1. Social Structure and Society
Chapter 5
Social Structure and Society

2. Chapter Outline Using the Sociological Imagination
Social Structure and Status
Social Structure and Roles
Doing Research

3. Bell Work
What is your status in society?

4. Social Structure The underlying pattern of social relationships.
Relationships among individuals are patterned.
Status, role, role performance, and social interaction explain social structure.

5. Status A position that a person occupies within a social structure.
Individuals in interrelated statuses usually behave in orderly and predictable ways.
Statuses may be assigned or earned.
A person’s master status affects most other aspects of a person’s life.

6. Ascribed Status
A position that is neither earned nor chosen but assigned
Gender
Age
India – social class

7. Achieved Status
A position that is earned or chosen
Spouse
Occupations

8. Status Set
All of the statuses that a person occupies at any particular time
Social worker
Mother
Wife
Choir director
Neighbor

9. Master Status
A position that strongly affects most other aspects of a person’s life
Occupation
Race
Gender
Criminal

10. The Interrelationships of Social Statuses

11. Bell Work List the different roles that you have in your life.
List the expectations that go along with each role
Explain how some of the roles are connected

12. Roles, Rights and Obligations
Roles are culturally defined rights and obligations attached to social statuses.
Rights inform one person of the behavior that can be expected from another person.
Obligations inform individuals of the behavior others expect from them.
Give an example of each. How do they differ?

13. Role Performance
Occurs when roles are put into action through social interaction.
Social Interaction s the process of influencing each other as people relate.
Role conflict occurs when role performance in one status clashes with role performance in another status.
Role strain occurs when the roles of a single position are inconsistent.

14. “It is never too late to be what you might have been” George Eliot

15. The Links Between Culture and Social Structure

16. The Stage Analogy Stage Social Life Parts Statuses Script (lines)
Roles
Cues
Social Interaction
Actual performances
Role performances

17. Students Expelled for Bringing Guns to School, 1998–1999

18. Theoretical Perspectives: Social Structure Concepts
Functionalism
Role
Conflict theory
Ascribed master status
Symbolic Interactionism
Social interaction

19. Q and A Give an example of how role strain can be hypocritical
What difficulties would arise if you best friend was also your manager at work?
P 151 answer questions 1-5
Answer ”Doing Sociology” at the bottom of page 152

20. Types of Society
How societies solve the problem of subsistence influences culture and social structures.
Societies become more complex as the means for solving subsistence problems improve.
Major types of societies are hunting and gathering, horticultural, pastoral, agricultural, industrial, and postindustrial.

21. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Hunting and Gathering
Origin
Subsistence
Technology
Culture and Social Structure

22. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Hunting and Gathering
Origin
First type of society to emerge
Subsistence
Hunting and Gathering
Technology
Simple handmade tools
Culture and Social Structure
Nomadic bands based on kinship; Common property ownership; Scant division of labor based on sex and age

23. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Horticultural
Origin
9,000 years ago
Subsistence
Domesticating plants
Technology
Handmade tools (digging sticks,hoes, spades)
Culture and Social Structure
Less nomadic bands; more conflict among bands; less division of labor based on sex and age

24. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Pastoral
Origin
About 9,000 years ago
Subsistence
Domesticating animals
Technology
Meat cutting tools; knowledge of grazing, land, breeding, weather, water supply
Culture and Social Structure
Live in villages; some trade; women at home while men attend herds; greater economic surplus

25. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Agricultural
Origin
About 5,000–6,000 years ago
Subsistence
Permanent land cultivation
Technology
Plow and animal energy
Culture and Social Structure
Increased productivity; complex division of labor; separate political, economic, and religious institutions; social classes; emergence of trade and money

26. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Industrial
Origin
About 250 years ago
Subsistence
Application of science and technology to production
Technology
Power-driven machines
Culture and Social Structure
Economy shifts to open market; women are less subordinate; institutions become more specialized; impersonal social relationships

27. Comparison of Major Types of Society: Post- Industrial
Origin
Around 1970
Subsistence
Development of service industries
Technology
Intellectual
Culture and Social Structure
Greater social instability;less social and cultural consensus; reduced gender inequality; individualism increases; urban population moves out of large cities

28. Views of Preindustrial and Industrial Societies
Emile Durkheim
Ferdinand Tonnies
Gemeinshaft
Gesellschaft
Social Solidarity
Mechanical Solidarity
Organic Solidarity

29. Gemeinshaft “community”
Society based on tradition, kinship and intimate social relationships
Mainly found in preindustrial societies

30. GesellShaft “Society”
Society based on weak family ties, competition, and less personal relationships
Represented in an industrial society

31. Social Solidarity is how society is unified
Mechanical Solidarity – most people are doing the same type of work
Beliefs
Values
Norms
Conformity
Organic Solidarity – members depend on a variety of people to fulfill their needs
Specialized jobs
Complex status
interdependent

32. Major Features of Postindustrial Society
Majority of labor force is employed in services rather than agriculture or manufacturing.
White-collar employment replaces blue-collar work.
Theoretical knowledge is the key organizing feature.

33. Major Features of Postindustrial Society
Through new means of technological forecasting, society can plan and control technological change.
Intellectual technology dominates human affairs.