Explain the differences between a role and status.

A status  is a socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties. Statuses exist independently of the specific people occupying them; the statuses of professional athlete, rock musician, professor, college student, and homeless person all exist exclusive of the specific individuals who occupy these social positions. For example, although thousands of new students arrive on college campuses each year to occupy the status of first-year student, the status of college student and the expectations attached to that position have remained relatively unchanged for the past century.


A role  is the dynamic aspect of a status. Whereas we occupy a status, we play a role . A role   is a set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status. For example, a carpenter (employee) hired to remodel a kitchen is not expected to sit down uninvited and join the family (employer) for dinner.

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A role consists of the activities a person is expected to perform. Each role carries a status. For example, a senior vice-president has more status than a sales manager.