Roles, status and stereotypes

Roles, status and stereotypes

Social roles

• Sociologists describe a social role as a part we play in a social situation.

• Every role plays a part in society. Nurses care, teachers educate, even criminals inspire social change.

• However, in our contemporary society we tend to have role conflict, which is taking on two conflicting roles.

Role conflict

• Being a carer and a student

• Having two jobs, or college/school and a job

• Being a parent and having a job

• Having two different friendship groups

The family

• Parents and children, childcarer, wage earner, house work

Schools

• Teachers, students, caretakers/cleaners, Principal,

Gangs

• People who make the drugs, dealers, kids who transport things, leaders behind the scenes

Work/Business

• Boss, employers,

Social status

Status is a position on a social hierarchy. In the UK, higher status is given to those with wealth and higher education. Class based society.

Fox stated that class consciousness is a norm in British culture. This means that we are aware of which class we are in. Your social class in determine by your wealth, education, family background, job role, and the way we speak…