1. Social Structure Chapter 4
Do you think a society can exist without a social structure?

2. Building Blocks of Social Structure
Section 1

3. Status Part of the social structure Each status has one or more roles
Ascribed: Assigned from inherited traits or assigned at a certain age
Adult, female, Italian
Achieved: Earned through direct efforts (skills, abilities, knowledge)
Wife, college graduate, college athlete
Master: Achieved or assigned; change over time
Teacher, parent, grandparent

4. Roles Bring statuses to life; occupy statuses but play a role
Reciprocal roles: interaction between related statuses
Role set: different roles attached to single statuses
Teacher-student doctor-patient
Teacher, wife, parent, friend
Role expectations: socially determined behaviors
Role conflict: when it is difficult to fulfill roles of multiples statuses
Teachers are expected to educate students
Hard being a teacher, wife, friend; one usually suffers
Role performance: actual role and may not match expectations
Role strain: Can’t meet the role expectations of a single status
Teacher watches Netflix all class

5. Social Institutions
Organized statuses and roles that meet the needs of society
Family
Economy
Politics
Education
Religion
Media
Medicine
Science

6. Types of Social Interaction What is the purpose of interacting with others?
Section 2

7. Interactions Help stabilize the social structure Help promote change
Most common:
Exchange
Competition
Conflict
Cooperation
Accommodation

8. Exchange An effort to receive a reward or a return for their actions
Dating, family life, friendships, etc.
Reciprocity: “You scratch my back I’ll scratch yours”
May be material or nonmaterial
Exchange Theory: People are motivated by self-interest during interactions
Costs outweigh the reward-end the relationship
Maximize rewards, minimize costs

9. Competition
Two or more people/groups oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain.
Cornerstone of capitalistic societies
As long as rules are followed it is consider one of the main motivators for performance
Can lead to stress, inequality, conflict

10. Conflict
Deliberate attempt, to control a person by force, to oppose someone, or to harm another person.
Minimal rules of conduct
Sources:
Wars, disagreements within groups, legal disputes, and clashes over ideology
Positives: Reinforces group boundaries, strengthens group loyalty by focusing on attention on an outside threat, can find solutions to problems

11. Cooperation
Occurs when two or more people or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one person
Social process that accomplishes tasks

12. Accommodation A state of balance between cooperation and conflict
Forms:
Compromise: Both members give up something for mutual agreement
Truce: Brings halt to conflict until a compromise can be reached
Mediation: Someone else outside of the group help advise the group

13. Types of Societies
Section 3

14. Societies
Group: a set of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of identity.
Subsistence strategies: the way a society uses technology to provide for the needs its members.

15. Preindustrial Societies
Food production is the main economic activity (human & animal labor)
Production is slow
Less populated areas

16. Hunting & Gathering Collection of wild plants and hunting wild animals
Move from place to place
No permanent villages
people
Statuses are equal
Family forms social unit

17. Pastoral Rely on domesticated herd animals
Move herds from pasture to pasture
Support larger populations
Fewer people needed due to food surpluses
Divisions of labor: Specialization of people to perform specific activities
Encourages trade
Can lead to inequality

18. Horticultural
Slash & burn method for plots of land for fruits and vegetables
Move to new areas become barren
May return to previous plots years later
Semi permanent
people in villages
Economic & political systems are possible
Divisions of labor also exist

19. Agricultural Animals used to plow fields & irrigation is used
Support large populations & cities can lead to development
Armies are created for protection
Transportation of goods
Bartering or exchanging of money is used
Status differences (landowner or peasants)

20. Industrial Societies Production of goods
Reduces the demand of agricultural laborers
Urbanization: Concentration of population into cities
Low level of skills needed due to machines
Education takes place outside of family units
Freedom to compete for social positions
Statuses are achieved

21. Postindustrial Societies
Information and services
73% of the United States
Standard of living and quality of life is high
Science and education is extremely important

22. Contrasting Societies
Mechanical Solidarity
Organic Solidarity
People share the same values and perform the same tasks
United as a common whole
Impersonal social relationships that arise when increase job specialization; no longer provide for their own needs
Based on need rather than value

23. Contrasting Societies
Gesellschaft
Gemeinschaft
Society
Based on need rather than emotion
Impersonal & temporary
Traditional values are weak
Individual goals over group goals
United State
Community
Members know one another
Relationships are close
Activities centered around family and community
Group solidarity
Preindustrial societies

24. Groups Within Society What would you life look like if you didn’t belong to any groups?
Section 4

25. What is a Group Consist of two or more people
Interaction among members
Shared expectations
Possess common identity

26. Factors of a Group
Size: 15 is the largest number for a group for all to work well together
Time: Interaction is not continuous (meet once vs. many years)
Organization: Formal vs informal
Formal: Rules are established and followed
Informal: hanging out with friends

27. Types of Groups
Primary group: Intimate and face-to-face, communication is deep
Secondary group: casual and limited in personal involvement
Reference group: Looking at others and adopting their behaviors and expectations
In-group vs. out-group: “Us” vs. “Them”
E-communities: Regular interactions over the internet
Social networks: No clear boundaries; included both indirect and direct relationships

28. Group Functions Define boundaries Setting goals Assigning tasks
Making decisions
Control members behaviors
Sanctions for those that don’t conform to norms

29. The Structure of Formal Organizations
Section 5

30. Formal Organizations
A large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals
Schools, businesses, government agencies, religious organizations, labor unions, etc.

31. Bureaucracies
Ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures
Created to rationally organize groups to complete a set of goals
Organization that has many departments (hospitals, DMV/BMV)

32. Rationality
Subjecting every human behavior to calculation , measurement and control

33. Voluntary Association
A nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interest
Membership is voluntary
Office holders and workers are unpaid volunteers
Amateur sports team, charities, political interest groups, etc.