Previous units have looked into Socialization and the transmission of culture to society’s members This unit deals with the Structure, Organization & Operation of human societies and how Interaction within these structures shapes human behaviour.
Social Interaction The process by which people act toward and respond to others… the foundation for all relationships and groups in society. SOCIAL INTERACTION
Social Structure The stable pattern of social relationships that exist within a particular group or society Essential Components of Social Structure: Social institutions Social groups Status & roles SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Social Institution: A set of organized beliefs and rules that establish how a society will attempt to meet its basic social needs i.e. Family, religion, education, the economy, the government or politics Sports, Mass Media, Science/Medicine, Military SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Social Group: The basic unit upon which modern society is built -Sociologist apply 2 key concepts to the behaviour of humans in groups: -Status (Ascribed & Achieved) -Role In turn, these 2 concepts, Status & Role, form the basis of social organization BASIC COMPONENTS
Social Status: A socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties Role: A set of behavioural expectations associated with a given status. STATUS & ROLE
When incompatible role demands are placed on a person by two or more statuses held at the same time… i.e. Student by day, superhero (or fast-food attendant) by night! (P.139) ROLE CONFLICT
SOCIAL STRUCTURE FRAMEWORK Society Social InstitutionsTraditional Family Religion Education Government Economy Emergent Sports Mass Media Science/medicine Military Social GroupsPrimary Groups Family Members Close Friends Peers Secondary Groups Schools Churches Corporations Statuses & RolesAscribed Status Race/Ethnicity Age Gender Class Achieved Status Occupation Education Income Level
JOURNAL ENTRY What are the roles you have? List the roles you have in your life. Identify examples of role conflict. If no conflict, why do you think you are without role conflict?