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SOCIAL STRUCTURE- Organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions thattogether compose society.

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Elements of Social Structure

StatusesSocial roles

GroupsSocial networksSocial institutions

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Social StatusesDaug-hter

Sister

Filipina

Female

18yearsold

Classmate

DormitoryResident

Employee

Friend

Student

Me

Ascribed Statuses

Achieved Statuses

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Statuses

Refers to any of the full range of sociallydefined positions within a large group orsociety from the lowest to the highestposition.

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Ascribed and Achieved Status

Ascribed Status isassigned to a person bysociety without regard for

the persons unique talentsor characteristics.This assignment takesplace at birth; thus, a

persons racial background,gender, and age are allconsidered ascribedstatuses.

Achieved Status comes to us largelythrough our ownefforts.a social position that aperson can acquire on

the basis of merit; it isa position that isearned or chosen.

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Master Status

A status that dominates others and therebydetermines a persons general position withinsociety.a status that has exceptional importancefor social identity, often shaping a person'sentire life .

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A set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or

status.

It is the expected or free or continuously changing behaviours and may

have given individual social status and social position.

Social Roles

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Role Conflict

Occurs when incompatible expectations arisefrom two or more social positions held by thesame person.Fulfillment of the roles associated with onestatus may violate roles linked to a secondstatus.Occurs among individuals moving intooccupations that are not common amongpeople with their ascribed status.

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Role Strain

Describes the difficulty that arises when thesame social position imposes conflictingdemands and expectations.refers to the situation whence an individualassociates a single social circle with someform of incompatible obligation, behaviour orhope and thereof experiences strain due tothis.

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Role Exit

The process of disengagement from a rolethat is central to ones self identity in a newrole.the process of a person leaving their own trueidentity to take on another role that allowsthem to fit in with others.

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Is any number of people with similar norms, values, andexpectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.

Groups

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A series of social relationships that links a person directly to othersand through them indirectly to still more people.

May constrain people by limiting the range of their interactions, yetthese networks may also empower people by making available vastresources(Lin 1999).

Social Networks and Technology

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are organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basicsocial needs.

Social institutions provide insight into the structure of society.

Social Institutions

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Functionalist View

Social institutions create survival and stabilityfor society.

Social change can be dysfunctional, since itoften leads to instability.

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Conflict View

Major institutions maintain the privileges ofthe most powerful individuals and groupswithin a society, while contributing to thepowerlessness of others.Social institutions operate in gendered andracist environments.Social changes are needed to promoteequality.

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Interactionist View

Behavior is conditioned by roles and statusesthat we accept, the groups to which webelong, and the institutions within which wefunction.

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SOCIAL GROUPS

We become who we are because of our membership in human groups.

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Social Groups

AGGREGATE individuals whotemporarily share the same physicalspace but who do not seethemselves belonging together.

a CATEGORY consists of peoplewho share similar characteristics butdo not interact with one another.

a GROUP think of themselves asbelonging together, and theyinteract with one another.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

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Primary and Secondary Groups

PRIMARY GROUPS provide face-to-faceinteraction.

Primary groups give usidentity.They are essential to ourwell-being.

Their values and attitudesbecome fused into ouridentity.

SECONDARY GROUPS groups that are larger,anonymous, formal, and

impersonal.They are based on somecommon interest oractivity.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

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Composition of Primary and Secondary Groups

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Small Groups

--Small groups are groups small enough forall members to interact simultaneously (totalk with one another or at least be wellacquainted).

Studying Small Groups

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cont.

Size of Group

--Smaller groups have greater interaction opportunities.

Dyad: A two member group (0ne relationship).

Triad : A three member group (two relationship).

Coalition: A temporary or permanentalliance geared toward acommon goal.

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Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies

Formal Organization A formal organization is a special-purpose groupdesigned and structured for maximum efficiency.

Money is important part to these group, and theorganization use money in fulfilling some objective.People belong to some type of formal organizationbecause of some purpose.

Examples of formal organizations:

the U.S. Post Office

McDonalds restaurants

this college

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Bureaucracy

A bureaucracy is a component of formal organization inwhich rules and hierarchical ranking are used to achieveefficiency.