CHAPTER 4 Social Structure Section 1 Building Blocks

CHAPTER 4 Social Structure Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Section 3: Types of Societies Section 4: Groups Within Society Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations 1

Objectives: Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Identify and describe the two major components of social structure. § Analyze how these two components of social structure affect human interaction. § 2

What is Social Structure? § Social structure is the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interactions within societies. Social structure within a family 3

Major Components of Social Structure § Status – a socially defined position in a group or in a society and has attached to it one or more roles § § Ascribed status — Status assigned according to standards that are beyond a person's control, such as age, sex, family heritage, or race. Not based on one’s abilities, efforts, or accomplishments, but on inherited traits or certain age groups 4

Major Components of Social Structure § Achieved Status – Status acquired by an individual on the basis of some special skill, knowledge, or ability. § § Includes all occupations, husband/wife, parent, high school graduate, athlete. Gained through one’s personal efforts Include special knowledge, skills, and/or abilities People have control over their achieved statuses, but not their ascribed statuses 5

Major Components of Social Structure § Master status – is the status that plays the greatest role in shaping a person's life and determining his or her social identity. § Either achieved or ascribed § Examples include occupation, wealth, marital status, parenthood § During much of adulthood master status may be defined by one’s occupation § Changes over the course of a person’s life § § § Teenager – student; athlete Adulthood – occupation; marriage Retirement – grandparenthood; hobbies; past achievements 6

Examples of Master Status Adulthood: Job Adolescence/Young Adulthood: Student Retirement: Leisure Time 7

Major Components of Social Structure Role – the behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status § You occupy a status, but you play a role § Reciprocal roles —corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses § § Must have someone performing the role of the other spouse in order for a person to be a spouse Ex: doctor-patient; athlete-coach; friend-friend People’s particular roles and statuses affect how they relate to one another. 8

Examples of Reciprocal Roles Sales Clerk. Customer Doctor-Patient Employee. Employer Friend-Friend 9

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Role expectations —socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role § Ex: doctors are expected to treat patients with care § Role performance —the actual behavior of a person performing a role § Do not always correspond with the given role’s expectations § Can be seen as inappropriate within in society if role expectations are not met § The difference in role expectation and then performance can be attributed to the fact that some people are asked to fulfill contradicting roles at the same time § 10

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction § Role set —the different roles attached to a single status § § Many interrelated roles to perform within in a single status Role conflict —a situation that occurs when fulfilling and expectations of one role makes it difficult to fulfill the expectations of another role § Actually happens because of conflict between statuses 11

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction § “I’ll be late for dinner, Dear. I’m up to my neck in paperwork. ” Role strain —a situation that occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the expectations of a single role An employee being forced to work overtime by their boss 12

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Social Institutions —a system of statuses, roles, values, and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society § Primary social institutions studied by sociologists include: § § § Family Economy Politics Education Religion 13

SECTION 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure Status fire fighter Examples of Roles putting out fires, saving lives, wearing a uniform mother providing food and shelter, nurturing family, disciplining children P. T. A. president running meetings, recruiting new members, planning activities Examples of Conflict / Strain voluntarily puts self in danger but has loved ones who need him or her work fatigue and long shifts make household tasks and interactions difficult has trouble getting members to attend and follow through on promises 14

Objectives: Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Identify the most common types of social interaction. § Distinguish between types of interactions that stabilize social structure and those that can disrupt it. § 15

Common Types of Social Interaction Exchange – interacting in an effort to receive a reward or a return for one’s actions § Competition – two or more people or groups in opposition to achieve a goal that only one can attain § Conflict – the deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone else, or to harm another person § 16

Common Types of Social Interaction Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Cooperation – two or more people or groups working together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one of them § Accommodation – a state of balance between cooperation and conflict § 17

Interactions That Stabilize and Disrupt Competition and Conflict – disrupt social stability § Accommodation, Exchange, and Cooperation stabilize social stability § 18

Objectives: Section 3: Types of Societies Identify and describe the types of societies that exist in the world today. § Explain the roles individuals play in these models of group systems. § 19

Types of Societies Preindustrial – food production is the main economic activity and can be subdivided according to the level of technology and the method of producing food § Industrial – emphasis shifts from the production of food to the production of manufactured goods made possible by changes in production methods § Postindustrial – much of the economy is involved in providing information and services § 20

Roles of Individuals § Roles related to: § § § Leadership Family Work 21

Objectives: Section 4: Groups Within Society Summarize the major features of primary and secondary groups. § Identify the purposes that groups fulfill. § 22

Features of Primary Groups Interact over a long period of time on a direct and personal basis § Entire self of the individual is taken into account § Relationships are intimate and face-to-face § 23

Features of Secondary Groups Interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature § Involve a reaction to only a part of the individual’s self § Casual and limited to personal involvement § 24

Purposes of Groups Select leaders – people that influence the attitudes and opinions of others § Define their boundaries – so that members can tell who belongs and who does not § Set goals, assign tasks, and make decisions § Control their members’ behavior – if members violate groups norms, the group cannot survive long § 25

Objectives: Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations Explain how bureaucracies are structured. § Evaluate the effectiveness of bureaucracies. § 26

Weber’s Model § § § Division of Labor Ranking of Authority Employment based on formal qualifications Rules and regulations Specific lines of promotion and advancement 27

Effectiveness of Bureaucracies § § Efficient at coordinating large numbers of people, defining tasks and rewards Provides stability Can lose sight of goals, create red tape, and result in oligarchies In some instances, rewards incompetence and expands uncontrollably 28

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SECTION 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure Question: What are the two major components of social structure, and how do they affect human interaction? 31

SECTION 2 Types of Social Interaction Question: What are some common types of social interaction, and what are examples of each? 32

SECTION 2 Types of Social Interaction Competition Exchange Conflict Types of Social Interactions Cooperation Accommodation 33

SECTION 3 Types of Societies Question: What are three main types of societies and characteristics or examples of each? 34

SECTION 3 Types of Societies Preindustrial hunting and gathering; pastoral; horticultural; mechanical solidarity Industrial agricultural Types of Societies manufacturing urban; technology; organic solidarity Postindustrial information; provision of services 35

SECTION 4 Groups Within Society Question: What are the purposes and functions of groups? 36

SECTION 4 Groups Within Society define boundaries set goals make decisions select leaders GROUP FUNCTIONS assign tasks control members’ behavior 37

SECTION 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations Head of the Bureaucracy (CEO, Superintendent, president, etc. ) Department Head/VP (subordinates) 38

CHAPTER 4 Chapter Wrap-Up 1. How can a person’s status differ from his or her role? 2. How does role conflict affect groups and individuals? How can it be resolved? 3. What are the five most common forms of interaction recognized by sociologists? 4. Identify and describe three broad categories of societies used by sociologists. 5. How do the roles of group members differ between primary and secondary groups? 6. What, according to Max Weber’s model, are the major characteristics of a bureaucracy? 7. What weaknesses influence the effectiveness of bureaucracies? 39