Discuss Merton’s contribution to role-theory specifically in regards to social status and role-sets.
What will be an ideal response?
Similarly, Merton made a significant contribution to role theory by demonstrating that “social status” and “role-sets” are organized in the social structure in a more complex way than Parsons initially supposed. Specifically, Merton (1996:43) defines social status as “a position in a social system, with its distinctive array of designated rights and obligations.” That is, the status of a role is not fixed, but rather changes in conjunction with the particular role-set involved. Yet, the point is that not only role statuses but also role-expectations and role obligations shift in interaction. Consequently, not only is role conflict inevitable because any one individual plays multiple roles (e.g., you are a Little League coach on your way to the big game, when your elderly mother calls because she needs you to take her to the doctor); even within one role, conflict may occur because of the multiple role-sets involved.
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Which of the following groups of youth age 16 to 24 has the lowest employment rate and highest rate of idleness?
a. White men b. Black men c. Hispanic men d. Black women e. none of the above
This idea proposed that all racial and ethnic minority groups would eventually assimilate into U.S. society and values.
A. race relations cycle B. legacy of slavery thesis C. revisionist thesis D. assimilation thesis
Daniel and Emily, a married couple, share equal power and authority in resolving family issues. They are both employed, and they take turns doing household chores. This is an example of a(n) _____.
A. patriarchal family system B. matriarchal family system C. neolocal family system D. interlocal family system E. egalitarian family system
Which of the following statements best explains how companies test DNA samples to determine an individual’s genealogy?
A) They use statistical algorithms to approximate how an individual’s gene variants match with averages in a sample of gene variants in socially constructed racial and ethnic categories. B) They match an individual’s DNA with characteristics that are empirically proven to be inherent to various racial and ethnic groups. C) They use a combination of gene variant data and self-reported family history to match individuals with their genealogical history. D) They analyze DNA samples, along with a set of survey responses from individuals, to assess how assimilated they are to the culture in the country where they currently live and this enables them to draw conclusions about the past.