CHAPTER 4 Social Structure Sociology 4/23/2017 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 Chapter 4

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

Major Components of Social Structure Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Major Components of Social Structure Social Structure -the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction, give society its enduring characteristics and make patterns of human interaction predictable Status – a socially defined position in a group or in a society and has attached to it one or more roles Role – the behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Roles, Status, and Human Interaction People’s particular roles and statuses affect how they relate to one another. Statuses are ways of defining where individuals fit in society and how they relate to others ascribed status – assigned according to qualities beyond a person’s control achieved status – acquired through individuals own direct efforts master status – one status tends to out-rank others, plays the greatest role in one’s life and determining social identity

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Roles are the components of social structure that bring statuses to life. reciprocal roles – corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses role expectations – socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Roles, Status, and Human Interaction role performance – actual role behavior, does not always match expectations role set – the different roles attached to a single status role strain – occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status role conflict – occurs between two statuses when trying to fulfill expectations

Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Roles, Status, and Human Interaction Statuses and their related roles determine the structure of groups in society. social institution – statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society

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

Common Types of Social Interaction Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Common Types of Social Interaction When playing a role, must interact with others Interactions either change or stabilize society exchange – interacting in an effort to receive a reward or a return for one’s actions reciprocity – you do something for someone else, they owe you something in return exchange theory – people are motivated by self-interest in their interactions

Common Types of Social Interaction Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Common Types of Social Interaction Competition – two or more people or groups in opposition to achieve a goal that only one can attain positive means of motivating people to perform roles society asks can also lead to psychological stress, lack of cooperation in social relationships, inequality, and conflict Conflict – the deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone else, or to harm another person Simmel’s four sources of conflict: war, within group, legal disputes, clashes over ideology positive effects: reinforces group boundaries, strengthens group loyalty, draw attention away from internal problems, lead to social change

Common Types of Social Interaction Section 2: Types of Social Interaction Common 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, a compromise, truce

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

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

Types of Societies Section 3: Types of Societies role behavior takes place in groups group – set of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of common identity largest and most complex groups are societies Sociologists classify societies according to subsistence strategies. subsistence strategies – way a society uses technology to provide for the needs of members

Section 3: 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 hunting and gathering, pastoral societies, horticultural society, agricultural society Industrial – emphasis shifts from the production of food to the production of manufactured goods made possible by changes in production methods leads to urbanization Postindustrial – much of the economy is involved in providing information and services 73% of Americans SmartNotebook Activity

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

What is a group? Section 4: Groups Within Society A group has 4 major features: two or more people, interaction among members, shared expectations, common identity These distinguish a group from an aggregate or social category aggregate – people gathered in the same place at the same time, but lack organization or patterns social category – classifying people according to a shared trait or common status

Types of Groups Features of Primary Groups: Section 4: Groups Within Society Types of Groups 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

Types of Groups Features of Secondary Groups: Section 4: Groups Within Society Types of Groups 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 in personal involvement

Types of Groups Section 4: Groups Within Society Features of Reference Groups: group with whom individuals identify and whose attitudes and values they adopt Features of In-Groups and Out-Groups in-group – group that a person belongs to and identifies with out-group – any group that the person does not belong to or identify with

Types of Groups Features of E-communities Section 4: Groups Within Society Types of Groups Features of E-communities e-community – people interact with one another regularly on the Internet Features of Social Networks social network – web of relationships that is formed by the sum total of a person’s interactions with other people

Purposes of Groups Section 4: Groups Within Society Select leaders – people that influence the attitudes and opinions of others instrumental leaders – task oriented expressive leaders – emotion oriented 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

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

What are Formal Organizations? Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations What are Formal Organizations? Sociologists use the term formal organization to describe a large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals. Most organizations are structured in the form of a bureaucracy. bureaucracy – a ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures Bureaucracies were created to rationally organize groups to complete a set of goals

Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations Weber’s Model Division of Labor work is divided among specialists in various positions, expected to complete specific task Ranking of Authority clear-cut lines of authority, each is responsible to a supervisor at a higher level Employment based on formal qualifications individuals are hired based on tests, education, or previous experience Rules and regulations identify the responsibilities of each person Specific lines of promotion and advancement job security and seniority

Effectiveness of Bureaucracies Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations 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