Sociology: Ch 3 Sec 1 Definitions “Social Structure” “Building Blocks of Social Structure” Standards: 4.11, 5.13

Section 1 Vocabulary  1. Social Structure: Network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction  2. Status: a socially defined position in a group or in society  3. Role: behavior, right, and obligations expected of someone occupying a particular status

Types of Status  4. Ascribed Status: assigned status given based on qualities that are out of a person’s control (Black/White)  5. Achieved Status: Status achieved through own direct efforts  6. Master Status: The status that plays the greatest role in shaping a person’s life and determining his or her social identity.  Can be ascribed OR achieved (U.S. Mostly achieved)  Ex: Occupation, wealth, marital status, and parenthood…etc.

Types of Roles  7. Reciprocal Roles: corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses… huh? Ok: How can you perform the role of husband if there is no one there to perform the roles of the wife? (other Ex: Doctor/Patient; Sales Clerk/Customer)(Mini play dialogue between two people: Conversation expectations) Ex: Doctor: “take a deep breath” Patient: “No” Now, how does the doctor fulfill his role as doctor?

Role Expectation and Role Performance  8. Role Expectations: Socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role  Ex: Police: “Protect and Serve”  9. Role Performance: ACTUAL role behavior; does not always match behavior expected by society  Ex: Police brutality, child abuse…etc

Role Conflict and Role Strain  10. Role Set: Different roles attached to a single status… Can lead to conflict  11. Role Conflict: occurs when filling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status  Ex: “To be a good employee, one has to spend extra time at work; to be a good parent, one has to spend extra time at home” Both can NOT occur; a compromise has to be reached  12. Role Strain: occurs when an individual has difficulty meeting expectations of a single status (ex: boss boosting morale and production

Basic Needs of Society  13. Social Institution: When statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more needs of society  Needs…  -Provide physical and emotional support to members  -Transmit knowledge  -Produce goods and services  -maintain social control*

Sociology: Ch 3 Sec 2 “Types of Social Interaction” Standards: 3.2, 3.5

Exchange Theory  14. Exchange: Whenever people interact in an effort to receive a reward or return for their actions  15. Reciprocity: the idea that if you do something for some one, then that person “owes” you something in return… (Not a reward…just EVEN things out)  16. Exchange Theory: People are motivated by “Self” interests in interactions with other people

Competition  17. Competition: Occurs when two or more people or groups oppose each other to achieve goal that only ONE can attain (winners and losers; dodgeball debate)  Very Common in “Western” societies  18. Conflict: is the deliberate attempt to control a person by force

4 Sources of Conflict  Georg Simmel:  1. Wars  2. Disagreements within group  3. Legal disputes  4. Clashes over ideology  *Sometimes begin as competition  *Conflict can also be positive because it reinforces group boundaries and promotes loyalty.  *Can also “Expose” problems that need to be addressed.  Read: “Social Interaction” p

Cooperation and Accommodation  19. Cooperation: two or more people or groups work together to achieve a common goal that will benefit more than one person  20. Accommodation: a state of balance between conflict and cooperation  COMPROMISE: We can rarely have everything that we want  TRUCE, MEDIATION, and ARBITRATION are other examples  Help to ensure social stability

Sociology: Chapter 3 Sec 3 “Types of Societies” Standards: 2.8, 3.4, 4.3, 4.13

Groups and Subsistence Strategies  21. Groups: a set of people that interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess a degree of common identity (Students…etc)  22. Subsistence Strategies: the way that society uses technology to provide for the needs of its members  THREE CATEGORIES of SOCIETIES  Pre-industrial  Industrial  Postindustrial

Pre Industrial Societies  23. Pre-industrial societies: Food production, carried out by human and animal labor, is the MAIN economic activity  Can be subdivided based on level of technology and method of producing food  A. Hunting and Gathering  B. Pastoral  C. Horticultural  D. Agricultural

Preindustrial Societies  24. Hunting and Gathering: Daily collection of wild plants and hunting wild animals (Nomads: Need for mobility keeps societies small: people)  25. Pastoral Societies: Live a nomadic life; Domesticate animals that travel with society  Because food system is more efficient, fewer people are needed to produce food and can focus on craft and other “skill” jobs  26. Division of Labor: the specialization by individuals or groups in the performance of specific economic activities

Pre Industrial…  27. Horticultural Societies: “Growers” Fruits and vegetables are grown in garden plots cleared out of forests… Complexity level similar to Pastoral  28. Agricultural Societies: Animals are used to plow fields… Possible to plant more crops: Larger Farms: Less People feed more  Irrigation is also used  29. Barter: Trade: To exchange goods and services  Becomes more common

Industrial Societies  30. Industrial Societies: Emphasis shifts from the production of food to the production of manufactured goods  *Dramatically affects population size  *Larger Cities emerge  31. Urbanization: The concentration of population in cities  * A well defined “Middle” class usually develops

Postindustrial Societies  32. Postindustrial Society: economy shifts from manufacturing goods to providing information and services  Ex: United States… 76% of workforce is involved in information and service industry  23% in Manufacturing  1% in Agriculture  Standard of living improves  Wages increase

Contrasting Societies: Durkheim  33. Mechanical Solidarity: Hold together pre-industrial societies  “When people share the same goals and perform the same tasks, society is held together by a common whole” or Common Bond  34. Organic Solidarity: As division of labor becomes more complex, people become more dependent on others for survival.  Relationships become based on need over values

Ferdinand Tonnies  Studied the differences between simple and complex societies (Two ideal types of society)  35. Gemeinschaft: German for “Community”: Refers to societies in which most members know one another  36. Gesellschaft: German word for “Society”: larger societies in which relationships are impersonal and based on need rather than emotion

Sociology: Chapter 3-4 “Groups within Society” Standards: 3.5, 4.8, 4.12

What is a group?  1. Consists of two or more people  2. Interaction among members  3. Members must share expectations  4. Members must possess some common identity  37. Aggregate: When people gather at the same place at the same time but lack organization. (line at movies)  38. Social Category: a means of classifying people based on a shared trait or common status (students, women, and teenagers)

Group Sizes  39. Dyad: Smallest group possible (Two People)  40. Triad: Three person group  41. Small Group: One in which all members can interact on a “face to face” basis  ORGANIZATION:  42. Formal Group: Structure, goals, and activities are clearly defined  43. Informal group: No official structure or rules of conduct

Types of Groups  44. Primary Groups: small group of people who interact over over a relatively long period of time (family)  45. Secondary Group: a group in which interaction is temporary and impersonal in nature (Teacher/Student)  46. Reference Group: Any group whose attitudes and values an individual adopts. (friends, clubs, and even gangs)  47. In Groups: The group that a person belongs to and identifies with  48. Out Group: A group that a person does NOT belong

…Types of Groups  49. E-Communities: Brought about by emergence of Internet (Argue, discuss, and interact over the web in a variety of different ways)  50. Social Networks: Include both direct and indirect relationships… do not have clear boundaries (“a friend of a friend”)  Can be important: (Job hunting)

Group Functions  1. Define boundaries3. Set Goals  2. Select leaders4. Control Behavior  51. Leaders: people who influence the behavior and attitudes of others  52. Instrumental Leader: Task oriented; find a means to reach group goal  53. Expressive Leader: Emotion oriented; find ways to keep the group together  *Read “A Small World” p. 82

Sociology: Chapter 3-5 “The Structure of Formal Organizations” Standards: 2.13, 5.1

Formal Organizations  54. Formal Organizations: a large complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals  55. Bureaucracy: a ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures. (rose to prominence during “Industrial Revolution”)  56. Rationality: subjecting every feature of human behavior to calculation, measurement, and Control  57. Alienation: Workers in Bureaucracies feel “unconnected” to co-workers, bosses, and company

Weber’s Model of Bureaucracies  Characteristics: “IDEAL TYPE”  1. Division of Labor: Work divided among specialists  2. Ranking of authority: Cleat cut lines of responsibility  3. Employment based on qualifications: Qualifications required for specific jobs  4. Rules and regulations: Objective rules and procedures of what needs to happen  5. Specific lines of promotion and advance: Rewards for following proper procedures  See Chart page 86.  58. Voluntary Association: nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interests: Less Bureaucratic than Weber’s ideal type

Relationships in formal organizations  Read “Corporate Life in Japan” p  How effective are Bureaucracies?  Positive: Keep order; good for coordinating large numbers of people.  Negative: Often lose sight of goals; Too structured..loses sense of independence  *They tend to result in Oligarchies: Few people rule the masses  59. Iron Law of Oligarchy: Robert Michels: Tendency of organizations to become dominated by small groups of people (Corporations)  Read: “The Peter Principle” p. 88  Read: “Parkinson Law” p. 89