other statuses. This master status is usually in some way related to a person's occupation (Mooney).

lf you are a full time stu&nt and a son,

then you would be considered as a 'studenf in society, and if you are a law enforcement agent as well as a father, you would most likely be
viewed as a'cop" rather than a father. These statuses that we occrpy everyday of our lives are accompanied by certain actions that we must
perform in order to keep those statuses.

/ Statuses come with a set of obligations and expectations defining certain status, and the behaviors and actions that one are called
social roles. These roles guide our behaviors and help us predict the behaviors of people around us. For example, as a stu&nt, I am
expected to listen and take notes in class, take tests, and study at home. These are the roles that are associated with having a status of a
student. All of these roles that are attached to a single status are consi&red toh a role set (Mooney). By being a student I can also predict
certain things from my teachers who must act their roles of teachers. Because I knor what the role of a teacher involves, I can predict that my
teacher wili lecture, give exams, and assign homework. These real life examples can be seen every day of our lives, and are the basis for the
way of how our society functions as a whole. When multiple roles mllide, role conflict occurs and presents a ctrlemma to the indvidual. For
instance, if a student has to go to work {or an emergency, he is faced with the decision of whether to study for the next day's exam orgo to
work and not risk hteing fired. These decisions that we make help build who we are and our identity in society. Certain roles can be hard to
accomplish, and may result in role strain. RoIe sfaln occurs in occasions where there are contradictory "expectations with the same role". For
example, when a parent is forced to eiher discipline a child or nurture him.
The same concept can be seen in work environments when bosses are laced to discipline co-workers even though they might be
close fnends. Sometimes, people are also forced to perform role exits when they no longer need to fulfill a certain status. A student that has
graduated from college has no longer the status of a student, but of a worker in society. Status changes result in role changes, and these roles
and statuses help shape our individual identities and who we are in our so,ciety today. Social structure has another basic block that combines
these individuals with thdr statuses into one united fonn.
Social groups are defined as "two or more people who have a common identity, interact, and form a social relafionship' (Mooney).
These groups are just as important to society, as the individual person is. Groups can be seen everywhere and all the time. From families to
soccer teams, groups are an inevitable part of our social structure. Primary groups are compnsed of the people who are rnost important to a
percon, and have ongoing'Tace-to-face" interactions whrch contnbute to a strong sense of belonging and attachment. An example of this type
of group is the family, in which people are blood related and function together in unity on a daily basis. Close fnends can also be considered a
part of this group, even though other people can be in it as well. On the other hand, secondary groups are larger, less intimate groups which
are usualfy formed around a spectfic activity or formed in order to accomplish a specific task. From a macro sociological prspectrve, ffrrough
these groups, individuals can form a new sense of identity and status, which in tum helps them become a more productive member of society.
This helps strengthen society as a whole by creating more social cohesion. When people feel part of a group, they feel a sense of belonging
and identity which helps the individual build a stronger personality and also a larger social network. This social network ties people drectly and
indirectly and forms stronger bonds between the individuals (Fenis 153).
Groups are also directly tred to the last structure block in our society.
lnstitutions are establishments in our social structure that govem our behaviors and actions through a system that has standardized pattems of
ru{es and regufations (Elements}. The main five instrtutions in our society are family, religion, pofifcs, economics, and educafion (Mooney]
Each one of those institutes provides a specific concept that is followed by the majority of the population, and results in an organized and
structured society. These social concepts and practices involve members of society by having them follow these regulations and rules in order
to maintain peace. For example tf a member of society chooses to go against the institution of law and commit a crime, hdshe puts himself at
risk of being detained and sentenced to do jail time. Unlike this example, most people do follow the rules and conducts of these insttutrons and
are rewarded for it. These significant factors in a society's identity are important for understanding the society and integration into the
society. An outsider normally has to become aware of these social institutjons to gain acceptance and credibility in the host society (Moor-ey)
That is why feaming how these insttutions function and the guidelirres that they provide are crucial to having a strong place in society.
The way we present ourselves to others almost always involves some kind of actrng andor presentatlons. Based on the teachtngs of
Erving Goffman, the dramaturgical approach to life has been greafly valued by sociologist and people today (Fenis 131). lt invdves a way of
perceiving things as if all people are in a way, "acting'. Everyone goes on through their day and acts upon the roles of which they have
attached a certain status to without realizing that they are constantiy sending out messages and trying to impress the people around them.
Goffman called this impression management (Fenis 31). lt is a way of Mewing the world and society as a movie setting, and the people that
are involved in this movie are;usi mere actors. Although unorthodox, this perspectrve makes a lot of sense when everyday situations are
presented, and the way people behave is anaiyzed. Most people do not act the same in a working environment as they do at home or when
they are with friend or family. This front that people put for differentoccasions varies from situailon to situation and from group to group. This
exact way of thinking explains why peope behave the way they do when they are actrng upon drfferent roles and statuses, To sum up, it is
notable that these social structures exist for the good of all people regardless the gender, color of the bo{, sex among other personal
attributes. lt is through these exact building blocks that the society develops well behaved and intelligent strzens, thereby giving hope for the
future. Each different culture varies its importance on certain aspect of society, but as a whole, all these structures can be seen in every
society around the world and are vital to the existence of mankind.
Socio-cultural evolution
Lenski saw human society as something of a process of change involving a societt's level of innovation, transmissions and
technological advances. He describes thls process of changing as socio-cultural eyolution.
To quote Gerhard Lenski regarding sociocultural evolutron, 'Societal survival has been largely a functron of a society's level of technological
advance relative to the societies with which it has been in competition.' This simpy means that a society who uses its technology to further its
cr rnrirral urill rln cn mror a cnniohr that mmainc ctnndinn etill