Chapter 4: Social Structure & Social Interaction Objectives: Differentiate between macrosociological and microsociological approaches to studying social life. Understand social structure, lists its major components, and discuss how it guides people’s behaviors Understand the concepts of culture, social class, social status, roles, groups, and social institutions

Levels of Sociological Analysis Macrosociology: analysis of social life that focuses on broad features of society, such as social class and the relationships of groups to one another; an approach usually used by functionalists and conflict theorists Microsociology: analysis of social life that focuses on social interaction (what people do when they are in one another’s presence); an approach usually used by symbolic interactionists

Macrosociological Perspective: Social Structure Social Structure: the framework that surrounds us, consisting of the relationships of people and groups to one another, which give direction to and set limits on behavior guides our behavior many times overrides personal feelings and desires people learn behaviors and attitudes because of their location in the social structure

Major Components of Social Structure 1) Culture—groups language, beliefs, values, behaviors, and gestures broadest framework for human behavior 2) Social Class—based on income, education, and occupational prestige influences not only behaviors, but also ideas and attitudes

Components of social structure cont… 3) Social Status—social ranking; the position that someone occupies in society or a social group some statuses hold prestige, others don’t people can have multiple statuses at once (status set) Types of Statuses: --Ascribed Status: positions an individual either inherits at birth or receives involuntarily later in life --Achieved Status: positions that are earned, accomplished, or involve at least some effort or activity on the individual’s part

Components of social structure cont… 3) Social Status cont…. Status Symbols: items used to identify a status (ie: wedding rings—marital status, uniforms, guns, badges—occupation/authority) Master Status: Status that cuts across the other statuses that an individual occupies (ie: sex, race, age) Video Example: Anthony Robles—National Championship wrestler from ASU --What do you think is his Master Status?

Components of social structure cont… 4) Roles—behaviors, obligations, and privileges attached to a status  occupy a status vs. play a role (ie: status—male, role—being “tough”) roles lay out what is expected of people Role exit: refers to the ending of a role, including the adjustments people make when they face not “being” what they formally were (ie: graduating college, getting a divorce)

Components of social structure cont… 5) Groups—people who have something in common and who believe that what they have in common is significant; social group regularly interact with one another share values, norms and expectations must yield to others the right to make certain decisions about our behavior (ie: curfew, attending group meetings)

Components of social structure cont… 6) Social Institutions—the organized usual, or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs examples: family, religion, education, economics, medicine, politics, law, science, military and mass media (see figure 4.1 pg 100) establish the context in which people live, shape their priorities, obligations, activities, relationships, behaviors, thoughts and orientations (ie: economic system—work week)

Social Institutions cont… Functionalist Views: social institutions exist because they meet universal needs; provides society with functional requisites (major tasks a society must fulfill to survive) Five Functional Requisites: --Replacing Members --Socializing New Members --Producing and Distributing Goods and Services --Preserving Order --Providing a Sense of Purpose

Social Institutions cont… Conflict Views: Social institutions are the primary means by which the members of the elite maintain their privileged positions  Purpose of social institutions is to preserve the social order, which perpetuates social inequality

What Holds Society Together? Mechanical and Organic Solidarity --Durkheim --key to social cohesion (degree to which members of a group or society feel united by shared values and other social bonds) is mechanical solidarity (unity that a people feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks) --As societies get larger, their division of labor (how they divide up work) becomes more specialized—each person contributes to the welfare of the whole --Organic Solidarity (solidarity based upon the interdependence that results from division of labor; need others to fulfill their jobs)

What Holds Society Together? Cont… Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft --Ferdinand Tonnies --Gemeinschaft—a type of society in which life is intimate; a community in which everyone knows everyone else and people share a sense of togetherness (before industrialization) --Gesellschaft—a type of society that is dominated by impersonal relationships, individual accomplishments and self-interest (after industrialization)