Chapter Four - Social Structure

1. Chapter Four - Social Structure

2. Food 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?????

3. Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure • 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

4. Textbook 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

5. Statuses • Central to understanding of social structure • Lets look at different status

6. Ascribed Status is one 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

7. Achieved Status is one that is acquired • Earn status • One has control over this status • Examples: team member, occupations, spouse, parent, etc.

8. Master Status plays the greatest 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.

9. Roles • 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

10. Reciprocal 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

11. Role Expectations and Role 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

12. Role Conflict and Role Strain • 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

13. Social 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.

14. End 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

15. Chart 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.

16. Section 2: The Structure of Groups and Societies

17. 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)

18. Four requirements for a group • 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

19. Key to the last 3 categories are important • 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.

20. Groups can differ in many ways • Terms of the length of time they remain together • Their organizational structure • The time

21. Time • Some we meet once • Some we meet everyday • But NO group meets 24 hours a day 7 days a week

22. Organization • Formal or informal

23. Size • Dyad - two people • Triad - three people • Small group more than three

24. Types 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

25. More 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

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

27. Types 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

28. Society names • Hunting and Gathering Societies • Pastoral Societies • Horticultural Societies • Agricultural Societies • Barter system • Industrial Societies • Urbanization • Postindustrial Societies

29. Contrasting Societies • Mechanical solidarity • Organic Solidarity • Gemeinschaft • Gesellschaft