Summary: Social statuses and roles. Social role and social status

In psychology and sociology there are many theories about the personality and its attributes. The concepts of “social role” and “personality status” are used to explain human behavior in society, as they affect many aspects of an individual’s functioning. His self-esteem, self-awareness, communication, orientation largely depend on them.

Concept of personality

From the point of view of sociology, a person is an individual who, during socialization, acquires a specific set of socially significant qualities, properties, knowledge, skills and abilities. As a result of inclusion in social relations and relations, he becomes a responsible subject of volitional activity. According to psychologists, a personality is an integral set of various traits of biogenic and sociogenic origin, which is formed in vivo and affects human behavior and activity. In both cases, the social role and status of the individual play an important role in the formation and self-realization of the individual.

The basis for the formation are four groups of phenomena: the biological characteristics of the human body and its innate experience, learning outcomes, the experience of social life and interaction with other people, the results of self-esteem, reflection and self-awareness. In the structure of personality, one can distinguish groups of features that affect all human behavior.

These include psychological traits such as abilities, motivation, volitional qualities, social attitudes and stereotypes, character, orientation, emotions, temperament. Also, a person includes a set of social characteristics, such as social statuses and roles, a system of dispositions and various role expectations, a complex of knowledge, values \u200b\u200band beliefs, interests and worldview. The process of crystallization of personality traits often occurs under the influence of the external and internal environment and proceeds uniquely, creating a unique integrity.

Concept of social status

At the end of the 19th century, the English scientist Henry Man introduced a new concept into circulation. Since then, social status has been much analyzed and researched. Today, it is understood as a certain place of a person in a social system or group. It is determined by a number of signs: material and marital status, possession of power, functions performed, education, specific skills, nationality, special psychological characteristics, and many others. Since the individual is simultaneously part of various groups, his status in them may be different.

It not only denotes a person’s position in society, but also endows him with certain rights and obligations. Usually, the higher it is, the greater the set of rights and obligations. Often in everyday consciousness, the concepts of social status and role are equated with the concept of prestige. Of course, it accompanies status, but is not always its mandatory attribute. Status is a mobile category. A person can change it with the acquisition of new qualities or roles. Only in traditional social systems could it be inherited, enshrined in law or in accordance with religious canons. Today, a person in his development can achieve the desired statuses or lose them under certain circumstances.

Status hierarchy

A set of different positions of one person in society is usually called a status set. This structure usually has a dominant, basic status, and a set of additional ones. The first determines the main position of the individual in this social system. For example, a child or an elderly person will have a basic status according to age. At the same time, in some patriarchal societies, the sex of a person will be the main sign for determining his position in the system.

Since there is a division into main and non-main statuses, the researchers talk about the existence of a hierarchy of social positions of the individual. Social roles and status are the most important factor affecting an individual’s overall satisfaction with his life. The assessment takes place in two directions. There are stable interactions of statuses at the horizontal and vertical levels.

The first factor is a system of interaction between people at the same level of the social hierarchy. Vertical, respectively, communication of people at different levels. The distribution of people on the steps of the social ladder is a natural phenomenon for society. The hierarchy supports the role expectations of the individual, stipulating an understanding of the distribution of duties and rights, allows a person to be satisfied with his position or makes him strive to change his status. This provides personality dynamics.

Personal and social status

Traditionally, according to the size of the community in which the individual functions, it is customary to distinguish between personal and actual social statuses. They function at various levels. So, social status is a sphere of professional and public relations. Here, professional status, education, political position, social activity are of the utmost importance. They are the signs by which a person is placed in a social hierarchy.

Social role and status also function in small groups. In this case, the researchers talk about personal status. In a family, a small circle of interests, a circle of friends, a small working group, a person occupies a certain position. But to establish a hierarchy, personal, psychological signs are used here, not professional ones. Leadership, knowledge, skills, sociability, sincerity and other character traits allow a person to become a leader or an outsider, to receive a certain personal status. There is a significant difference between these two types of positions in a social group. They allow a person to be realized in various fields. So, a small clerk, who occupies a low position in the work collective, can play a significant role, for example, in the numismatist society, thanks to his knowledge.

Types of Social Status

Since the concept of status covers an extremely vast area of \u200b\u200bsocial activity of a person, that is, there are many of their varieties. Let's highlight the main classifications. The following statuses are distinguished depending on the dominance of different characters:

Natural, or socio-demographic. These statuses are established in accordance with such characteristics as age, kinship, gender, race and health status. An example would be the provisions of a child, parent, man or woman, Caucasian, disabled person. The social role and status of a person in communication is reflected in this case by endowing the individual with certain rights and obligations.
Actually social status. It can take shape only in society. Usually, economic statuses are distinguished, depending on the position held, the availability of property; political, in accordance with the views and social activity, also a sign of the allocation of status is the presence or absence of power; sociocultural, which include on the grounds of education, attitude to religion, art, science. In addition, there are legal, professional, territorial statuses.

According to another classification, prescribed, achieved and mixed statuses are distinguished in accordance with the method of obtaining it. Prescribed statuses are those that are assigned upon birth. Their person gets involuntarily, doing nothing for this.

Achieved, on the contrary, are acquired as a result of efforts, often significant. These include professional, economic, cultural positions in society. Mixed - those that combine the two previous species. An example of such statuses can be various dynasties where, by the right of birth, a child receives not only a position in society, but a predisposition to achievements in a certain field of activity. Formal and informal statuses are also distinguished. The first are formally fixed in any documents. For example, upon assuming office. The latter are assigned by the group behind the scenes. A striking example is the leader in a small group.

Concept of social role

In psychology and sociology, the term “social role” is used, which is understood as the expected behavior dictated by social status and other members of the group. Social role and status are closely related. Status imposes obligations of the right to an individual, and they, in turn, dictate a certain type of behavior to a person. By virtue of their sociality, any person must constantly change patterns of behavior, therefore, each individual has a whole arsenal of roles that he plays in different situations.

The social role determines social status. Its structure includes role expectation, or projection, execution, or play. A person finds himself in a typical situation where participants expect a certain model of behavior from him. Therefore, he begins to bring it to life. He does not need to think about how to behave. The model dictates his actions. Each person has his own role set, that is, a set of roles for different occasions in accordance with their statuses.

Psychological characteristics of social roles

It is believed that the role in society determines social status. However, the sequence is reversed. Getting the next status, a person develops behavioral options. In each role, there are two psychological components. Firstly, it is a symbolic-informational part, which is the scenario of a typical performance. It is often presented in the form of instructions, memos, principles. Each individual has unique features that give the role a peculiar and subjective character. Secondly, it is an imperative control component, which is the mechanism for launching the game. The imperative component is also associated with values \u200b\u200band norms. He dictates what to do based on cultural stereotypes and moral standards of society.

The social role has three psychological parameters by which it can be assessed and classified:

Emotionality A different degree of manifestation of sensuality is characteristic for each role. So, the leader must be restrained, and the mother can be emotional.
Formalization. Roles can be formal and informal. The former are described by a specific scenario, fixed in some form. For example, the role of a teacher is partially described in the job description, as well as recorded in the stereotypes and beliefs of society. The latter arise in specific situations and are not fixed anywhere, except for the psyche of the performer. For example, the role of the ringleader in the company.
Motivation. Roles are always closely related to the satisfaction of various needs; each of them has one or more basic needs.

Types of Social Roles

Society is infinitely diverse, so there are many types of roles. The social status and social role of a person are interconnected. Therefore, the former often duplicate the latter and vice versa. So, they distinguish natural roles (of mother, child) and achievable (leader, leader), formal and informal. The social role and status, examples of which everyone can find in their personality structure, have a certain sphere of influence. Among them are distinguished status roles that are directly related to a certain position in society and interpersonal roles, which follow from the situation, for example, the role of a loved one, offended, etc.

Social Role Features

Society constantly needs mechanisms to regulate the behavior of its members. The social role and status in communication is primarily responsible for the regulatory function. They help to quickly find an interaction scenario without spending large resources. Also, social roles perform an adaptive function. When a person's status changes, or he finds himself in a certain situation, he needs to quickly find a suitable model of behavior. Thus, the social role and status of a nation allows it to adapt to a new cultural context.

Another function is self-realization. Performing roles allows a person to show their various qualities and achieve their desired goals. The cognitive function is the possibilities of self-knowledge. The person, trying on various roles, learns his potential, finds new opportunities.

Social role and status: ways of interaction

In the personality structure, roles and statuses are closely intertwined. They allow a person to solve various social problems, achieve goals and satisfy requirements. The social role and status of the individual in the group are important for motivating her to work. Wanting to increase status, a person begins to study, work, improve.

Groups are dynamic integrity and there is always the opportunity to redistribute statuses. A person using the assortment of his roles can change his status. And vice versa: its change will lead to a change in the role set. The social role and status of the individual in the group can be briefly described as the driving force of the individual on the path to self-realization and achievement of goals.

Thanks to socialization, the individual joins social life, receives and changes his social status and social role. Social status -it is an individual’s position in a society with certain rights and obligations. The status of an individual can be: profession, position, gender, age, marital status, nationality, religiosity, financial situation, political influence, etc. The totality of all social statuses of personality R. Merton called "status set."The status that has a dominant influence on the lifestyle of a person, his social identity, is called main status. In small, primary social groups is of great importance personal status of a personformed under the influence of his individual qualities (Appendix, Scheme 6).

Social statuses are also divided into prescribed (ascriptive), i.e. received regardless of the subject, most often from birth (race, gender, nationality, social origin) and achieved, i.e. acquired by the individual’s own efforts.

There is a certain hierarchy of statuses, the place in which is called the status rank. High, medium and low status ranks are distinguished. Status mismatch those. contradictions in the intergroup and intra-group hierarchy, occurs under two circumstances:

§ when an individual takes a high status rank in one group and low in another;

§ when the rights and obligations of one status contradict or impede the fulfillment of the rights and obligations of another.

The concept of “social status” is closely related to the concept of “social role”, which is its function, a dynamic side. The social role is the expected behavior of an individual having a certain status in a given society. By definition of R. Merton, the totality of roles corresponding to a given status is called a role system (“role set”). The social role is divided into role expectations - that which, according to the rules of the game, is expected from a particular role, and role behavior - that which a person performs within the framework of his role.

Any social role, according to T. Parsons, can be described using five main characteristics:

§ level of emotionality - some roles are emotionally restrained, others are uninhibited;

§ method of receipt - prescribed or achieved;

§ scale of manifestation - strictly limited or blurred;

§ degree of formalization - strictly established or arbitrary;

Motivation - for total profit or for personal good.

Since each person has a wide range of statuses, it means that he has a lot of roles corresponding to this or that status. Therefore, in real life often arise role conflicts. In its most general form, two types of such conflicts can be distinguished: between roles or within the same role, when it includes incompatible, conflicting responsibilities of an individual. Social experience shows that only a few roles are free from internal tensions and conflicts, which can lead to a refusal to fulfill role obligations, to psychological stress. There are several types of protective mechanisms by which role tension can be reduced. These include:

§ "rationalization of roles" when a person unconsciously searches for the negative sides of a desired but unattainable role in order to calm himself;

§ "separation of roles" - involves a temporary withdrawal from life, the exclusion of undesirable roles from the consciousness of the individual;

Role management ”- is a deliberate, deliberate release from responsibility for the performance of a role.

Thus, in modern society, each individual uses the mechanisms of unconscious protection and the conscious inclusion of social structures in order to avoid the negative consequences of role-playing conflicts.

Social status

One way or another behaves (performs an action), being in social connectioninteracting with different social groups: family, street, training, labor, army, etc. To characterize the degree of inclusion of the individual in various social relations and groups, as well as the position that he occupies in them, his functional responsibilities in these groups are used concept of social status.

Social status - These are duties and human rights in the system of social relations, groups, systems. It includes duties (roles, functions) that a person must fulfill in a given social community (study group), communication (educational process), system (university). Rights are those duties that other people must fulfill in relation to a person, a social connection, a social system. For example, the rights of a student at a university (and at the same time the obligations of the university administration towards it) are: the presence of highly qualified teachers, textbooks, warm and bright classrooms, etc. And the rights of a university administration (and at the same time the obligations of a student) are requirements for a student attend classes, study textbooks, take exams, etc.

In different groups, the same individual has a different social status. For example, a talented chess player in a chess club has a high status, but may have a low status in the army. This is a potential cause of frustration and interpersonal conflict. The characteristics of social status are prestige and authority, representing the recognition by others of the merits of the individual.

Prescribed (natural) are the statuses and roles imposed on the individual by society, regardless of his efforts and merits. Such statuses are determined by the ethnic, family, territorial, etc., origin of the individual: gender, nationality, age, place of residence, etc. The prescribed statuses have a tremendous impact on the social status and lifestyle of people.

Acquired (achieved) are the status and role achieved by the efforts of the person himself. These are the statuses of a professor, writer, astronaut, etc. Among the acquired statuses, they distinguish professional and official, which captures the professional, economic, cultural, etc. position of the individual. More often than not, one leading social status determines a person’s position in society; this status is called integral. Quite often it is due to position, wealth, education, athletic success, etc.

A person is characterized by a combination of statuses and roles. For example: a man, a married man, a professor, etc. statuses form status set this individual. Such a set depends on both natural statuses and roles, as well as on acquired ones. Among the many statuses of a person at each stage of his life, the main one can be distinguished: for example, the status of a schoolboy, student, officer, husband, etc. In an adult, status is usually associated with the profession.

In a class society, the status set is of a class nature and depends on the social class of a given person. Compare, for example, the status set of "new" Russian bourgeois and workers. These statuses (and roles) among representatives of each social class form a hierarchy in degree of value. Between statuses and roles there is an interstatus and inter-role distance. It is also characteristic of statuses and roles in terms of their social significance.

In the process of life, a change in the status set and roles of a person occurs. It occurs as a result of both the development of the needs and interests of the individual, and the challenges of the social environment. In the first case, the person is active, and in the second - reactive, exhibits a reflex reaction to the influence of the environment. For example, a young man chooses which university to enter, and once in the army, he is forced to adapt to it, counting the days before demobilization. A person is inherent in the ability to increase and complicate the status and role set.

Some philosophers see the meaning of individual life in the self-realization of their abilities and needs, the elevation of status and role set. (In particular, the above system of needs according to Maslow comes from this.) What is the reason for this phenomenon? It is due to the fact that, on the one hand, self-realization is laid in the "foundation" of a person - in his freedom, ambition, and competition. On the other hand, external circumstances often elevate or lower people in the status set. As a result, people who are able to mobilize their abilities and will, advance throughout life from one status level to another, moving from one social stratum to another, higher. For example, a schoolboy - a student - a young specialist - a businessman - a company president - a pensioner. The last stage of the status set associated with old age usually puts an end to the process conservation status recruitment.

Adaptation of man to his age and changing social status is an important and complex problem. Our society is characterized by weak socialization towards old age (and pensions). Many are unprepared for old age, a defeat in the fight against age and disease. As a result, retirement, leaving the workforce to the family, which was considered a secondary social group, was usually accompanied by severe stress, role conflicts, illnesses and premature death.

Social role

The social behavior of an individual, community, institution, organization depends not only on their social status (rights and obligations), but also on the surrounding social environment, consisting of the same social entities. They expect a certain social behavior in accordance with their needs and "orientation to others." In this case, social behavior takes on the character of a social role.

The social role is behavior, (1) resulting from the social status of a person and (2) expected by others. As expected behavior, the social role includes the totality social normsthat determine the expected sequence of actions of the subject, adequate to his social status. For example, a professional game is expected from a talented chess player, from the president - the ability to formulate the interests of the country and realize them, etc. Therefore, the social role can be defined as behavior that corresponds to the social norms accepted in this society.

How does the subject's social environment compel him to follow certain norms leading to the behavior expected by this environment? First of all, socialization and the upbringing of such norms are of great importance. Further, there is a mechanism in society sanctions - punishments for non-fulfillment of the role and incentives for its fulfillment, i.e., for observance of social norms. This mechanism acts in the process of a person’s whole life.

Social status and role are closely interconnected; it is no accident that in European sociology they are often not distinguished. "Status" in this sense of the word is equivalent the roles, although it is the latter term that has a wider circulation, ”write English sociologists. The behavioral side of social status, expressed in the role, allows you to distinguish between them: social status can include several roles. For example, the status of a mother includes the roles of a nurse, a doctor, a caregiver, etc. The concept of role also allows you to highlight the mechanism for coordinating the behavior of different actors in social communities, institutions, organizations.

The strict fulfillment of social roles makes people's behavior predictable, streamlines social life, and limits its chaos. Role-based education - socialization - begins in early childhood with the influence of parents and loved ones. At first, it is unconscious for the child. He is shown what to do and how, encouraged for the correct fulfillment of the role. For example, little girls play with dolls, help mothers with housework; boys play cars, help fathers in repairs, etc. Teaching girls and boys forms different interests, abilities, roles.

The expected behavior is ideal, as it proceeds from a theoretical situation. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish from a social role real role behavior, t. role performance in specific conditions. For example, a talented chess player can play poorly for certain reasons, that is, fail to cope with his role. Role behavior usually differs from the social role (expected behavior) in many ways: abilities, understanding, conditions for the implementation of the role, etc.

Role performance is determined first and foremost. role requirementsthat are embodied in social normsgrouped around a given social status, as well as sanctions for fulfilling a role. A significant impact on the role of a person is exerted by the situation in which he is located - above all, other people. Subject models role expectations - orientation, primarily in relation to other people with whom he is associated in a situation. These people act as an additional member of mutual role orientations. In these role expectations, a person can focus on himself (his worldview, character, abilities, etc.). This role expectation orientation Parsons calls attributive (ascriptive). But role-based orientation expectations may relate to the performance of another. This role expectation Parsons calls successful. Attribution-achievement orientation is an important aspect of status-role behavior.

In the process of socialization, a person learns to perform various roles: child, pupil, student, comrade, parent, engineer, military man, senior citizen, etc. Role-based education includes: 1) knowledge of his duties and rights in this area of \u200b\u200bsocial activity; 2) the acquisition of psychological qualities (character, mentality, beliefs) corresponding to this role; 3) the practical implementation of role-playing activities. Learning the most important roles begins in childhood with the formation of attitudes (good or bad) that focus on a certain sequence of actions and operations. Children are playing different roles imitate everyday behavior of others. They aware of their rights and obligations: children and parents, comrades and enemies, etc. Gradually comes the consciousness of the causes and results of their actions.

Man does not exist outside society. We interact with other people, enter into various relationships with them. To indicate the position of a person among their own kind and the characteristics of the individual’s behavior in certain situations, scientists 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 their position. So, the status of a doctor gives the right to diagnose and treat patients, but at the same time obliges doctors to observe labor discipline and conscientiously perform their work.

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

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

There are several classifications of statuses:

Personal and social. A person occupies personal status in a family or other small group in accordance with an assessment of his personal qualities. Social status (examples: teacher, worker, manager) is determined by the actions performed by the individual for society.
Main and episodic. The main status is associated with the main functions in human life. Most often, the main statuses are a family man and an employee. Occasional episodes are associated with a point 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, achieved and mixed. The prescribed status does not depend on the desire and capabilities of the individual, as it is given at birth (nationality, place of birth, estate). Achieved is acquired as a result of efforts (level of education, profession, achievements in science, art, sports). Mixed combines the features of prescribed and achieved statuses (a person who has received disability).
Socio-economic status is determined by the size of the income received and the position that the individual occupies in accordance with his welfare.

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

Hierarchy

The company constantly evaluates the significance of a status and on the basis of this builds a hierarchy of provisions.

Evaluations depend on the usefulness of the person’s business and on the value system accepted in the culture. Prestigious social status (examples: businessman, director) is highly appreciated. At the top of the hierarchy is a general status that 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 status equilibrium. The tendency to its loss jeopardizes the normal functioning of society.

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

Social status cannot be unchanged, as people's lives are not static. Moving a person from one social group to another is called social mobility, which is divided into vertical and horizontal.

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

Intergenerational and intergenerational mobility are also distinguished. The first one determines how children have increased or lowered their status in relation to the status of their parents, and the second one judges how successful a social career is for representatives of one generation (types of social status are taken into account).

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

A high social status acquired by a person or a decrease in such status 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

Staying in a particular status, a person commits actions, communicates with other people, that is, plays a role. Social status and social role are closely interconnected, but differ from each other. Status is a position, and a role is a 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 occupied status.

The term “role” was borrowed from the theater to emphasize the stereotypical 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 character traits and moral attitudes of a person. Sometimes role behavior is adhered only to people, as if putting on a mask. But it also happens that a mask fuses with its wearer, and a 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, head of the funeral home), 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 do not have a framework (parents are fully responsible for the behavior of children).

The performance of roles is closely related to motives, which are also different. Everything determines social status in society and personal motives. The official cares about the promotion, the financier - the profit, and the scientist - the search for truth.

Role set

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

The concept of “role set” describes the whole variety of social roles inherent in a particular status. No role can be rigidly assigned to its carrier. For example, one of the spouses is left without work and for some time (or 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 as breadwinners, home owners and caregivers. In such a situation, it is important to adhere to a middle ground: excessive enthusiasm for one role (director of a company, business woman) leads to a lack of time and energy 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 a particular role. So, a child must certainly be obedient, a schoolchild or student to study well, a worker to observe labor discipline, etc. Social status and social role oblige you to act in this way and not otherwise. The requirements system is also called expectations.

Role expectations are an intermediate link between status and role. Role is considered only such behavior that corresponds to the status. If a teacher, instead of giving a lecture on higher mathematics, begins to sing 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. Caring for the child, playing with him, putting the baby to bed, the mother performs actions, and the successful implementation of the actions is facilitated by kindness, responsiveness, empathy, moderate severity.

Correspondence of the performed role is important not only to others, but to the person himself. The subordinate seeks to earn the respect of the boss, receives moral satisfaction from the high appreciation of the results of his work. The athlete is training hard to set a record. The writer is working on a bestselling book. The social status of a person obliges to be on top. If the expectations of the individual do not meet the expectations of others, then internal and external conflicts arise.

Role conflict

Contradictions between role holders arise either because of discrepancy with expectations, or because one role completely excludes the other. A 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. A child is ill with an ambulance doctor, and doctors are urgently summoned to the hospital, as a natural disaster occurred. The husband wants to go to the cottage to help his parents, and the wife reserves a trip to the sea to heal the children.

Resolving role conflicts is not an easy task. The participants in the confrontation have to decide 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 stipulate the terms of participation in summer cottages and travel time with the whole family.

Sometimes the resolution of the conflict becomes a way out of the role: a job change, admission to the university, divorce. Most often, a person understands that he has outgrown a particular role or that it has become a burden on him. A change of roles 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 ensured by internal and external contradictions.

Socialization

From birth, a person learns the norms, patterns of behavior and cultural values \u200b\u200bthat are 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 personality. Socialization is influenced by the media, the cultural traditions of the people, and social institutions (family, school, labor collectives, public associations, etc.).

Purposeful socialization occurs as a result of training and education, 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 occupy the status of parents, take on these or other roles. If the family and the state did not pay enough attention to the upbringing of the younger generation, then degradation and stagnation begin in public life.

Members of the community coordinate their behavior with certain standards. These may be prescribed norms (laws, regulations, rules) or unspoken expectations. Any non-compliance with 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 interconnected processes: internalization and social adaptation. A person adapts to social conditions, masters the rules of the game, binding on 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 socialize 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 development takes place.

This work is devoted to the study of sociological concepts of social status and social roles, introduced into the scientific circulation in the XIX - XX century by specialists involved in the study of the life of society and the individual in it.

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

Social status - an indicator of the position occupied by the individual in society. The social role is the expected type of personality behavior, due to the totality of the demands made by society on persons occupying certain social positions .. An individual holding a certain status, but not fulfilling the role expected from him, as a rule, conflicts with social structures of society, for which the performance of this role is socially significant.

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

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Social Statuses and Roles

Sociology Abstract

Performed

Tishchenko T.M.,

teacher of history

04/19/2014

Plan

Introduction

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

1.1. Social and personal status

1.2. Assigned and inborn status

1.3. Status Achieved

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

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

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

A.I. Kravchenko very thoroughly acquaints readers with the concept of social status, but speaks little about the social role, briefly. But in the work of V.G. Nemirovsky, on the contrary, pays great attention to the study of the social role of the individual in society, relying on the research of world-famous sociologists, and only a few phrases are said about social status.

In the book of S.S. Novikova to explain the concept of social role, the author uses an example taken from classical literature - the play of W. Shakespeare, which emotionally adorned the study of this topic. In the manual A.Yu. Myagkova speaks of the problem we are exploring in literally two pages, which made us somewhat upset, as the author’s style is simple, accessible to understanding even by an uninitiated reader. An indispensable tool in the work was a reference manual for students in the form of a crib.

Some difficulties were caused by the conceptual apparatus given by the authors is not the same in different publications. Some of them talked about the status role, others - about the social role. Having asked whether these two concepts are a 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 the 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 was surprisingly interesting and very useful as an extension of the level of knowledge in sociological discipline.

Statuses are the main elements of social

The structure of society. Types of statuses.

1.1. Social and social

The term "social status" (from lat. Status - state of affairs, position) was first used in the sociological sense by the English historian G. D. S. 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 Theories of social status were developed by R. Linton, F. Merill, T. Shibutani, R. Turner and others. Currently, this term is used by sociologists in two main senses: a) designation of the social position of an individual or group in a social system; b) designation of 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 - wide and narrow. In a broad sensesocial status - this is the position of the 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. - 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 is dying, someone is leaving and moving to another place. And the cells remain. They are necessary and useful to society: a doctor is needed to treat, a teacher to teach, and so on to infinity. Each cell in its place and performs some important social function.

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

L and st with at -the position that a person occupies in a small or primary group, depending on how he is evaluated according to his individual qualities.It is noted that social status plays a leading role among strangers, and personal - among familiar people.

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

1.2. P r and p s y m and p a r a r s a nd s ta ts s.

In addition to the considered statuses, there are others.

Assigned Status - it is the status in which a person is born or which is assigned to him over time. The attributed status does not coincide with the natural one. King is an attributed status. Only one who was born in a royal family can buy it. The attributed status is very similar to natural, but it does not come down to it.

Age is an attributed status. Throughout life, a person passes from one age to another. The society ascribes to each age category certain rights and obligations, which other categories do not have. People expect a specific behavior from a specific age category: from young people, for example, they expect respect for elders, and from adults they take care of children and the elderly.

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

Only three social statuses are considered as born statuses: gender (male, etc.), nationality (Russian, etc.), race (Negro, etc.). Race, gender and nationality are biologically defined, a person inherits them in addition to his will and consciousness. Natural statuses also include personal statuses: “son”, “daughter”, “sister”, “brother”, “nephew”, “uncle”, “aunt”, “grandmother”, “grandfather”, “cousin”.

It would seem that no one can change sex, race and nationality. However, gender and skin color can be changed as a result of surgery. The concepts of biological sex and socially acquired appeared. A man who has played with dolls since childhood, dressed, felt, thought and acted like a girl, through the efforts of physicians in adulthood, becomes a woman. He gains 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 there is even a natural status if gender, race and nationality in some cases, people change. When parents are people of different nationalities, it is difficult to determine what nationality the children should be. Often they themselves choose what to write in the passport.

Thus, the attributed status is very similar to the inborn status, but it does not come down to it. Biologically inherited status is called congenital. In contrast, socially acquired status is called attributed.The attributed status is not controlled by the individual.

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

1.3. Accessibility

Significantly different from the attributed status achieved.Achieved 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 controlled by the individual, then the achieved is under control. Any status that is not automatically assigned to a person by the very fact of birth is considered to be achieved.

A person acquires (achieves) the profession of a driver or engineer due 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 and enormous work. With less difficulty, such statuses as “schoolboy”, “buyer”, etc. are given. Achieved or acquired are the status of a deputy, worker, teacher, student.

Achieved status requires the adoption of independent decisions and independent actions. The husband’s status is attainable: in order to receive it, the man makes a decision, pays a visit to the bride’s parents, makes an official proposal and performs a host of other actions.

The achieved status includes the positions that people occupy due to their efforts or merit. "Postgraduate student" is the status that graduates achieve by competing with others and showing outstanding academic success. An honorary citizen or an honorary doctor of a foreign university can be made thanks to past achievements.

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

1.4. CHAPTER 2

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

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

Elements of the status of personality in society.

Status elements are: social role (socially approved

behavior), rights and obligations, status image (compliance with the image

his social and personal status), identification (psychological

identification of oneself with one’s status).

2.1. S o c i a l a l a r - providing for a rstance.

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

The image of a person as an actor playing social roles assigned to him is widespread in world literature, the change of which is directly dependent on the change in his social status and age. A vivid confirmation of this is the words of W. Shakespeare, uttered by him in the play "How You Like It":

The whole world is a theater.

There are women in it, men are all actors.

They have their own exits, cares,

And each one plays a role.

Seven Acts in That First Baby’s Play,

Roaring bitterly in Mom’s arms ...

Then a tearful schoolboy with a book bag,

With a rosy face, reluctantly, a snail

Crawling to school. And then a lover

Sighing like an oven with a sad ballad

In honor of a lovely eyebrow. And then the soldier

Whose speech is always full of curses,

Bearded like a leopard

Jealous of honor, bullie in a quarrel,

Ready to seek mortal glory

Though in a cannon vent. Then judge

With a rounded abdomen, where the capon is hidden.

With a stern look, a trimmed beard

Template rules and maxims fount,

So he plays a role. Sixth age

It will be a beggar Pantalone,

In glasses, in shoes, at the waist - a purse,

In the pants, that in the youth of the coast, wide

It is replaced again by the childish treble:

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

The end of this whole strange, complicated play -

Second childhood, half-oblivion:

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

The concept of “role”, borrowed from theatrical life, 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 concept of personality is quite widespread both in the western (T. Parsons, T. Merton, T. Shibutani and others), and in domestic science (I.S. Kon, V.A. Yadov, etc. )

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 particular 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 a person special behavior arising from this position.

Figuratively, the social role can be represented as the point at which the individual and society merge, 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 in fulfilling this role, and on the other, role-based behavior — what a person performs in this role.

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

Four elements are distinguished in the normative structure of a 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 prescribed role;
sanctions - the social consequences of acting 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, a doctor, teacher, or policeman) require emotional restraint in a situation where people usually vigorously express their feelings.

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

3. The scale. Some roles are limited to strictly defined aspects of human interaction. So, the roles of the doctor and the patient are limited by issues that directly relate to the health of the patient.

4. Formalization. Some roles involve interacting with people based on established rules. For example, a librarian is required to issue books for a specified period and demand a fine for each overdue day from those who hold books.

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

Roles are defined by a person in several ways.

Firstly, there are steady expectations of a society or group regarding the behavior of a person with a certain status. They expect competence, decisiveness, concern for subordinates from the leader, concern for the maintenance and upbringing of children from the father, understanding and willingness to help from a friend.

Secondly, roles exist in the form of a set of value orientations of an individual called an “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 pin roles is primary. The social role is formed at their intersection, but at the same time, in different cultures and areas of social life, each of the above methods has a different meaning.

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

Each person simultaneously performs different roles. Therefore, it is important that the requirements for human behavior in various social roles do not contradict each other.

To describe the system of social roles of an individual as an integrity in Russian traditional sociology, two concepts are used: “lifestyle” and “lifestyle”. Lifestyle can be defined as a set of sustainable forms of life of an individual or social group in unity with their conditions.

Life style is a narrower concept and describes those types of human life (in conjunction with their conditions) that 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 accepted under the influence of social norms and requirements, then the lifestyle is social roles or their elements, performed by him in accordance with his internal predisposition.

A social role, arising in connection with a specific social position held by an individual that takes place in a social structure, is at the same time a specific (normatively approved) mode of behavior, which is mandatory for all individuals who perform similar social roles.

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

Rolevna m nabor m.

Each role in a role set requires a special manner of behavior and communication with people. Even two similar roles of the professor - "teacher" and "mentor" - imply a different attitude towards students. The first is to comply with formal norms and rules: giving lectures, checking coursework, taking exams. The second involves informal communication with students as a wise counselor or senior friend. The professor has one relationship with colleagues, another with the university administration, and the third with editors of magazines, students, industrialists.

Requirements and norms of behavior society prescribes the status in advance. For the correct performance of his role, the individual is rewarded, for the wrong - punished. From a person who has this status, others expect very specific actions and do not expect others who do not fit with their idea of \u200b\u200bthis status. However, the status holder himself knows what others expect from him. He understands that others will begin to relate to him in accordance with how they see the fulfillment of this status.

A behavior model that focuses on a specific social or personal status is called a status role or social role, or simply a role.People around build a relationship with the status bearer that corresponds to the correct fulfillment of the status role. They try not to meet with the violator, not to communicate, not to maintain relations. The president of the country, making speeches on a piece of paper, listening to his advisers in all respects or those who are behind him, will not inspire confidence in people and will hardly be perceived by them as a true president, capable of running the country for the benefit of people.

The status of a king requires him to lead a completely different way of life than common people. The role model corresponding to this status should justify the hopes and expectations of its subjects. Nationals must act in strict accordance with a set of norms and requirements.

No role is a rigidly fixed behavior model. Although society imposes on the individual a social role, 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, determined 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 person that social relations are personified.

When analyzing the role behavior of an individual, it is important to consider 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 requirements of the social role. A person is given ample opportunity 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 his actions [3, p. 113].

2.2. STATUS OF R EFERENCES.

The status role includes a set of precisely defined rights. A university professor has a number of rights that distinguish him from a student who does not have this status. He assesses the knowledge of students, but, in accordance with his academic position, can not be fined for poor student performance. The academic status of a professor gives him such opportunities that other people who have an equally high status, say, a politician, doctor, lawyer or priest, do not possess.

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

In the same way, the status of a neighbor implies a free manner of behavior. No strict formal requirements are prescribed to him. If they exist, they are more likely to be informal or optional. The role model of the neighbor’s behavior includes exchanging greetings and greetings, exchanging household items, and resolving conflict situations. But someone shies away from all communication with neighbors, and the other may be excessively sociable and intrusive in friendship.

Rights are inextricably linked to obligations.The higher the status, the greater the rights vested in its holder and the greater the range of responsibilities assigned to it.The status of a laborer does little to oblige. The same can be said of the status of a neighbor, a beggar or a child. But the status of a blood prince or a well-known television observer obliges you to lead a lifestyle that lives up to expectations and meets the social standards of the same circle of people.

The upper classes exercise invisible control over the observance of status duties to a greater extent than the lower classes. Failure to fulfill one’s status obligations may be insignificant and not transcend tolerance (or tolerance). If the violation is significant, the community applies formal sanctions against the culprit, not limited to informal ones, for example, light condemnation.

Thus, a court of officer honor may deprive the offender of his rank and demand expulsion from his midst. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there was a special institution - a court of noble honor, which performed punitive and at the same time educational functions. One of the means of protecting the noble honor was a duel, often ending in the death of a rival.

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

2.3. And m and d - with t and t at with n about n about r s.

Status rights, duties and roles create a status image. Often it is called an 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 obligations in this statue should be related to each other.

The idea of \u200b\u200bwhat a lawyer, doctor or professor should be, regulates and directs 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 seeks to remain in order to look appropriate in the eyes of others. In other words, to match the image of their social or personal status. The teacher is unlikely to come to the lesson, dressed in a sweatshirt, although in the garden he works only in it. The doctor, even after retiring, does not allow himself to look sloppy. After all, he used to be in public all the time. Those who act differently do not correspond to their status image.

2.4. STATUS AND DENTIFICATION.

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

However, many teachers attend lectures in sweaters and jeans, doing so quite intentionally. Thus, they show that they do not want to distance themselves too much from students, suggesting that they behave more relaxed, confidentially.

Reducing the interstate distance is sometimes called familiarity. But it arises only in cases where such a distance is reduced to a minimum. The desire to stand "on equal footing" with a person who has a status of a different rank, and leads to familiarity. Young men who speak disrespectfully to their elders or who speak to them on “you,” are familiarized.

If the subordinate does the same in relations with the boss, then he also familiarizes himself, but the boss who addresses “you” to his subordinates does not familiarize, but is rude.

The higher the status rank, the stronger the identification with him and the less often his carrier admits familiarity or rudeness to himself, the more rigidly the interstatus distance is kept. 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. The official’s arrogant treatment of visitors indicates that he identifies himself with a social status rather than a personal one. Identification with status is the stronger, the less talent a person possesses.

Status identification may and may not coincide with professional and job identification. The executioner, not knowing condescension, and the official, literally following the official instructions, are examples of high professional and official identification.

The bribe-taking official is an example of low post identification. If he holds a high public office. But without a company car, this is an example of low identification with social status.

Conclusion

Each person occupies a certain place in society and performs specific functions (the roles ), having the corresponding rights and obligations, i.e. has a certain status. Distinguish between social and personal status.Social status - the position of a person 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 evaluated according to his individual qualities.

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

Each person has many statuses, but only one of them rlava - the most characteristic status for this individual.

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

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

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

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

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

Social statuses are not equal. 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 unreasonable underestimation of the prestige of some statuses and, conversely, an unreasonable overstatement 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 mismatch between the real significance of some individuals and social groups and their social position, 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, this social system, i.e. a set of requirements made by society to a person who has one or another status.

List of references

Kravchenko A.I. Introduction to Sociology. –M .: New School, 1995. –S. 93-112.
Kravchenko A.I. Introduction to Sociology. M., 1996.
Nemirovsky V.G. General sociology. -Rostov n / A: Phoenix, 2004. –S. 105-113.
Novikova S.S. Sociology: History, Foundations, Institutionalization in Russia.- M: MPSI; Voronezh: NPO MODEK, 2000.s. 270-273.
Skovikov A.K., Boyko A.P. Cheat sheets on sociology. Answers to exam questions for university students: A practical manual - M .: Examination Publishing House, 2004. - 64 p.
Sociology. Fundamentals of the general theory: Textbook for university students. / Ed. A.Yu. Myagkova. - M.: Flint Publishing House, 2003. - p. 65-67 ..
Sociology. Fundamentals of sociological studies: a manual for university students. / Ed. A.M. Wieselman. - M.: SSU, 1999. –75 p.
Sociology. Textbook for universities / Ed. G.V. Osipova et al. - M., 1995.
Frolov S.S. The basics of sociology. M., lawyer, 1997, p. 228-250

Social status is the general position of an individual (group) in society, associated with certain rights and obligations. For example, the status of a doctor gives an individual the right to practice medicine and at the same time obliges the doctor to fulfill his functions and roles in an appropriate manner.

Each person has many, performs various social functions and roles and has many social statuses. For example, an individual can simultaneously be: a child for his parents, a manager at work, a father for his children, a husband for his wife, etc.

Statuses are prescribed - acquired by birth (nobleman, Russian, Odessa, man, etc.) and acquired or achieved (teacher, prosecutor, wife, professor, etc.)

The statuses possessed by an individual are in a certain hierarchy in terms of their importance for the individual and in social significance for others. For one person, statuses associated with work (profession) are more significant, for others - with marital status, for others - with social activities, etc. General status plays a special role in the social position of the person. This is an integral (main) indicator of a person’s position in a society or social community. Such social statuses as “president of the country”, “governor of the region”, “academician”, etc. can be considered decisive in their social significance. For example, the status of the president of a country is recognized for all citizens of the country and for the international community. Moreover, the president may be a father, husband, son, etc., but for a narrower circle of people.

General status has a significant impact on the social status of not only the person who has this status, but also on the situation of people from her immediate environment. For example, we say: “the wife of the president”, “the son of the governor”, \u200b\u200b“the comrade-in-arms of the academician” and thereby give additional significance to the people around the president (governor, etc.). Unscrupulous people from such an “environment” often use their position for personal gain.