Social Structures Social Structure Social Structure is the different statuses and roles that make up the guidelines for human interaction. Other words, social structure is the unscripted reason that people act a certain way in a variety of situations. Status This is your position (where you stand) in a society or group. Forms of Status: 1. Ascribed Status 2. Achieved Status 3. Master Status Ascribed Status Ascribed status is based on your personal genetic traits. Examples: Being a teenager, race, gender, heritage You cannot do anything about your ascribed status Achieved Status Achieved status is earned through individual accomplishments. Examples: Working hard, good grades, good behavior, job promotion This form of status is totally controlled by the individual and is dictated by their skills and desire. Master Status This is the most important aspect of your life that makes up your identity This status will change many times throughout your life Generally based on hobbies or passions and evolve into one’s occupation Roles Statuses are categories and roles bring those specific categories to life Everyday everyone plays multiple roles and each role falls into a status category Reciprocal Roles These are roles that you fill that require someone else to interact with Example: Friend-Friend, Husband-Wife, Student-Teacher, Athlete-Coach Most of your daily roles are reciprocal roles Role Expectation Culture dictates what behaviors and values specific roles perform Example: Teachers are expected to foster learning in a safe atmosphere, Students are expected to engage in learning while respecting the school, classmates and staff Role Performance This is the actual performance of a role by a specific individual Expectations and Performance do not always match up Not everyone in a culture believes the same things and many people are asked to perform multiple roles Role Conflict This is when it is difficult to fulfill the expectations of one role because of another (and vice versa) Example: To be a good BF/GF you must give the other attention and affection. To be a good athlete you must dedicate time to practice and preparation. Due to time constraints you will be in conflict. Role Strain This is when someone struggles to meet expectations of either of their roles that are in conflict. Due to the time constraints mentioned before, the BF/GF does not devote enough time to either and both suffer. Social Institutions Most sociologists focus on, but not exclusively, five major institutions: 1. Family 2. Economy 3. Politics 4. Education 5. Religion Social Interaction There are five basic types of interactions that take place in societies around the world. 1. Exchange 2. Competition 3. Conflict 4. Cooperation 5. Accommodation Exchange This is the most basic form of interactions (based on reciprocal roles) People interact in hopes of receiving a reward Examples: Relationships Competition This occurs when two or more people are attempting to obtain a goal designed for one Competition is a building block of American society Pro: Great means of motivation Con: Stress, inequality and possibly conflict Conflict The primary emphasis is on defeating an opponent There are really no rules that govern conflict Four sources: 1. Wars 2. Disagreements 3. Legal Disputes 4. Clashes over Ideas Cooperation This happens when two or more people work together to obtain a goal This interaction is based on getting things done Businesses, teams, Armies all work together to reach a certain goal or task Accommodation In an interaction, if you give a little and take a little to ensure everyone’s happy Different forms of Accommodation are: 1. Compromise 2. Mediation 3. Arbitration Types of Societies There are four types of Preindustrial Societies: 1. Hunting and Gathering 2. Pastoral 3. Horticultural 4. Agricultural Hunting and Gathering Food is obtained by collecting wild plants and hunting small animals Nomadic tribes that moved in search of food The size of the society is generally around 60 people Family is very important because most people are related in some way Pastoral They rely on domesticated animals Nomadic, they move the herd from pasture to pasture Larger population allows people to have specialized jobs (blacksmiths) Power obtained through wealth and passed on from generation to generation Horticultural They rely on crops (fruits and vegetables) Use slash and burn farming method (human labor) Live in semi-permanent or permanent villages Surplus food leads to job specialization (craftsmen) Agricultural Rely on crops (fruits and vegetables) Often use terracing method of farming (animal labor) Large population because of large amounts of food Job specialization Beginning of a trade based society Groups Within A Society Groups have four main components: 1. Must be more than 2 people 2. Must have interactions amongst the members 3. Must have shared expectations 4. Must have some form of common identity Types of Groups 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Here are the various types of groups: Primary Groups Secondary Groups Reference Groups In-Groups and Out-Groups E-Communities Primary Groups These are long term relationships among small groups These friendships are strong and intimate Generally interact face to face Most common primary groups are family relationships Secondary Groups These groups have rather casual interactions Many times these relationships are temporary, able to be replaced Importance to the group lies in the function they perform Example would be friends Reference Group This is characterized by identifying a group and trying to be like them Follow a shared set of values and attitudes Teammates, coworkers, classmates In-Group This is any group a person belongs to and identifies with Out-Group These are any groups people do not belong to or cannot identify with E-Communities With the growth of internet communities these E-communities allow people to interact via the web These communities are outlets for various interactions