SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION – Week 6
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. 2 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? 3 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? 4 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. 5 • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
RUBRIC Grading for this assignment will be based on the following rubric: POINTS: 150 ASSIGNMENT 2: SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Criteria Unacceptable Below 60% – F Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% – D Fair 70-79% – C Proficient 80-89% – B Exemplary 90-100% – A 1. List a status set and label each status. Weight: 10% Lists a status set of less than five statuses. All statuses may not be accurate, or all status labels may be incorrect. Lists a status set of five statuses. Three or four statuses may not be accurate, or three or four status labels may be incorrect. Lists a status set of five statuses. One or two statuses may not be accurate, or one or two status labels may be incorrect. Lists an accurate status set of five statuses. Each status is labeled correctly. Lists an accurate status set of at least five statuses. Each status is labeled correctly. Additional status sets are included or student identified nontraditional statuses that may not be obvious. 2. Describe a role and explain how you learned it. Weight: 15% Does not describe how a role is associated with a status and/or how the role was learned and does not provide supporting details. Inaccurately describes how a role is associated with a status or how the role was learned and supporting details are sparse. Partially describes how a role is associated with a status and how the role was learned, but some of the supporting details are missing. Accurately describes how a role is associated with a status and how the role was learned, including supporting details. Accurately describes how a role is associated with a status and how the role was learned, including supporting details. Demonstrates strong understanding by using sociology terms and providing logical, accurate, and concise information. 7 POINTS: 150 ASSIGNMENT 2: SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Criteria Unacceptable Below 60% – F Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% – D Fair 70-79% – C Proficient 80-89% – B Exemplary 90-100% – A 3. Describe a role conflict and provide two possible solutions. Weight: 20% Does not describe a role conflict, or does not provide two possible solutions and the approach taken. Supporting details are sparse to describe a role conflict, or to support two possible solutions and the approach taken. Supporting details are used but some key details are missing to describe a role conflict, or to support two possible solutions and the approach taken. Includes supporting details to describe a role conflict and to support two possible solutions and the approach taken. Supporting details are provided to fully describe a role conflict and to support two possible solutions and the approach taken. Demonstrates strong understanding by using sociology terms and providing logical, accurate, and concise information. 4. Identify three people in your social network and describe their connection to one of your interests. Weight: 20% Does not describe three people in a social network, or their connection to an area of interest, or how the best contact was identified. Supporting details are sparse to describe three people in a social network, or their connection to an area of interest, or to support how the best contact was identified. Supporting details are used but some key details are missing to describe three people in a social network, or their connection to an area of interest, or to support how the best contact was identified. Includes supporting details to describe three people in a social network, their connection to an area of interest, and how the best contact was identified. Supporting details are provided to fully describe three people in a social network, their connection to an area of interest, and how the best contact was identified. Demonstrates strong understanding by using sociology terms and providing logical, accurate, and concise information. 8 POINTS: 150 ASSIGNMENT 2: SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION Criteria Unacceptable Below 60% – F Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% – D Fair 70-79% – C Proficient 80-89% – B Exemplary 90-100% – A 5. Identify five components of an online profile, and describe the impression you want to make online. Weight: 25% Does not describe five components of an online profile, or a profile headline is not written. Supporting details are sparse to describe five components of an online profile, or the type of online impression desired, or a profile headline is written that is not specific or not aligned with an area of interest. Supporting details are used but some key details are missing to describe five components of an online profile, or the type of online impression desired, or a profile headline is written that is not specific or not aligned with an area of interest. Includes supporting details to describe five components of an online profile and the type of online impression desired, and a profile headline is written that aligns with an area of interest. Supporting details are provided to fully describe five components of an online profile and the type of online impression desired, and a profile headline is written that aligns with an area of interest. Demonstrates strong understanding by using sociology terms and providing logical, accurate, and concise information. 6. Write in a skillful manner using stated formatting and correct grammar and spelling. Weight: 10% Writing does not meet minimal standards. Tone is not appropriate. Wholly lacking in logic, clarity, and/or stated formatting. Contains many spelling and/or grammatical errors. Writing meets minimal standards. Tone is not appropriate. Lacking one or more of logic, clarity, and/or stated formatting. May contain many spelling and/ or grammatical errors. Writing is satisfactory. Appropriate and/or consistent tone is developing. Shows moderate logic, clarity, and/or stated formatting. May contain more than a few spelling and/ or grammatical errors. Writing is proficient. Tone is appropriate. Shows logic, clarity, and stated formatting. May contain few or no spelling and/ or grammatical errors. Writing is excellent. Tone is appropriate and demonstrates excellent word choice. Shows exceptional logic, clarity, and stated formatting. Contains no spelling or grammatical errors
Solution Preview
PART A: YOUR STATUS SET, ROLES, AND ROLE PROBLEMS
Status set
The social statuses I occupy:
American, Student, Son, Brother, Best Friend, Footballer, and Grocery Store Employee
Status Label
The ascribed statuses are the statuses that come with birth. Consequently, they are not selected voluntarily, like my ethnicity, my race, that I am a brother, a son, an American, and a Family. My achieved statuses are statuses I can create.
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