Chapter Four - Social Chapter Four - Social StructureStructure

Food For ThoughtFood For Thought

“We are none of us truly isolated; we are connected to one another by a web of regularities and by a host of shared, deep-seated certainties.”

What do you think?????

Section 1: Building Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Blocks of Social StructureStructure

Introduction: live & work in groups & interact in predictable ways.

Society has structures that help guide human interaction

Helps you know what is expected in certain situations & helps keep a stable society

Textbook TermsTextbook Terms Sociologist view society as a system of

interrelated parts -- as a structure -- since the time of Auguste Comte

Social Structure: is the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guides human interaction. Status: is a socially defined position in a

group or society. Role: is the behavior - the rights and

obligations - expected from someone

StatusesStatuses

Central to understanding of social structure

Lets look at different status

Ascribed Status is one Ascribed Status is one that is assigned to you.that is assigned to you.

Inherited traits or obtained at a certain point in life (age) or Sex

Can not be changed Examples female, race, ethnic

background

Achieved Status is one Achieved Status is one that is acquiredthat is acquired

Earn status One has control over this status Examples: team member,

occupations, spouse, parent, etc.

Master Status plays the Master Status plays the greatest rolegreatest role

Can be achieved or ascribed Can and will change over time Example: Teenage years being an

athlete can be a Master status. During Adulthood it can be the occupation.

RolesRoles

While statuses serve as social categories, Roles are the component of social structure that bring these statuses to life.

One plays many different roles during the day.

There are various roles

Reciprocal rolesReciprocal roles

Are corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses.

Husband needs a wife Parent needs a kid Athlete needs a coach

Role Expectations and Role Expectations and Role PerformanceRole Performance

Society has expected behaviors assigned to its roles this is role expectations

Role Performance is the actual role behavior being preformed Parents abuse kids

Role Conflict and Role Role Conflict and Role StrainStrain

The various roles one plays are called a role set.

Roles preformed by one person can lead to conflict Occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of

one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status.

Role Strain occurs as the conflict begins to surface Being a employee and good parent

Social InstitutionsSocial Institutions

This is a system of statuses, roles, values and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society.

Basic needs include providing physical and emotional support for members of society, transmitting knowledge, producing goods, and services and maintaining social control.

End of Section OneEnd of Section One Social Structure Master Status Roles Reciprocal roles Role Set Social Institution Ascribed and Achieved Status Role Expectations and Role Performance Role Conflict and Role Strain

Chart Activity in ClassChart Activity in Class

10 statuses you occupy Columns: Status, How Acquired

(Ascribed or Achieved), Associated Roles, Reciprocal Roles, Role Expectations, Role Performance, Sources of Conflict, Sources of Role Strain.

Section 2: The Structure Section 2: The Structure of Groups and Societiesof Groups and Societies

What is a group?What is a group?

is a set of two or more people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of common identity

Can be intimate (family), formal (wedding)

Four requirements for a Four requirements for a groupgroup

must be 2 or more people must be interaction Members of the group must have

shared expectations members must possess some

sense of common identity

Key to the last 3 Key to the last 3 categories are categories are importantimportant

people who form a group but lack organization or lasting patterns of interaction This forms aggregate People waiting in line

Social category is classifying people according to a shared trait or a common status.

Groups can differ in Groups can differ in many waysmany ways

Terms of the length of time they remain together

Their organizational structure The time

TimeTime

Some we meet once Some we meet everyday But NO group meets 24 hours a

day 7 days a week

OrganizationOrganization

Formal or informal

SizeSize

Dyad - two people Triad - three people Small group more than three

Types of GroupsTypes of Groups Primary Groups

Small group of people who interact over a relatively long period of time on a direct and personal basis.

Like Family Secondary Groups

Interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature

Importance of an individual in the group is on the role they play within the group

More groupsMore groups

Reference groups - a group with whom individuals identify and those attitudes and values they often adopt

Ingroups and Outgroups Groups one identities with is an ingroup Groups one does not identify with is and

outgroup

Social NetworksSocial Networks

All the relationships that is formed by the sum total of a person’s interactions with other people is called a SOCIAL NETWORK

Types of SocietiesTypes of Societies

Subsistence strategy is the way in which a society uses technology to provide for the needs of its members Division of Labor Preindustrial Society Industrial Society Postindustrial society

Society namesSociety names

Hunting and Gathering Societies Pastoral Societies Horticultural Societies Agricultural Societies

Barter system Industrial Societies

Urbanization Postindustrial Societies

Contrasting SocietiesContrasting Societies

Mechanical solidarity Organic Solidarity Gemeinschaft Gesellschaft