Sociology
Chapter 4
Social Structure
Preview
Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Section 3: Types of Societies
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organizations
Chapter Wrap-Up
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
Read to Discover
• What are the two major components of
social structure?
• How do these two components of social
structure affect human interaction?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
Question
What are the two major components
of social structure?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
• Status—a socially defined position in a
group or in a society, which has attached
to it one or more roles
• Role—the behavior expected of someone
occupying a particular status
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
Status
Examples of
Roles
Examples of
Conflict / Strain
Put out fires, save
lives, wear a uniform
Voluntarily puts self in
danger, but has loved ones
who need him or her
Mother
Provide food and
shelter, nurture
family, discipline
children
Fatigue and long shifts make
household tasks and
interactions difficult
P.T.A.
President
Run meetings, recruit
new members, plan
activities
Has trouble getting members
to attend and follow through
on promises
Firefighter
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
Question
How do these two components of
social structure affect
human interaction?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 1: Building Blocks of
Social Structure
• People’s particular roles and statuses affect how
they relate to one another
• Statuses are ways of defining where individuals
fit in society and how they relate to others
• Most roles have reciprocal roles that define the
patterns of interaction between related statuses,
such as husband and wife or teacher and
student
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Read to Discover
• What are the most common types of social
interaction?
• Which types of interactions stabilize social
structure and which can disrupt it?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Question
What are some common types of
social interaction, and what are
examples of each?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
• Exchange—interacting in an effort to receive a
reward or a return for one’s actions
• Competition—two or more people or groups are
in opposition to achieve a goal that only one can
attain
• Conflict—deliberate attempt to control a person
by force, to oppose someone, or to harm
another person
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
• Cooperation—two or more people or groups
working together to achieve a goal that will
benefit more than one of them
• Accommodation—a state of balance between
cooperation and conflict
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Competition
Exchange
Conflict
Types of
Social
Interactions
Cooperation
Accommodation
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
Question
Which types of interactions
stabilize social structure and
which can disrupt it?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 2: Types of Social Interaction
• Accommodation, Exchange, and
Cooperation—stabilize social structure
• Competition and Conflict—can disrupt
social structure
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
Read to Discover
• What types of societies exist in the world
today?
• What roles do individuals play in these
models of group systems?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
Question
What are the three main types of
societies and characteristics or
examples of each?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
• Preindustrial—food production is the main
economic activity; can be subdivided according
to the level of technology and the method of
producing food
• Industrial—emphasis shifts from the production
of food to the production of manufactured goods,
made possible by changes in production
methods
• Postindustrial—much of the economy is
involved in providing information and services
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
Preindustrial
Hunting and
gathering; pastoral;
horticultural;
mechanical
solidarity
Industrial
Manufacturing;
urbanization;
technology
Types of
Societies
Organic
solidarity
Postindustrial
Information;
provision of services
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
Question
What roles do individuals play in
these models of group systems?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 3: Types of Societies
Roles related to:
– Leadership
– Family
– Work
– Specialization
– Trade
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Read to Discover
• What are the major features of primary
and secondary groups?
• What purposes do groups fulfill?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Question
What are the major features of
primary and secondary groups?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Primary Groups
• Interact over a long period of time on a direct
and personal basis
• Entire self of the individual is taken into account
• Relationships are intimate and often
face-to-face
• Communication is deep and intense
• Structure is informal
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Secondary Groups
• Interaction is impersonal and temporary in
nature
• Involve a reaction to only a part of the
individual’s self
• Casual
• Limited in personal involvement
• Individual can be replaced easily
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Question
What are the purposes and functions
of groups?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Functions of Groups
• Select leaders—people that influence the attitudes
and opinions of others
• Define boundaries—members can tell who belongs
and who does not
• Set goals, assign tasks, and make decisions
• Control members’ behavior—if members violate
group norms, the group cannot survive long
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 4: Groups Within Society
Define
Boundaries
Set Goals
Make
Decisions
Select
Leaders
GROUP
FUNCTIONS
Assign Tasks
Control Members’
Behavior
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
Read to Discover
• How are bureaucracies structured?
• How effective are bureaucracies?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
Question
How are bureaucracies structured?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
Head of the Bureaucracy
(CEO, Superintendent, president, etc.)
Department Head/VP
(subordinates)
Department Head/VP
(subordinates)
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
Weber’s Model
• Division of labor
• Ranking of authority
• Employment based on formal qualifications
• Rules and regulations
• Specific lines of promotion and advancement
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
Question
How effective are bureaucracies?
Sociology
Chapter 4
Section 5: The Structure of Formal
Organizations
• Efficient at coordinating large numbers of
people, defining tasks and rewards
• Provide stability
• Can lose sight of goals, create red tape, and
result in oligarchies
• In some instances, reward incompetence and
expand uncontrollably
Sociology
Chapter 4
Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas
1.
How can a person’s status differ from his or her role?
2.
How does role conflict affect groups and individuals? How can it be
resolved?
3.
What are the five most common forms of interaction recognized by
sociologists?
4.
Identify and describe the three broad categories of societies used
by sociologists.
5.
How do the roles of group members differ between primary and
secondary groups?
6.
What, according to Max Weber’s model, are the major
characteristics of a bureaucracy?
7.
What weaknesses influence the effectiveness of bureaucracies?