SOC 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Backpack
Document Summary
Even if we do not have an opportunity to ask others about their social statuses, we can detect many clues simply by watching and listening. The police officer"s uniform is a symbol of his occupational status; his wedding ring is a symbol of his marital status. The microphone the professor wears while lecturing is a clue to her status. A book bag might be a symbol of the status of student, though it is not as clear a symbol as a wedding ring. After we know something about people"s statuses, we generally feel more comfortable interacting with them. The reason for this is that each status is accompanied by certain expectations about how the incumbent (that is, the individual occupying the status) is supposed to behave and how others are to behave toward the incumbent.
