Social Structure: Positions & Roles in Society

Social structure refers to the patterned social arrangements in the society that are both emergent and determinant of an individual's actions showing how human beings interact and live together in society. Social structure and interaction encompass people's statuses and roles they perform under each role as its important components. Statuses define the position a person occupies in the society; it can either be ascribed which is the status that one is born with and has no control over it (sex and race are good examples). Additionally, we have achieved status in which one achieves it any time after birth through hard work or just by luck this includes job titles. Lastly is the master status; this is the most important status that overrides another status one has. It is dependent on one's interest and earns one respect since it often defines a person. Each status is accompanied by a role which is the expected behavior for an individual in a specific status.

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My statuses include; a student, I am the firstborn of our family, am the Christian Union chairperson, am also a mother and a volunteer at Faith children's home.

Statuses Label as (ascribed, achieved or master)

Student Master status

Firstborn in our family Ascribed status

Christian Union chair person Achieved status

Mother Achieved status

Volunteer at Faith Children's Home Achieved status

Several roles accompany the status of being a mother. Some of the roles of a mother that I perform include: ensuring that the baby has adequate food to feed on, make sure the baby is clean and wearing clean clothes, protect the health of the baby and in case of sickness take the baby to the hospital alongside visiting clinics for the baby care. I learned the roles of a mother from my mother, friend, and teachings from regular clinic visits during my pregnancy.

As a student, there are several roles attached to me; amongst them being good academic performance. I happened to be the Christian union chairperson and also had roles to play under that status. There is a time I was expected to lead the Christian union team in provincial Christian union function while at the same time, I had exams to revise for. Both roles were important according to my status, and I had to forego one. Finally, I resolved into requesting my deputy assistant in the Christian Union department to step in for me. This is because being a student is a status that also takes the master status in my life. The actives listening skills that I used to solve this conflict is that I did not interrupt any schedule; I made sure all the two roles are achieved, therefore contributing to the success of both fields. I understood the conflict, communicate to the relevant authorities then lastly choose the best solution.

In conclusion, statuses and the roles that accompany each status define a person. Anyone individual often occupies several different statuses at the same time. Someone can simultaneously be a nurse, mother, school board member, and a football coach. At times roles in one status can conflict with roles in another status. The individual in such a scenario is expected to use listening skills to resolve the conflict.