1. Chapter 4
SOCIAL STRUCTURES

2. 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

3. 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 Traits
2. At a certain age
EX – Teenager, Gender, Race, etc…

4. Statuses Achieved Statuses – Come with effort
through special skills, knowledge and abil.
· They are almost endless
EX – 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, Parenthood

5. 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…

6. 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.

7. Role Expectation and Role Performance
Role Performance – Actual Role Behavior
· Not always the same as your role
expectation

8. 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 status
Ex – Being a boss (Long Hours –vs- Happy Workers)

9. 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

10. Social Interaction #1 - Exchange
Exchange – People interacting in an effort to receive a reward in return · Almost all daily interaction involves exchange Reciprocity – 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-material Exchange Theory – People are motivated by self-interests and primary reason for behavior is to receive rewards

11. 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 us Neg – Stress, Lack of Cooperation, Conflict

12. 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

13. 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

14. Social Interaction #5 - Accommodation
Accommodation – State of balance between cooperation
and conflict
·”Give a little, take a little”
Four forms: 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

15. 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

16. Preindustrial Societies
· Food production is the main economic activity (W/ human and anim. Labor) · There are 4 types of preindustrial societies 1. Hunting and Gathering 2. Pastoral 3. Horticultural 4. Agricultural

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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??

25. What is a Group? 1. 2 or more people
2. There is lasting interaction b/t members
3. Members have shared expectations
4. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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?

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. Voluntary Association
A nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interest
Ex- Amateur Sports Team, Services Clubs,
Charities, etc…

38. Relationships in Formal Organizations
Within these big, formal structures, we often form primary, informal groups
∙ These operate independent of the
formal structure

39. 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)