Social interaction refers to the ways in which people respond to one another. Social structure refers to the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships. This chapter examines the basic elements of social structure—statuses, social roles, groups, networks, and institutions.After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
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| 1. Understand how we define and reconstruct our social reality. |
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| 2. Give your own examples of ascribed, achieved, and master statuses. |
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| 3. Discuss the social roles we acquire throughout our lives. |
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| 4. Differentiate between role conflict, role strain, and role exit. |
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| 5. List the four stages of role exit identified by Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh. |
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| 6. Explain what is meant by the term social network. |
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| 7. Contrast the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist views of social institutions. |
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| 8. Discuss Durkheim's mechanical and organic solidarity. |
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| 9. Summarize the differences between the Gemeinschaft and the Gesellschaft community. |
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| 10. Discuss Gerhard Lenski's sociocultural evolution approach. |
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| 11. Describe the characteristics of the hunting-and-gathering society, the horticultural society, the industrial society, and the postindustrial and postmodern society. |
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| 12. Summarize the concerns about the AIDS crisis from the interactionist perspective. |