Overview
Writing Assignments
- received within 1 day of their initially assigned due dates, incur a 15%-point deduction
- Final submission date is Wed 4/23/25 @ 11:59 pm
To receive full credit on this assignment, you must answer the following question(s) completely and correctly with specific, and properly cited, reference to course material. Answers should utilize complete sentences, be clearly and professionally written, and be free from spelling, grammar, word-choice, and syntax (sentence construction) errors.
WRs submitted up to 7 days late will lose some points. Those submitted later will be awarded a maximum of half credit. There are no re-grades on graded assignments, so please make sure to submit your best work the first time.
Signature Essay Instructions:
- Explain what sociologists mean by the terms “status” and “role” and the relationship between the concepts.
- Identify three statuses you occupy.
- For each status, identify three corresponding roles and discuss larger cultural expectations of status responsibilities.
- Discuss how your statuses and roles conflict with one another.
You must use your own examples to demonstrate you understand the concepts and how to apply them to real world examples. This is a good opportunity to talk about you.
You will need:
The class textbook or access to an online version of the class textbook.
The instructions below.
The Canvas items on writing resources in this module.
STEPS
Step 1) Reread the textbook's section on Social Interaction (in the chapter Socialization and the Construction of Reality).
Step 2) Write the essay using the instructions below.
- Section 1: In your own words, write 1-3 paragraphs explaining what sociologists mean by the terms “status” and “role” and discuss the relationship between these concepts.
- Describe the terms “status” and “role”
- Provide ASA-style citations to credit the source informing each term’s description. Use only the class textbook for references and citations.
- Section 2: In your own words, write 1-3 paragraphs discussing and analyzing three statuses you occupy and three corresponding roles.
- For example, someone with a mother/father status in the US should describe what they think about the cultural expectations for behavioral norms assumed to be part of one’s identity as a mother or father.
- Section 3: For one of these statuses, discuss how the culture from which you’re from informs the expectations of responsibilities of the status.
- Explain how you feel about your culture’s expectations for behavioral norms assumed to be part of this role – do you agree/disagree with them or like/dislike them, etc.
- Discuss how the cultural expectations of this role have changed over time and how. *You'll need to find a status in the text that discusses aspects of cultural expectations linked (or closest linked) to this role.
- Section 4: In your own words, write 1-3 paragraphs discussing how your statuses and roles conflict.
- Describe the terms “role strain” and “role conflict.”
- Identify and discuss one source of role strain and one source of role conflict you have experienced.
- Provide ASA-style citations to give credit to the source informing each term’s description – Use only the class textbook for reference and citations.
- Section 5: Discuss what people can learn from analyzing their status and roles with a sociological lens.
- Discuss how these key concepts may be helpful to individuals in the goal of understanding their everyday lives
- Upload a Word doc with your essay to the turnitin.com link in this assignment's section.
- Minimum word count: 600 for the entire assignment (this word count does not include words from any instructions you might include or the works cited page). You may complete your assignment using more than 600 words, but 600 is the minimum.
- Cite the class textbook and NO other sources.
- Provide in-text citations for the terms “status,” “role,” “role strain,” and “role conflict.”
- Use ASA citation style for your in-text citations and works cited page.
ASA citation examples
In-text citation for paraphrase (no quotes): When asked, she describes the best pet as the American Bully because they are full of rolls and happiness (Livesey 2024)
In-text citation with quotes: When asked about the world’s best pet, your professor says, “the American Bully is hands down the best pet; their squishy faces and big eyes are proof of awesomeness” (Livesey 2024:110).
Full citation. This goes at the end of your essay. Author’s last name, first name middle initial. Year of Publication. Title of Book. City Published: Publisher.