Social Problems ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE

Why are Social Structure and Culture Important? l l l Social problems are rooted in both the structure and culture of society In order to use “the sociological imagination” we need to understand the basic elements of both social structure and of culture Macro-level theories (functionalism, conflict and feminist theory) focus their attention on social structure while micro-level theories tend to focus more on culture and the creation of meaning

Elements of Social Structure l 1. Institutions l l l patterns of social relationships Family, media, religion, etc. 2. Social groups l l Members have common identity Primary and secondary

Social Structure (cont. ) l 3. Statuses: l l l position in group Ascribed, achieved and master status 4. Roles l l Associated with status rights, obligations, and expectations

Elements of Culture l Culture = the meanings and ways of life that characterize a society 1. Beliefs: what is assumed to be true l 2. Values: agreements about good and bad l 3. Norms: socially defined rules of behaviour l l Folkways, laws, mores

Culture (cont. ) l 4. Sanctions: social consequences for conforming to, or violating norms l l positive, negative, formal and informal 5. Symbols: language, gestures, and objects l l meaning commonly understood by group members Form communication.

Culture as Stories l l According to George Gerbner’s (1986) “cultivation theory” culture is a set of stories passed through generations Stories about: l l 1. What things are 2. How they work 3. What to do about them Gerbner believes the media now tell our stories l Heavy exposure (esp. to TV) “cultivates” our beliefs, attitudes and values