Studying Status/Role-Sets as Ersatz Network Positions in Mass Surveys

Abstract

A method is described for interviewing a random sample of persons drawn from a large population so as to describe role-sets defining statuses in the population social structure. The key to the method is a connection between the concept of an at tor's network position in social structure and combinations of attributes that define statuses in the social structure. With data obtained in a survey interview with a randomly selected respondent, it is possible to describe the relational pattern defining his "ersatz network position" in the population social structure from which he has been drawn. Given ersatz network positions for a representative sample, it is possible to test hypotheses concerning satus/role-sets in terms of which the population is stratified.

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