1. CHAPTER 4 Social Structure- Network of interrelated statuses.
Sociology
4/1/2017
CHAPTER 4 Social Structure- Network of interrelated statuses.
Chapter 4

2. Major Components of Social Structure
Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure
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 beyond a person’s control. Ex: Age, sex, family heritage, race.
Achieved Status- Status acquired on the basis of some special skill, knowledge, ability.

3. Roles, Status, and Human Interaction
Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure
Roles, Status, and Human Interaction
Master Status- Status that plays the greatest role in shaping a person’s life and determining his or her social identity.
Role – the behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status.

4. Reciprocal Roles- Corresponding roles that define the pattern of interaction between related statuses. Ex: one cannot fulfill the role of a wife without having someone else perform the role of husband.
Role Expectations- The socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role. Ex: Parents are expected to provide emotional and physical security for their children.

5. Role Performance- actual behavior of a person performing a role.
Role Set- the different roles attached to a single status.
Role Conflict- occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the expectations of another status.
Role Strain- when a person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status.
Social Institution-system of statuses, roles, values and norms that is organized to satisfy the basic needs of society: Family, Education.

6. Common Types of Social Interaction
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Common Types of Social Interaction
Exchange – interacting in an effort to receive a reward or a return for one’s actions.
Reciprocity- the idea that if you do something for someone, that person owes you something.
Exchange Theory- people are motivated by self-interest and do things primarily for rewards.
Competition – two or more people or groups in opposition to achieve a goal that only one can attain

7. Common Types of Social Interaction
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Common Types of Social Interaction
(continued)
Conflict – the deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone else, or to harm another person
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

8. Interactions That Stabilize and Disrupt
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Interactions That Stabilize and Disrupt
Competition and Conflict – disrupt social stability
Accommodation, Exchange, and Cooperation stabilize social stability

9. Section 3: Types of Societies
Preindustrial
Hunting & Gathering Societies- Daily collection of wild plants and animals.
Pastoral Societies- Domesticated herd animals.
Horticultural Societies- Vegetables grown in garden plots from jungle or forest.
Agricultural Societies- Animals and plows used to till the fields.

10. Types of Societies
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.

11. Groups Within Society Section 3: Types of Societies
Groups have 4 major features:
1. consist of 2 or more people.
2. interaction among members.
3. members must have shared expectations.
4. members must possess some sense of common identity.

12. Aggregate- when people gather in the same place at the same time but lack organization.
Ex: people on an airplane, people standing on ticket line.
Time- some groups meet once and never meet again. Some groups meet weekly.
Formal Group- structure goals and activities are clearly defined.
Informal Group- no official structure or established rules of conduct.

13. Dyad- group with 2 members.
Triad- group with 3 members.
Small Group- one with few enough members that everyone is able to interact face to face.
Max 10 people.
Types of groups: Primary, Secondary, Reference Groups, In-group, Out-group.

14. Features of Primary Groups
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Features of Primary Groups
Interact over a long period of time on a direct and personal basis.
Relationships are intimate and face-to-face.
Example: Family

15. Features of Secondary Groups
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Features of Secondary Groups
Interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature.
Casual and limited to personal involvement
Example: friends, business associates.

16. Reference group- any group with whom individuals identify and whose attitudes and values they adopt.
In-group- group person belongs to and identifies with.
Out-group- a group that a person does not belong or identify with.
Both primary and secondary groups can serve as these.

17. E Communities- interaction on web
Social Networks- Facebook, Twitter
Groupthink-self deceptive thinking that is based on conformity to group beliefs, and created for group pressure to conform.

18. Purposes of Groups Section 4: Groups Within Society
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

19. Structure of Formal Organizations
Formal Organization- Large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals.
Ex: schools, religious organizations, government agencies.
Bureaucracy- ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures.

20. Weber’s Model of Bureaucracies
Division of Labor-Work is divided among specialists. Each specialist performs specific duties.
Ranking of Authority- There are clear-cut lines of responsibility and each individual is responsible to a supervisor at a higher level.
Employment based on Formal Qualifications-
specific qualifications are required for each job.

21. Rules and Regulations- There are objective rules, regulations and procedures that identify the responsibilities and authority of each person on staff.
Specific Lines of Promotion- There are clear-cut lines of promotion and advancement.
Voluntary Association- typically a nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interest.
Ex: amateur sports teams, service clubs, charities.