social structuresocial structure

foundations of social foundations of social structuresstructures statuses: the positions people occupy statuses: the positions people occupy

in a group or societyin a group or society

roles: expectations of what roles: expectations of what individuals should do in accordance individuals should do in accordance with their statuseswith their statuses

what is a statuswhat is a status

an identification of a person in terms of his an identification of a person in terms of his or her relationship with another person or or her relationship with another person or group; classified into:group; classified into:

ascribed status: statuses of sex and race ascribed status: statuses of sex and race as well as age; status which we are born as well as age; status which we are born withwith

achieved status: statuses that result from achieved status: statuses that result from our actionsour actions

what is a role?what is a role?

dynamic, shaped by specific dynamic, shaped by specific situations and persons, i.e. children situations and persons, i.e. children enjoy the right of receiving food and enjoy the right of receiving food and shelter and love from parents, but shelter and love from parents, but are expected to show respect are expected to show respect obedience, gratitude and affection to obedience, gratitude and affection to themthem

what is a role?what is a role?

a role can bea role can be prescribed roleprescribed role: the set of expectations : the set of expectations

or norms about how a person should or norms about how a person should behavebehave

role performancerole performance: how a person actually : how a person actually carries out the rolecarries out the role

role conflictrole conflict: when we are expected to : when we are expected to play two conflicting roles at the same timeplay two conflicting roles at the same time

role strainrole strain: a single role involving : a single role involving conflicting expectationsconflicting expectations

patterns of social relationspatterns of social relations

exchangeexchange cooperationcooperation competitioncompetition

conflictconflict

exchangeexchange

exchange: a transaction between two exchange: a transaction between two individuals, groups or societies in individuals, groups or societies in which one takes an action in order to which one takes an action in order to obtain a reward in return; social obtain a reward in return; social exchanges are usually govern by the exchanges are usually govern by the norm of norm of reciprocityreciprocity

cooperationcooperation

cooperation: a relationship of two or more cooperation: a relationship of two or more individuals working together to achieve a individuals working together to achieve a common goal and may be classified into:common goal and may be classified into:

spontaneous cooperationspontaneous cooperation: unpredictable, i.e. : unpredictable, i.e. when neighbors come together to help a family when neighbors come together to help a family whose house has just burned downwhose house has just burned down

traditional cooperationtraditional cooperation: a form of cooperation : a form of cooperation that occur frequently enough for them to become that occur frequently enough for them to become customary in societycustomary in society

cooperationcooperation

directed cooperationdirected cooperation: based not on custom : based not on custom but on the direction of someone in authoritybut on the direction of someone in authority

contractual cooperationcontractual cooperation: it does not : it does not originate from tradition or authority, but from originate from tradition or authority, but from voluntary action; neither does it happen voluntary action; neither does it happen spontaneously; it involves, instead, some spontaneously; it involves, instead, some planning; individuals freely and formally agree planning; individuals freely and formally agree to cooperate in certain limited, specified waysto cooperate in certain limited, specified ways

competitioncompetition

competition: competition: each tries to achieve a each tries to achieve a goal before another does thus there goal before another does thus there can be only one winnercan be only one winner

it is commonly believed that it is commonly believed that competition encourages people to do competition encourages people to do their best and thus benefits societytheir best and thus benefits society

conflictconflict

conflict: when competing parties no conflict: when competing parties no longer play by the set of rules; longer play by the set of rules; defeating the opponent, by hook or defeating the opponent, by hook or by crook, is the goalby crook, is the goal

large-scale social structurelarge-scale social structure group:group: two or more people who interact with one another two or more people who interact with one another

and share some sense of a common identityand share some sense of a common identity

organizations:organizations: groups that form to achieve specific goals groups that form to achieve specific goals

social institutions:social institutions: stable sets of widely shared beliefs, stable sets of widely shared beliefs, norms, roles and procedures that are organized to satisfy norms, roles and procedures that are organized to satisfy certain basic needs of societycertain basic needs of society

societies:societies: beyond the structure of social institutions beyond the structure of social institutions having patterns of stable relationships and in turn make having patterns of stable relationships and in turn make up even a larger structure – an international community – up even a larger structure – an international community – characterized by certain patterns of social relationships characterized by certain patterns of social relationships between nationsbetween nations

varieties of preindustrial varieties of preindustrial societiessocieties preindustrial societies: are often preindustrial societies: are often

classified on the basis of how they classified on the basis of how they obtain their food; using this method, we obtain their food; using this method, we find four types:find four types:

hunting-gathering societieshunting-gathering societies pastoral societiespastoral societies horticultural societieshorticultural societies agricultural societiesagricultural societies

preindustrial and industrial preindustrial and industrial comparedcompared

gemeinschaft: “community,” meaning gemeinschaft: “community,” meaning that people in such a society have a that people in such a society have a strong sense of community and relate strong sense of community and relate to each other in a personal wayto each other in a personal way

gesellschaft: “society,” people think gesellschaft: “society,” people think of themselves as individuals first and of themselves as individuals first and relate to each other in an impersonal relate to each other in an impersonal wayway

preindustrial and industrial preindustrial and industrial comparedcompared

mechanical solidarity: social unity mechanical solidarity: social unity comes about because people perform comes about because people perform the same tasks and have similar valuesthe same tasks and have similar values

organic solidarity: arise when people organic solidarity: arise when people are forced to depend on one another are forced to depend on one another because their jobs are very specializedbecause their jobs are very specialized

preindustrial and industrial preindustrial and industrial comparedcompared

folk societies: small, nonliterate, folk societies: small, nonliterate, homogenoushomogenous

urban societies: large, literate and urban societies: large, literate and heterogeneous, with very little group heterogeneous, with very little group solidarity solidarity

preindustrial and industrial preindustrial and industrial comparedcompared

simplicity vs complexitysimplicity vs complexity homegenity vs heterogenityhomegenity vs heterogenity intimacy vs impersonalityintimacy vs impersonality traditionalism vs modernismtraditionalism vs modernism