "role set" describes the whole variety of social roles inherent in a particular status. No role is rigidly assigned to its bearer. For example, one of the spouses is left without work and for some time (and maybe forever) loses the role of a colleague, subordinate, leader, becomes a housewife (householder).

In many families, social roles are symmetrical: both husband and wife act equally as breadwinners, owners of the house and educators of children. In such a situation, it is important to adhere to the golden mean: excessive enthusiasm for one role (director of a company, business woman) leads to a lack of energy and time for others (father, mother).

Role expectations

The difference between social roles and mental states and personality traits is that roles represent a historically developed standard of behavior. Requirements are imposed on the bearer of this or that role. So, a child must certainly be obedient, a schoolboy or student - to study well, a worker - to observe labor discipline, etc. Social status and social role oblige to act this way and not otherwise. The system of requirements is also called expectations.

Role expectations act as an intermediate link between status and role. Only such behavior that corresponds to the status is considered role-playing. If the teacher, instead of giving a lecture on higher mathematics, starts singing with a guitar, then the students will be surprised, because they expect other behavioral reactions from the assistant professor or professor.

Role expectations consist of actions and qualities. Taking care of the child, playing with him, putting the baby to bed, the mother performs actions, and the successful completion of actions is facilitated by kindness, responsiveness, empathy, and moderate severity.

Compliance with the role played is important not only to those around, but also to the person himself. The subordinate seeks to earn the respect of the boss, receives moral satisfaction from the high assessment of the results of his work. The athlete trains hard to set the record. The writer is working on a bestseller. The social status of a person obliges him to be at his best. If the expectations of an individual do not correspond to the expectations of others, then internal and external conflicts arise.

Role conflict

Inconsistencies between role bearers arise either from a mismatch of expectations or from the fact that one role completely excludes the other. The young man more or less successfully plays the role of son and friend. But friends call the guy to the disco, and his parents demand that he stay at home. An ambulance doctor's child fell ill, and the doctor was urgently called to the hospital, as a natural disaster happened. The husband wants to go to the dacha to help his parents, and the wife books a trip to the sea to improve the health of the children.

Resolving role conflicts is not easy. The participants in the confrontation have to determine which role is more important, but in most cases, compromises are more appropriate. The teenager returns from the party early, the doctor leaves his child with his mother, grandmother or nanny, and the spouses agree on the terms of participation in summer cottage work and travel time for the whole family.

Sometimes the conflict is resolved by leaving the role: changing jobs, entering university, divorce. Most often, a person realizes that he has outgrown this or that role or it has become a burden to him. Role reversal is inevitable as the child grows and develops: infant, toddler, preschooler, primary school student, teenager, youth, adult. The transition to a new age level is provided by internal and external contradictions.

Socialization

From birth, a person learns the norms, patterns of behavior and cultural values characteristic of a particular society. This is how socialization takes place, the social status of the individual is acquired. Without socialization, a person cannot become a full-fledged person. Socialization is influenced by the media, cultural traditions of the people, social institutions (family, school, labor collectives, public associations, etc.).

Purposeful socialization occurs as a result of education and upbringing, but the efforts of parents and teachers are adjusted by the street, the economic and political situation in the country, television, the Internet and other factors.

The further development of society depends on the effectiveness of socialization. Children grow up and take the status of parents, take on certain roles. If the family and the state did not pay sufficient attention to the upbringing of the younger generation, then degradation and stagnation set in in public life.

Members of society agree on their behavior with certain standards. These can be prescribed norms (laws, regulations, rules) or unspoken expectations. Any non-compliance with the standards is considered a deviation, or deviation. Examples of deviation are drug addiction, prostitution, alcoholism, pedophilia, etc. Deviation is individual, when one person deviates from the norm, and group (informal groups).

Socialization occurs as a result of two interrelated processes: internalization and social adaptation. A person adapts to social conditions, masters the rules of the game, which are obligatory for all members of society. Over time, norms, values, attitudes, ideas about what is good and what is bad become part of the inner world of the individual.

People are socialized throughout their lives, and at each age stage, statuses are acquired and lost, new roles are mastered, conflicts arise and are resolved. This is how personality develops.

Concept and types of social roles

The social role is the fixation of a certain position that this or that individual occupies in the system of social relations.

In society, there are 2 types of social relations: formal (conventional) - regulated by legislation and social status; informal (interpersonal) - governed by feelings.

A social role is a socially necessary type of social activity and a way of behavior of an individual, bearing the stamp of social assessment.

The concept of social role was first proposed by American sociologists R. Linton and J. Mead. (in the 30s of the last century)

Each individual performs not one, but several social roles.

Types of social roles:

1.formal social roles (teacher, cook)

2.interpersonal social roles (friend, leader, enemy)

3.social and demographic roles (mother, man, sister)

Social role characteristics

The main characteristics of the social role are highlighted by the American sociologist T. Parsons: scale, method of obtaining, emotionality, formalization, motivation. The scope of the role depends on the range of interpersonal relationships. The larger the range, the larger the scale. For example, the social roles of spouses are very large, since a wide range of relationships is established between husband and wife.

The way of getting a role depends on how inevitable the given role is for a person. So, the roles of a young man, old man, man, woman are automatically determined by the age and gender of a person and do not require special efforts to acquire them. Other roles are achieved or even won in the course of a person's life and as a result of special efforts.

Social roles differ significantly in terms of the level of emotionality. Each role carries in itself certain possibilities for the emotional manifestation of its subject.

Motivation depends on the needs and motives of the person. Different roles are driven by different motives. Parents, caring for the welfare of their child, are guided primarily by a sense of love and care; the leader works in the name of the cause, etc.

All social roles are subject to public assessment (not a person, but a type of activity) and are associated with rights and obligations. If there is a harmony of rights and obligations, then a person has correctly mastered his social role.

Influence of social role on personality development

The influence of the social role on the development of personality is great. Personal development is facilitated by her interaction with persons playing a range of roles, as well as her participation in the maximum possible role repertoire. The more social roles an individual is able to reproduce, the more adapted he is to life. The process of personality development often acts as the dynamics of the development of social roles.

Role conflict is a situation in which an individual with a certain status is faced with incompatible expectations.

The situation of role conflict is caused by the fact that the individual is unable to fulfill the requirements of the role.

In role-playing theories, it is customary to distinguish two types of conflicts: inter-role and intra-role.

4.12 Social role

Social status is a person's place in society, occupied by him due to various factors, such as age, gender, origin, marital status, profession.

The types of social status are classified according to the categories below.

The position of the individual in the group:

This kind of social status determines the position of the individual only relative to the primary social group.

Olya is the soul of the company among her close friends.

In this case, we are talking about a large social group.

Social status is assigned to an individual in the event of a long stay in any social group

For five years now Vladimir has been a cellist in a symphony orchestra.

Short-term membership in, as a rule, a nominal social group

Social status is assigned to a person from the moment of his birth and is not subject to change in the future.

This includes nationality, origin, gender.

A person acquires such a social status during his life, depending on his own choice.

Ruslan became the editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Social status is achieved once and persists throughout life.

Leonardo DiCaprio acquired the social status of an Oscar winner.

The social status is spelled out in official papers and legally approved.

An individual has such a social status only in words, without legal confirmation.

Friends and classmates of Alexander call him henpecked.

A social role is a specific pattern of an individual's behavior in accordance with a certain social status. Thus, having any social status or claiming to acquire it, a person must perform a number of appropriate actions and obligations.

In this case, a role-playing set is a set of social roles of a person. For example, Sergey's role-playing set is a native of the city of Shadrinsk, a citizen of the Russian Federation, a son, a younger brother, a trainer at a dance school, a member of a dance group.

Role conflicts take place, i.e. situations in which, due to the large number of requirements for various social roles, these same requirements come into conflict, both among themselves and within the same role. So, role conflicts are of the following types:

Intra-role conflict, i.e. a conflict that presupposes a contradiction between different characteristics of one social role. Example: a good chef, on the one hand, must be on friendly terms with his subordinate chefs, and on the other hand, he must be strict and demanding, not to violate the chain of command.
Inter-role conflict, in which the roles of the same role set collide. Example: It is unlikely that a professional weightlifter understands 19th century Russian literature.
Personal-role conflict that arises when the personal attitudes of the individual, his beliefs and requirements of the social role clash. Example: Eugene suffers from social phobia, but the profession of a physical education teacher forces him to communicate with people.

Social role concept

It is believed that the concept of social role in sociology was first introduced by R. Linton, although already in F. Nietzsche this word appears in a completely sociological sense: "Concern for the maintenance of existence imposes on the majority of male Europeans a strictly defined role, as they say, a career." From the point of view of sociology, any organization of a society or group presupposes the existence of a set of differing roles. In particular, P. Berger believes that "society is a network of social roles."

A social role is a system of expected behavior, which is determined by normative duties and the rights corresponding to these duties.

For example, an educational institution as a type of social organization presupposes the presence of a director, teachers and students. Weights are social roles associated with a specific set of responsibilities and rights. So, the teacher is obliged to follow the orders of the director, not to be late for his lessons, to prepare in good faith for them, to orient students towards socially approved behavior, to be quite demanding and fair, he is prohibited from resorting to physical punishment of students, etc. At the same time, he has the right to certain signs of respect related to his role as a teacher: students must stand up when he appears, call him by name and patronymic, unquestioningly follow his orders related to the educational process, observe silence in the classroom when he speaks, and etc. Nevertheless, the fulfillment of a social role allows some freedom for the manifestation of individual qualities: a teacher can be harsh and soft, maintain a hard distance in relation to students and behave with them like a senior friend. The student can be diligent or careless, obedient or cocky. These are all permissible individual shades of social roles.

The normative requirements related to the social role, as a rule, are more or less known to the participants in the role interaction, therefore they give rise to certain role expectations: all participants expect from each other behavior that fits into the context of these social roles. This makes the social behavior of people largely predictable.

However, role requirements allow for some freedom and the behavior of the group member is not determined by the mechanically performed role. So, from literature and life, there are cases when, at a critical moment, a person takes on the role of a leader and saves the situation from whom no one expected this by his usual role in the group. E. Hoffman argues that an individual performing a social role is aware of the existence of a distance between himself and his role. T. Parsons emphasized the variability of regulatory requirements associated with social role. R. Merton noted their "dual nature". For example, a scientist-researcher is required to adhere to the provisions and methods established by science and at the same time create and substantiate new ideas, sometimes to the detriment of the accepted ones; A good surgeon is not only one who is good at conventional operations, but also one who can take a risky unconventional decision, saving the patient's life. Thus, a certain amount of initiative is an integral part of the fulfillment of a social role.

An individual always performs simultaneously not one social role, but several, sometimes even many. The position of a person fulfilling only one role is always pathological and assumes that he lives in conditions of complete isolation from society (he is a patient of a psychiatric clinic or a prisoner in prison). Even in a family, a person plays not one, but several roles - he is both a son, and a brother, and a husband, and a father. In addition, he performs a number of roles in other social groups: he is both a boss for his subordinates, and a subordinate for his boss, and a doctor for his patients, and a teacher for his students at a medical institute, and each other, and a neighbor of his residents. at home, and a member of some political party, etc.

Role normative requirements are part of the system of social norms adopted by a given society. Nevertheless, they are specific and valid only in relation to those who occupy a certain social position. Many role requirements are absurd outside of a specific role situation. For example, a woman who comes to see a doctor undresses at his request, fulfilling her role as a patient. But if a passer-by on the street turns to her with a similar demand, she will rush to run or call for help.

The relationship between specific role norms and generally valid norms is very complex. Many role prescriptions are not associated with them at all, and some role norms are exclusive in nature, placing the people performing them in a special position when they are not subject to general norms. For example, a doctor is obliged to keep medical confidentiality, and a priest the confidentiality of confession, therefore, under the law, they are not obliged to disclose this information when giving evidence in court. The discrepancy between general and role norms can be so great that the bearer of the role is almost subject to public contempt, although his position is necessary and recognized by society (executioner, secret police agent).

Ideas about social role

It is believed that the concept of "social role" was introduced into sociology in the first half of the 19th century. American scientist R. Linton. The German philosopher F. Nietzsche uses this word in a completely sociological sense: "The concern for the maintenance of existence imposes on the majority of male Europeans a strictly defined role, as they say, a career."

From the point of view of sociology, any organization of a society or a group presupposes the presence of a set of roles that differ from each other. In particular, the American sociologist P. Berger believes that modern society is a "network of social roles."

The social role is a system of expected behavior, which is determined by normative duties and the rights corresponding to these duties. For example, an educational institution as a type of social organization presupposes the presence of a director, teachers and students. These social roles carry a specific set of responsibilities and rights. The teacher is obliged to follow the director's orders, not be late for his lessons, prepare for them in good faith, orient students towards socially approved behavior, be demanding and fair, he is prohibited from resorting to physical punishment of students, etc. At the same time, he has the right to certain signs of respect related to his role as a teacher: students must stand up when he appears, call him by name and patronymic, follow his orders related to the educational process, observe silence in the classroom when he speaks, etc. .NS.

Nevertheless, the fulfillment of a social role allows some freedom for the manifestation of individual qualities: the teacher can be harsh or gentle, keep a distance from students or behave with them like a senior friend. The student can be diligent or careless, obedient or cocky. These are all permissible individual shades of social roles. Consequently, the behavior of an individual in a group is not determined by the social role he performs mechanically. So, from literature and life, there are cases when, at critical moments, people took on the role of a leader and saved the situation from whom, according to their usual roles in the group, no one expected this.

The American sociologist R. Merton was the first to draw attention to the fact that each social status has not one social role, but several, and this position became the basis of the theory of the set of roles.

Thus, individuals as bearers of certain social statuses, entering into social relations, always perform several social roles at the same time, conditioned by this or that social status. The position of a person performing only one role is always pathological and suggests that he lives in isolation from society. Usually a person plays several roles in a society. For example, a man's social status allows him to have many social roles: in a family he can be husband and father or son and brother; at work - a boss or a subordinate, and at the same time a boss for some and a subordinate for others; in professional activity, he can be a doctor and at the same time a patient of another doctor; a member of a political party and a neighbor of a member of another political party, etc.

In modern sociology, a set of roles corresponding to a certain social status is called a role set. For example, the status of a teacher of a particular educational institution has its own distinctive set of roles that associates it with the holders of relative statuses - other teachers, students, director, laboratory assistants, officials of the Ministry of Education, members of professional associations, i.e. with those who are somehow related to the teacher's professional activity. In this regard, sociology distinguishes between the concepts of "role set" and "multiplicity of roles." The latter concept refers to a variety of social statuses (a set of statuses) that an individual possesses. The concept of "role set" denotes only those roles that are dynamic aspects of only a given social status.

Social roles. Types and characteristics

A social role is the behavior expected of someone who has a certain social status. Social roles are a set of requirements imposed on an individual by society, as well as actions that must be performed by a person holding a given status in the social system. A person can have many roles.

The status of children is usually subordinate to adults, and children are expected to be deferential to the latter. The status of soldiers is different from that of civilians; the role of soldiers is associated with risk taking and taking oaths, which is not the case for other populations. The status of women is different from that of men, and therefore they are expected to behave differently from men. Each individual can have a large number of statuses, and those around him have the right to expect him to perform roles in accordance with these statuses. In this sense, status and role are two sides of the same phenomenon: if status is a set of rights, privileges and obligations, then a role is an action within this set of rights and obligations. The social role consists of role expectations (anticipation) and the performance of this role (play).

Social roles can be institutionalized and conventional.

Institutionalized: the institution of marriage, family (social roles of mother, daughter, wife)

Conventional: accepted by agreement (a person may refuse to accept them)

Cultural norms are learned mainly through role learning. For example, a person who masters the role of a military man becomes familiar with the customs, moral norms and laws characteristic of the status of this role. Only a few norms are accepted by all members of society, the adoption of most norms depends on the status of a particular person. What is acceptable for one status turns out to be unacceptable for another. Thus, socialization as a process of teaching the generally accepted ways and methods of action and interaction is the most important process of teaching role behavior, as a result of which the individual really becomes a part of society.

Types of social roles

The types of social roles are determined by the variety of social groups, activities and relationships in which the individual is included. Depending on social relations, social and interpersonal social roles are distinguished.

Social roles are related to social status, profession or type of activity (teacher, student, student, salesperson). These are standardized impersonal roles based on rights and responsibilities, regardless of who plays those roles. Social and demographic roles are distinguished: husband, wife, daughter, son, grandson ... Man and woman are also social roles, biologically predetermined and presupposing specific ways of behavior, enshrined in social norms and customs.

Interpersonal roles are associated with interpersonal relationships that are regulated on an emotional level (leader, offended, neglected, family idol, loved one, etc.).

In life, in interpersonal relationships, each person acts in some kind of dominant social role, a kind of social role as the most typical individual image, familiar to others. It is extremely difficult to change the familiar image both for the person himself and for the perception of the people around him. The longer a group exists, the more familiar the dominant social roles of each member of the group become for those around them, and the more difficult it is to change the stereotype of behavior habitual for those around them.

The main characteristics of the social role

The main characteristics of the social role are highlighted by the American sociologist Tolcot Parsons. He proposed the following four characteristics of any role.

By scale. Some of the roles can be severely limited, while others are blurred.

By the method of receipt. Roles are divided into prescribed and conquered (also called achievable).

By the degree of formalization. Activity can proceed both within strictly established frameworks and arbitrarily.

By types of motivation. Personal profit, public benefit, etc. can act as motivation.

The scope of the role depends on the range of interpersonal relationships. The larger the range, the larger the scale. For example, the social roles of spouses are very large, since a wide range of relationships is established between husband and wife. On the one hand, these are interpersonal relationships based on a variety of feelings and emotions; on the other hand, relations are regulated by normative acts and, in a certain sense, are formal. Participants in this social interaction are interested in the most different aspects of each other's life, their relationship is practically unlimited. In other cases, when the relationship is strictly defined by social roles (for example, the relationship between the seller and the buyer), interaction can only take place on a specific occasion (in this case, a purchase). Here the scale of the role is reduced to a narrow circle of specific issues and is small.

The way of getting a role depends on how inevitable the given role is for a person. So, the roles of a young man, old man, man, woman are automatically determined by the age and gender of a person and do not require special efforts to acquire them. There can only be the problem of matching your role, which already exists as a given. Other roles are achieved or even won in the process of a person's life and as a result of purposeful special efforts. For example, the role of a student, researcher, professor, etc. These are almost all roles related to the profession and any achievements of a person.

Formalization as a descriptive characteristic of a social role is determined by the specifics of the interpersonal relations of the bearer of this role. Some roles presuppose the establishment of only formal relations between people with rigid regulation of the rules of behavior; others, on the contrary, are only informal; still others can combine both formal and informal relationships. Obviously, the relationship of a traffic police representative with a traffic offender should be determined by formal rules, and the relationship between loved ones - by feelings. Formal relationships are often accompanied by informal ones, in which emotionality is manifested, because a person, perceiving and evaluating another, shows sympathy or antipathy towards him. This happens when people interact for a while and the relationship becomes relatively stable.

Status - it is a certain position in the social structure of a group or society, linked to other positions through a system of rights and obligations.

Sociologists distinguish two types of status: personal and acquired. Personal status is the position of a person that he occupies in the so-called small, or primary, group, depending on how his individual qualities are assessed in it. On the other hand, in the process of interacting with other individuals, each person performs certain social functions that determine his social status.

Social status is the general position of an individual or social group in society, associated with a certain set of rights and obligations. Social statuses are prescribed and acquired (achieved). The first category includes nationality, place of birth, social origin, etc., the second - profession, education, etc.

In any society, there is a certain hierarchy of status, which is the basis of its stratification. Certain statuses are prestigious, while others are the opposite. Prestige is the assessment by society of the social significance of a particular status, enshrined in culture and public opinion. This hierarchy is shaped by two factors:

a) the real usefulness of those social functions that a person performs;

b) a system of values characteristic of a given society.

If the prestige of any statuses is unreasonably high or, on the contrary, low, it is usually said that there is a loss of the balance of statuses. A society in which there is a similar tendency to the loss of this balance is unable to ensure its normal functioning. It is necessary to distinguish authority from prestige. Authority is the degree of recognition by society of the dignity of an individual, a particular person.

The social status of a person primarily influences his behavior. Knowing the social status of a person, one can easily determine most of the qualities that he possesses, as well as predict the actions that he will carry out. Such expected behavior of a person, associated with the status that he has, is usually called a social role. A social role is actually a certain pattern of behavior recognized as appropriate for people of a given status in a given society. In fact, the role provides a model showing how an individual should act in a given situation. The roles differ in the degree of formalization: some are very clearly defined, for example, in military organizations, others are very vague. A social role can be assigned to a person both formally (for example, in a legislative act) and also be informal.

Any individual is a reflection of the totality of social relations of his era. Therefore, each person has not one but a whole set of social roles that he plays in society. Their combination is called a role system. Such a variety of social roles can cause an internal conflict of the individual (in the event that some of the social roles contradict each other).

Scientists offer different classifications of social roles. Among the latter, as a rule, the so-called basic (basic) social roles are distinguished. These include:

a) the role of the worker;

b) the role of the owner;

c) the role of the consumer;

d) the role of the citizen;

e) the role of a family member.

However, despite the fact that the behavior of a person is largely determined by the status that she occupies and the roles that she plays in society, she (the person) nevertheless retains her autonomy and has a certain freedom of choice. And although in modern society there is a tendency towards the unification and standardization of the personality, its complete leveling, fortunately, does not occur. An individual has the opportunity to choose from a variety of social statuses and roles offered to him by society, those that allow him to better realize his plans, to use his abilities as efficiently as possible. A person's acceptance of a particular social role is influenced by both social conditions and his biological and personal characteristics (health status, gender, age, temperament, etc.). Any role-playing prescription only outlines a general scheme of human behavior, offering to make a choice of ways to fulfill it by the personality itself.

In the process of achieving a certain status and performing the corresponding social role, a so-called role conflict may arise. Role conflict is a situation in which a person is faced with the need to satisfy the requirements of two or more incompatible roles.

All possible roles of a person in society as a person cannot arise without an appropriate predetermining factor. In this case, it is the position of the individual in society, which is a very complex system. At the same time, it is quite simple to understand what social status is, how it is related to the previous aspects.

The role of man in society

Any modern inhabitant is endowed with many rights and responsibilities, and hence a number of specific roles. If we are talking about a child, then its main functions will be those that are part of the range of responsibilities in the family, school, public transport, in circles, etc. If we consider the social status of a woman, then it is common for her to simultaneously fulfill the roles of a wife, mother, daughter , employee, student, customer, friend and be in other, equally important guises. However, one cannot deny the fact that it would be somehow strange and unnatural to see an adult wealthy man sitting at a school bench, and a first grader at the wheel of a trolleybus. Such actions run counter to the corresponding position occupied by a person in the world around him.

Determination of social status

Social status is the position of an individual in a social system - society, which is predetermined by the presence of appropriate opportunities, interests, knowledge, rights and responsibilities. As a rule, a self-sufficient, full-fledged person has several statuses at the same time, realizing their components throughout his life.

Among the complex status set, one can single out the so-called superstatus, which is the main indicator of the integration of a person into society. Often this criterion is considered to be the profession, place of work or the main type of employment. When we meet a person, we almost always think about what the stranger does for his living.
Other qualities and properties of the individual are also of interest. Although the decisive factor may be other factors, including national, religious or racial identity, sexual orientation, past life experience or previous convictions.

Varieties of position in society

Trying to recognize what social status is, you should familiarize yourself with its classification. Any position of an individual in the life of society can be attributed to two fundamental types. The first type is the performances prescribed to a person regardless of his desire, capabilities and financial components. These include gender, place of birth, national characteristics, ethnic origin. The second type is the achieved social status or acquired, as it is often said about it. It is on the desire and abilities of a person that the achievement of his goals and heights directly depends. After all, husbands, leaders, doctors of sciences, football players, writers or engineers are not born, they become.

Prescribed social status

The modern system of society is a very complex functioning formation, the institutions of which cease to work if any person fails to fulfill the mass of duties indicated by relations in individual social groups. With the aim of unanimously agreed fulfillment of the duties of the prescribed status, from the very birth, a person goes through a long path of preparation and training to fulfill the established roles. The initial stage of personality formation takes place in early childhood according to additional criteria, which often serve as a formula for achieving success in the future. Age and sex criteria serve as the basis for role prescriptions in society. They are followed by racial, nationality, as well as religious and class gradations.

The first role-based learning that continues in childhood is some of the processes of socialization depending on gender. In later life, they will have a huge impact on the formation and characteristics of the social status of an already established adult. For example, from the moment of birth, girls are prepared for pink undershirts, many dolls and princesses. Young girls are gradually prepared for adulthood, teaching culinary tricks and the secrets of maintaining a home. It is not customary to raise little ladies in a boyish style. And although this type of upbringing can sometimes be found, it is mostly considered bad form.

Features of Prescribed Status

As for the education of boys, in adulthood, it demonstrates the consequences of the educational process, which can be safely attributed to the opposite type. From an early age, they know that it is better to be strong than weak, because they have to protect timid girls, and then become the support and strong shoulder of their whole family. Such methods, contributing to the formation of personality, determine in the future the different social statuses of men and women.

It should be noted that many modern professions are relevant for both sexes. Some jobs are available for women to do, and they can do them as well as men, and vice versa. For example, in some states, girls are not hired as domestic workers in wealthy homes. In particular, in the Philippines, only men are hired to do secretarial work, while some of the hard work in the agricultural industry is predominantly amenable to the weaker half of humanity.

Acquired position in society

What is social status can be understood through the prism of the results achieved. Each personality is provided with a wide range of possibilities due to the prescribed statuses. Each person can acquire a new position in society using their individual abilities, preferences, diligence or, oddly enough, luck. After all, Michael Young, the famous British sociologist, was quite successfully able to formulate such a phenomenon. He said that important titles of kings, lords and princesses are prescribed social statuses that are assigned to an individual, regardless of his efforts to achieve high ranks.

The acquired social status of a person in society is not given from birth; only persons who are suitable for this can take possession of the corresponding position. Not all people born in a male form can acquire the status of a husband or father. This will not happen automatically - it all depends on the actions, behavior and attitude to life of a particular individual. The desired status is achieved through the use of talent, desire, dedication and active position.

The predominant importance of social statuses

Often, in traditional societies, the prescribed statuses are decisive, since the further type of activity and the corresponding occupation of a particular public place depends on many factors associated with the moment of birth. Men often try to be like their fathers and grandfathers, imitating them and wanting to adopt their skills in professions familiar from childhood. In addition, by nature, a man is a hunter, fisherman and warrior. Naturally, in the literal sense, it is quite difficult to realize this part of the male destiny in industrial societies, but having the freedom to choose occupations to achieve this or that position, incredible opportunities open up for today's "earners".

Ranking in society by social status

For the successful functioning of the social system, a sufficient level of mobility of labor resources is required, which leads to the priority manifestation of orientation towards the personal characteristics of individuals, to the change of one status to another by applied efforts. Meanwhile, the movement up the status ladder is under the constant control of the entire society in order to comply with the principles of justice, which allow only those people who were able to truly prove themselves to acquire a high position in society. Those who have not been able to find their successful “environment” will have to pay the price of non-competitiveness and failure in new roles.
Hence the huge number of people who, being in this situation, do not feel a sense of satisfaction.

How to achieve a high place in society?

Only a person who has traveled a long and difficult path will be able to understand what a high-level social status is and how to use its privileges. It also happens that the acquired position in the future obliges the individual to make changes not only in work, but also in everyday life, place of residence, circle of acquaintances and friends. When a person has to face difficulties that are far removed from the experience of their ancestors due to significant differences between her social status and the social status of her parents, the process of accepting new roles is predetermined by the status that has arisen.

An ideal society is considered to be where the predominant number of social statuses are acquired. Isn't it fair if every person finds his place under the sun and strives for it, proving it by his abilities, work or talent? In addition, the opportunity to successfully prove itself provides a chance to justify any significant shortcomings.

An absolutely opposite picture is society, where in most cases the position in society is prescribed, and a person does not expect an increase in his status, does not apply even the slightest effort to this. People who earn little money doing non-prestigious work do not feel guilty that they have a low social status. Without comparing the current state of affairs with the situation of other, more ambitious and impetuous people, such an individual is not oppressed by a feeling of dissatisfaction, insecurity or fear of losing something.