1. CHAPTER 4: SOCIAL STRUCTURE

2. LIFE IN SOCIETY
Humans are social beings- we live and work in groups and interact in predictable ways.
This structure helps people know what is expected of them in most social situations and what they can expect from others.
It also ensures that the general nature of the society remains stable from one generation to the next.

3. BUILDING BLOCKS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Social Structure- the network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction.
Status- a socially defined position in a group or society.
Role- the behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status

4. STATUS Each individual in society occupies several statuses.
For example, an individual can be a teacher, father, husband, African American, and a church member all at the same time.
Ascribed Status- assigned according to qualities beyond a person’s control
Achieved Status- acquired through and individual’s efforts
Master Status- can be ascribed or achieved. Refers to an overall image.
Ex: student, occupation, parenthood, etc.
A person’s master status can be achieved such as being a doctor or be ascribed such as being a woman.

5. ROLES You occupy a status, but you play a role.
Reciprocal Roles- corresponding roles that define the patterns of interaction between related statuses.
Ex: Husband & Wife
Role Expectations- socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role
Role Performance- a person’s actual role behavior does not always match the behavior that is expected.
The role of coaches and athletes are reciprocal in that they rely upon each other.

6. ROLES CONT. Role Set- different roles attached to a single status
Role Conflict- occurs when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status
Role Strain- a person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status
Many working families face role conflict because the needs of their family and the requirements of work demand a great deal of time

7. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Social Institution- when statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society
The basic needs of society include providing physical and emotional support, transmitting knowledge, producing goods and services, and maintaining social control
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8. TYPES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION
When you play a role, most of the time you have to interact with others.
These are the 5 types of interaction that take place in societies throughout the world.
Exchange
Competition
Conflict
Cooperation
Accommodation

9. Couples in relationships often have interactions based on exchange
Exchange- whenever people interact in an effort to receive a reward or return for their actions
Reciprocity- the idea that if you do something for someone, that person owes you something in return
Exchange Theory- Belief that people are motivated by self-interest in their interactions with other people
Couples in relationships often have interactions based on exchange

10. COMPETITION
Competition- occurs when two or more people or groups oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain
Common feature of Western societies
Some scholars consider it to be the cornerstone of the capitalist economic system and the democratic form of government

11. CONFLICT
Conflict- the deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone, or to harm another person
Four sources of conflict
Wars
Disagreements within groups
Legal disputes
Clashes over ideology

12. COOPERATION
Cooperation- occurs when two or more people or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one person
Cooperation is often used along with other forms of interaction
For example, individuals who go out for a team sport often compete with one another to make the varsity team.
By using cooperation members of a group can work together to complete a goal that might have been unobtainable by an individual

13. ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation- state of balance between cooperation and conflict
Compromise- occurs when two parties both give up something to come to a mutual agreement
The United Nations is a global organization that tries to solve world problems through cooperation and compromise

14. TYPES OF SOCIETIES
Group- a set of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of common identity
The largest and most complex groups that are studied by sociologists are societies
Subsistence Strategies- the way a society uses technology to provide for the needs of its members

15. PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
Preindustrial Society- food production which is carried out through the use of human and animal labor is the main economic activity
Hunting and Gathering Societies- The main form of food production is the daily collection of wild plants and the hunting of wild animals
Pastoral Society- rely on domesticated herd animals to meet their food needs
Division of Labor- the specialization by individuals or groups in performance

16. PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES CONT.
Horticultural Society- fruits and vegetables are grown in a garden to provide the main source of food
Agricultural Society- animals are used to pull plows to till the fields.
This allows agriculturalists to plant more crops than is possible when only human labor is used
Barter- the exchange of a good or service

17. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
Industrial Societies- emphasis shifts from the production of food to the production of manufactured goods
Urbanization- the concentration of the population is located in cities
With the development of machines, production moves from the home to the factory
Industrial societies use machines to increase productivity which leads to a larger society and a greater division of labor

18. POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
Postindustrial Society- much of the economy is involved in providing information and services
In the United States:
73% Information & Services
25% Production of Goods
2% Agriculture

19. CONTRASTING SOCIETIES
Mechanical Solidarity- when people share the same values and perform the same tasks, they become united in a common whole
Organic Solidarity- individuals can no longer provide for all of their own needs

20. GROUPS WITHIN SOCIETY
Society is not only a group; it is a group made up of other smaller groups
4 Features of a Group:
Consist of 2 or more people
Interaction among members
Members have shared expectations
Members possess some sense of common identity
This group of sailors have a shared identity as part of a military unit

21. WHAT IS A GROUP?
Aggregate- when people gather in the same place at the same time, but lack organization
Ex: Passengers on a plane
Social Category- classifying people according to a shared trait or a common status.
Ex: Students, women, left-handed people, teenagers

22. WHAT IS A GROUP? Dyad- smallest group possible, a group with 2 members
Triad- a 3 person group
Small Group- a group with few enough members that everyone is able to interact face-to-face
Formal Group- structure, goals, and activities are clearly defined
Informal Group- no official structure or established rules of conduct
Student governments in a school is an example of a formal group

23. TYPES OF GROUPS
Primary Group- small group of people who interact over a relatively long period of time
Secondary Group- group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature
In-group- the group that a person belongs to and identifies with
Out-group- any group that a person does not belong to or identify with
Sports fans who support a specific team or player often form in-groups. They view fans of other teams as out-groups.

24. TYPES OF GROUPS CONT.
E-Community- people interact with one another regularly on the Internet
Social Network- the web of relationships that is formed by the sum total of a person’s interactions with other people
Unlike groups, social networks do not give rise to a common sense of identity.
Knowing the “right” person can mean the difference between getting or not getting a job

25. GROUP FUNCTIONS
Leaders- people who influence the attitudes and opinions of others
Instrumental Leaders- task oriented; find specific means that will help the group reach its goals
Expressive Leaders- emotion oriented; find ways to keep the group together and to maintain morale

26. THE STRUCTURE OF FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS
Formal Organization- large, complex group that has been established to achieve specific goals
Bureaucracy- ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures
Rationality- subjecting every feature of human behavior to calculation, measurement, and control
Bureaucracies serve important functions such as establishing proper rules and regulations

27. WEBER’S MODEL OF BUREAUCRACIES
German sociologist Max Weber developed a theoretical model of bureaucracies that is still widely used today
Division of Labor
Ranking of Authority
Employment based on formal qualifications
Rules and Regulations
Specific lines of promotion and advancement