1. Why social structures matter
Sustainability
Why social structures matter

2. What is a “social structure?”
The organization of that which produces & reproduces societies
Rules
Roles
Relationships
Practices
Technics
These differ among societies (sometimes called “culture”)

4. Patterns of behavior & social interaction—habitus--can be formalized or not
“Habitus” fosters continuity & certainty
It reproduces the social order of things
It patterns our needs, desires & relations
It shapes our hopes & expectations
But it is also fluid and malleable

5. Personal cleanliness is an example of this
Consider these questions: How often do you
– Bathe or shower?
– Wash your clothes?
– Change the clothing you wear?
Do you do this simply when you feel like it?
Or do you follow a particular set of expectations about washing?
From where did these come?

7. The history of bathtubs in America tells us something

9. Though you have an individual “right” to remain unwashed, social structures motivate you to participate in this ritual

10. What we do and consume is not simply a matter of individual choice
We each have socially-generated expectations
These are fostered in the family, schools, by media, peer pressure, advertising
We come to expect a certain “living standard”
This tends to encourage high levels of consumption
Maintaining living standard requires rapid turnover of goods