Chapter 4

SOCIAL STRUCTURES

Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Social Structure – A network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide our behavior · They make interaction predictable• Statuses – A socially defined position in a group or society• Role – Attached to status, it is the behavior (Rights and Responsibilities) that are expected

Statuses

· We all have several statuses They define: 1. Where we fit in society

2. How we relate to others• Ascribed Status – Assigned based on qualities beyond control

1. Inherited Traits2. At a certain age

EX – Teenager, Gender, Race, etc…

Statuses

• Achieved Statuses – Come with effort through special skills, knowledge and abil.

· They are almost endlessEX – Actor, Basketball Player, etc…

• Master Status – Either Ascribed or Achieved (Usually Achieved) · The status that plays the greatest role in shaping your life and identity and changes throughout life

Ex. Occupation, Wealth, Parenthood0 15 40 60-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roles

· Bring statuses to life – You occupy a status and you play a role• Reciprocal Roles – Corresponding roles that define the pattern of interaction between related statuses EX – Husband/Wife, Doctor/Patient, etc…

Role Expectation and Role Performance

· When people interact, their beh. corresponds to a role• Role Expectations – The socially determined behavior expected from a role EX – Parent – Caring and Understanding Doctor – Knowledgeable and Prof.

Role Expectation and Role Performance

• Role Performance – Actual Role Behavior· Not always the same as your role

expectation

Role Conflict and Role Strain

• Role Set – Different roles that are attached to a single status• Role Conflict – When fulfilling roles of one status it makes it hard to fulfill roles of another status• Role Strain – Difficulty in meeting all the expectation of a single statusEx – Being a boss (Long Hours –vs- Happy Workers)

Social Institutions

• Statuses and Roles that are organized to satisfy a basic need of a society

Ex – Family, Economy, Education and Rel.• Basic Needs – Physical/Emotional Support Producing Goods/Services

Social Control

Social Interaction #1 - Exchange

Exchange – People interacting in an effort to receive a reward in return · Almost all daily interaction involves exchangeReciprocity – Basis of Exchange

· Idea that if I do something for you, you are going to do something for me · Reward can be material or non-materialExchange Theory – People are motivated by self-interests and primary reason for behavior is to receive rewards

Social Interaction #2 - Competition

Competition - 2 or more people/groups opposing each other for a goal that only one can achieve (Has Rules) · A common feature of Western societies, it is how we advance in business, school, and sports.

Pro – It drives usNeg – Stress, Lack of Cooperation, Conflict

Social Interaction #3 - Conflict

Conflict – A deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone, or to harm someone

· 4 Sources: 1. Wars 2. Disagreements within groups

3. Legal Disputes 4. Clashes over ideology

· Emphasis is on defeating opponent and there are few rules (Even these are often ignored) · Often starts as competition and turns into conflict Pro – Unity against an outside threat

Social Interaction #4 - Cooperation

Cooperation – 2 or more people/groups working together to achieve a goal that benefits more than 1 · This is the social process that gets things done · Often combined with other forms of interaction Ex – Cooperation + Competition in sports tryouts

Social Interaction #5 - Accommodation• Accommodation – State of balance between cooperation and conflict ·”Give a little, take a little”Four forms: 1. Compromise – Both give up to agree

2. Truce – Halt to a conflict until a compromise is reached

3. Mediation – 3rd party advises to agreement

4. Arbitration – Decision binding for both

Section 3: Types of Societies

• Group – people who interact w/ shared expectations and have some common ident.

• Subsistence strategies – way a society uses tech. to meet needs

Preindustrial Societies

· Food production is the main economic activity (W/ human and anim. Labor) · There are 4 types of preindustrial societies

1. Hunting and Gathering2. Pastoral3. Horticultural4. Agricultural

Hunting and Gathering

• What they do…• First, collection of wild plants• Second, hunting of animals• Move around constantly → no permanent home → small society (<100)• Family is important

Pastoral Societies

• What they do…• Rely on domesticated, herd animals for food

(Still nomadic though)• They have more food → larger pop.

· Division of Labor – specialization of

individuals in specific activities

Horticultural Societies

• What they do…• Clear jungles to grow fruits/veg. in a garden (Slash and Burn)• B/c of farming → Semi-permanent villages w/

size based on amount of land

• Extra food → Division of labor

Agricultural Societies

• What they do…• Use animals to plow fields → Crops Up• Use irrigation → Crops Up• Use terracing → Crops Up• Crops = Very large pop. And specialized workers

begin to all develop dif. Parts of culture• Barter – Exchange of goods for goods

(Ag soc. Stop bartering and start trading)

Industrial Societies

• What they are…• From food producing to good producing• Since machine help grow more crops… pop.

Increases and less people are farming

• Urbanization – Concentration of pop. In cities b/c that’s where the factories are

Postindustrial Societies

• What they do…• Economy provides services and information not products or food

· Standard of living goes up · Quality of life goes up

EX – USA 73% service/ 25% man./ 2% farm

Contrasting Societies

• How do preindustrial and industrial soc. Differ?• Mechanical solidarity – when people share the same values and

tasks, they become united as a common whole• Organic solidarity – w/ specialized jobs (division of labor) people

become dependent on others for survival because they cant do it alone

(Rel. are based on need not shared values)• Gemeinschaft – “community” societies in which people know

one another very well (group solidarity)• Gesellschaft – “Society” need rather than emotion., very

impersonal relationships, the individual is put before the group

In groups of 3…• You will create a large poster explaining

the various types of societies:– Hunting/Gathering– Pastoral– Horticultural– Agricultural– Industrial– Post-Industrial– Contrasting

• Your poster must include – definitions & all aspects of each society– Images– Examples– Creativity

• These will be due shortly after lunch & we will hold a contest to see who has the best poster

• The best poster should:– Be clear & neat– Contain all important information– Be creative

• The group who wins will receive a special something on Monday I wonder what it will be…– Test pass??– Cupcakes??– Quiz Pass??

What is a Group?

1. 2 or more people2. There is lasting interaction b/t members3. Members have shared expectations4. Members have a common identity

• If only # 1 then you don’t have a group you have either an aggregate or a soc. category

• Aggregate – People in same place/same time without #2,3,4 Ex – People on an airplane, waiting to get into the movies• Social Category – Way to classify people according to shared trait

or status Ex – Teenagers, Left-Handers

Group Size

· Some are small, some are huge• Dyad – Smallest possible group w/ only 2 People.

Decision making is difficult• Triad – 3 person group, easier to make decisions (2 vs 1),

group doesn’t rely on one individual• Small Group – Few enough people so everyone can

interact face-to-face · No more then 15 ppl b/c any more and ppl begin to form smaller groups within the group

Time and Organization

• Time – Most groups fall in the middle of only meeting once to meeting forever

• Organization – Either formal or informal· Formal – Clearly defined structure,

goals and activities EX – Student Government· Informal – No official structure or

rules of conduct EX – Your friends

Types of Groups

• We are all members of several groups• Primary and Secondary Groups are the way in which we

classify groups based on intimacy. They CAN exist within the same group

· Primary – Small, Personal Interaction, Long lasting, and informal

EX - Family· Secondary – Temporary, Impersonal, and the

importance of members is based on their function (They can be easily replaced) EX – Classroom, Factory

Types of Groups

• Reference Group – group that a person identifies with and then adopts their attitudes and values

Ex – Friends• In-groups and Out-groups can be either primary or

secondary · In-group – group that a person belongs to and identifies with · Out-group – Group that a person does not belong to and does not identify with

Types of Groups

• E-communities- People communicate regularly on the internet now. As a result they form groups with IM, chat rooms, message boards, etc…

• Social Networks – All the relationships formed by your interaction

Group Functions

• You have to pick leaders, set goals, make decisions, assign tasks and control members

• Leaders- People who influence the attitudes and opinions of others. Can be assigned, elected, or achieved.

·Instrumental Leader – Task oriented to help the group reach goals

EX – Coach who draws plays·Expressive Leader – Emotionally oriented to

keep the group together and happy EX – Coach who plays music to get you ready

Section 4 and 5 Questions

1. What are the features of primary and secondary groups? Based on the examples in this section, what roles do group members play in primary and secondary groups?2. Compare the roles of group members in formal and informal groups.3. Describe the structure of Max Weber’s understanding of bureaucracies.4. How effective are bureaucracies?

Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organization

• Formal Organization – A large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals

EX – Schools, Businesses, Youth Org, etc..• Bureaucracy – A ranked authority structure that

operates according to specific rules and procedures Ex – DMV, Hospital, etc…• Rationality – Subjecting every feature of human

behavior to calculation, measurement and control

Weber’s Model of Bureaucracies

∙ Ideally, this is the best way to coordinate lots of people in an orderly way on one project• Bureaucratic Characteristics – According to

Weber, all bureaucracies have 5 basic characteristics

Bureaucratic Characteristics

• 1. Division of Labor – Work is divided among specialists who perform specific duties• 2. Ranking of Authority – Clear-cut lines of responsibility with each individual responsible to a supervisor at a higher level• 3. Employment Based on Formal Qualifications There are qualifications for each job, w/ people hired b/c of tests, education, or experience. The job is more important than the person, and they are easily replaceable

Bureaucratic Characteristics (Cont)

• 4. – Rules and Regulations – Rules, Regulations and Procedures exist for each person on the staff →

Responsibilities and Authority• 5.-Specific Lines of Promotion and Advancement

Clear-cut lines of how to advance. If you

stay with the company → Seniority and Job Security

Voluntary Association

• A nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interest

Ex- Amateur Sports Team, Services Clubs, Charities, etc…

Relationships in Formal Organizations

• Within these big, formal structures, we often form primary, informal groups

∙ These operate independent of the formal structure

How Effective are Bureaucracies?

• There are things that weaken the effectiveness ∙ 1-Lose the original goal to keep going ∙ 2-Encourages a bureaucratic personality (Focuses only on the specific rules-Red Tape)

∙ 3-Result in Oligarchies (Few Ruling Many) ∙ 4-Peter Principle (Keep getting promoted until

you reach a job over your head)