Social Structure and Social Interaction

ASSIGNMENT 2
SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND
SOCIAL INTERACTION

Due Week 6: 150 points
You?ve learned how important groups, roles, statuses, and social
networks are in the structure of society. In this assignment, you?ll
demonstrate what you?ve learned by identifying and describing
examples from your own life. You will also have a chance
to practice some smart strategies for managing your digital
presence in your own ?online? social networks.
Instructions: Complete both parts of the assignment by following
the instructions below.

PART A: YOUR STATUS SET, ROLES, AND ROLE PROBLEMS
1) Status Set:
a) List a status set that includes at least five
statuses that you currently have.
? Remember: A status is simply a position you
fill in society. It may be a job title, but it could
also include a position you fill within a family
or a community. For more information,
review Section 4.3 in your webtext.
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b) Label each status in your status set as ascribed,
achieved, or master.
? Remember: An ascribed status is one you?re
born with and have no control over. An
achieved status is reached through your own
efforts or simply good or bad luck. A master
status is so important that it overrides your
other statuses. For more information, review
Section 4.3 in your webtext.
2) Roles:
a) Choose one status from your status set.
b) Describe the role that is associated with the
status.
c) Describe how you learned that role.
? Remember: A role is the behavior expected
of someone with a certain status. For more
information, review Section 4.4 in your
webtext.
3) Role Conflict:
a) Choose two statuses from your status set.
b) Describe a time when you experienced a conflict
because of the demands of your two different
roles associated with those statuses.
c) List at least two different ways you could have
resolved the conflict. For example, could you
ask someone for help? Or could you go online to
research a possible solution?
d) Describe the approach you took to resolve the
conflict. What was the result? Would you do
things differently next time?
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PART B: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS
1) Social Networks:
A social network includes all of the relationships that
link you to other people and groups. Through social
networks, you can connect with people who may be
able to offer you valuable advice, introductions, or opportunities.
a) Identify an area of interest that you would like
to pursue, either professionally or personally. It
could be a job or industry, a volunteer position, or
a social group.
? Examples: accounting, volunteering with the
elderly, joining a book club
b) Identify and describe three people in your social
network (people you know personally) who
have a connection, or might know someone
connected to your area of interest. These three
people may be work colleagues, family members,
or close friends.
? Remember: For privacy reasons, do not list
their names in this assignment. Instead,
identify them as Person A, B, and C.
c) For each person, write a brief description of why
you selected them, and how they are connected
to your area of interest.
d) Identify the person who you think is the best
contact for you to communicate with about
your area of interest. Why did you choose that
person?
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2) Positive Impressions:
When you interact with other people in your social
networks, you usually want to make a positive
impression on them. Online, you can do that by using
certain strategies when you create profiles.
a) Read this beginner?s guide to using LinkedIn, a
professional social network:
http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/
blog/2016/11/07/ca-beginners-guide-to-linkedin/
b) Imagine that you are creating an online profile
on a professional social networking site, such
as LinkedIn. The first person who will see your
profile is the person in your social network that
you identified above. Write a detailed description
of the type of impression you would want to
create with your profile.
c) Identify five components of a professional
networking profile that others will use to get an
impression of who you are.
d) Create a headline for your professional
networking profile that targets the job,
opportunity, or industry you?re interested in. (See
?Headline? section of article above).
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
? Use Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch
margins on all sides.
? Use section headers (Status Set, Roles, Role Conflict,
Social Networks, and Positive Impressions) and write
left indented paragraphs under each corresponding
section.
? References are not required for this assignment as you
will use the assigned article and your webtext.
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? Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student?s name, the professor?s name, the
course title, and the date.