Social Status Paper

A group is a number of people who indulge in social interactions on a regular basis and have some common grounds including norms, values, identity and expectations. Different types of groups constitute a social structure. In sociology, groups can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary groups are characterized by intimacy and emotional bonding. They are generally smaller in size and involve more frequent face-to-face interactions, for example, family and friends . These groups are share a friendly and informal mode of interaction. In contrast to this, secondary groups are larger in size and involve less frequent interactions which are usually more formal, superficial and do not incorporate intimacy and mutual understanding on a personal level. Examples of secondary groups are co-workers and classmates.

Status refers to the defined position(s) held by a an individual in a society. A status can be ascribed status , which means it has been assigned to an individual by the society with no effort on the the part of the individual. However, some statuses are achieved during the course of life by employing some effort and work for the attainment of a position. For example, being a an Asian woman, a mother a daughter are my ascribed statuses, whereas being a call center agent and a student are my achieved statuses. Roles are defined as the responsibilities and expectations that are associated with the status an individual holds. For example, my status in my family is that of a wife and a mother. With these two statuses my role is to care, and cook for my husband and children. My role also involves making decisions and planning for my