Social Structure
Roles & statuses, interactions, types
of societies, groups within society
Types of Societies
• What is the feature sociologists use to classify
societies?
• What are the 3 broad categories?
• Terms to know: subsistence strategies,
preindustrial society, hunting & gathering
society, pastoral society, division of labor,
horticultural society, agricultural society,
industrial society, urbanization, postindustrial
society, Gemeinschaft, Gesellschaft
• Preindustrial
– *Food production = main economic activity
– 4 subdivisions
• Hunting & gathering – *move around in search of food
(fewer permanent artifacts, small group size)
• Pastoral – *domesticate animals to meet food needs
(larger populations, more complex division of labor:
other jobs, more than just meeting food needs)
• Horticultural – *keeping gardens/fields instead of
gathering wild plants for food. (similar to pastoral –
some migrating, but more stable than pastoral, more
complex division of labor)
• Agricultural – *develop more advanced technology to
cultivate crops. (higher surplus, larger society;
specialization – even more than pastoral &
horticultural)
• Industrial
– *Production of manufactured goods
– Use of machines vastly increases amount
produced & speed!
– Can support much larger population size
– People move to cities for work instead of doing it
at home (urbanization)
• Postindustrial
– *Production of information & services
– Standard of living goes up; strong emphasis on
science & technology
• Durkheim said we have generally shifted from
Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft
– Gemeinschaft = “community”; most people know
each other, close relationships, group solidarity
– Gesellschaft = “society”; relationships based on
need, not emotion; impersonal; individualistic
Social Structure
• Status – defined position in a group or society
– Each person has several statuses, each with roles
– Ascribed status – assigned to you (ex: teenager, boy)
– Achieved status – acquired through your efforts &
abilities (ex: basketball champion)
– Master status – the one that does the most to define
who you are; above all the others
• Can change over the course of your life (student spouse 
parent  career title grandparent)
• Role – the behavior expected of someone in a
particular status
– Role strain – difficulty meeting the expectations of
a particular status (ex: you struggle with the all
the homework you need to do for your status as
“student”)
– Role conflict – fulfilling the role of one status
interferes with fulfilling the role of another (ex:
you need to be at work from 4-10 to fulfill your
role as “employee” BUT this makes it difficult to
do all the homework you need to do for your
status as “student”)
Groups Within
Society
What makes a group?
1. Consists of 2 or more
people
2. Interaction among
members
3. Shared expectations
4. Sense of common
identity
If you don’t have all 4,
you’re not a group! (ex:
aggregate, social category)
Can vary greatly in size,
organization, type &
functions
• Size
– Dyad – a group with 2 members
• Each member controls the group’s existence (if one leaves,
no more group)
– Triad – a group with 3 members
– Small group – a group of 4 – 15 people
• Need to be able to interact face-to-face to be a “small
group”
• Any more than 15, people tend to start making subgroups
• Organization
– Formal (set structure, goals & protocol) vs. informal
(loose structure, rules are folkways, not laws)
• Type
– Primary group – direct, personal interactions over
longer period of time (ex: family)
– Secondary group – impersonal, temporary
interactions; more casual; less concerned with the
“whole” person (ex: boss & employee)
• Your best friend cares about your problems with your
boyfriend – your boss probably doesn’t
• CAN exist together (i.e. a co-worker who becomes a friend)
– Reference group – people with whom a person
identifies & shares values
• these are people you look to for attitudes, roles & norms
• Don’t necessarily need to belong to that group to use it as a
reference
– E-community – people who interact regularly on the
internet
• New type of group; similar interactions to face-to-face
groups – discuss issues, share stories, give advice, play
games, etc.
• Functions
– Define boundaries
– Select leaders (instrumental – get things done; and
expressive – keep group together & boost morale)
– Set goals
– Make decisions
– Control group members’ behavior (nonconformity)
Formal Organizations
• Read Ch. 4 Section 5 (pg. 83, 86-87)
1. Define: formal organization, bureaucracy,
voluntary association
2. What are Weber’s 5 characteristics of
bureaucracy?
3. How might primary group relationships still exist
within a formal organization? (use the electric
company example to explain!)
4. Give 2 benefits of bureaucracies (according to
Weber); give 3 possible weaknesses
•
•
•
•
•
Formal organization
Bureaucracy
Voluntary organization
5 characteristics of bureaucracy
Primary groups can exist within a formal
organization….
Functions of Bureaucracies
Dysfunctions of Bureaucracies
Social Interaction
• Exchange – interaction done to get something in
return
– Based on idea of reciprocity – if you do something for
someone, they owe you
– Exchange theory – people are generally motivated by
reward (weigh cost/benefit ). Sound familiar?
• Competition – people or groups oppose each
other to try to achieve the same goal
– Emphasis on reaching the goal
– Common method in schools, businesses
– Can be motivating, can lead to conflict
• Conflict – deliberate attempt to control, harm,
or oppose
– Emphasis on defeating the opponent
– Simmel said there are 4 major sources:
• War, legal disputes, disagreements within groups, &
ideological disputes
– Again, can be damaging; but can strengthen ingroup relations by focusing on an out-group
• Cooperation – people or groups work
together to accomplish a common goal
• Accommodation – give & take (not full
cooperation)
– Ex: motel
– 4 forms:
•
•
•
•
Compromise
Truce
Mediation
Arbitration
– Pg. 72 #3