Chapter 3 - Social Structure Flashcards
Status
Socially defined position in a group or society
Social structure
Network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interactions
Roles
Behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status
Ascribed status
Assigned according to qualities beyond a person’s control
- based on inherited traits or when you reach a certain age
Achieved status
Acquired through their own efforts
- skills, knowledge or abilities
Master status
Plays greatest role in shaping a person’s life and determining identity
- either achieved or ascribed (mostly achieved)
- change over time
Reciprocated roles
Corresponding roles that define the patterns of interactions between related statuses
Role expectations
Socially determined behaviors of a person performing a role (what they are expected to do in society)
Role performance
Actual role behavior
- may not match role expectation
- not everyone in society agree on what is appropriate role performance
Role set
The different roles attached to a single status
Role conflict
Fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status
Role strain
A person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status
Role exit
Process people go through to detach from a role that has been central to their identity
Helen Rose Ebaugh
People go through certain common stages in their way to creating a new identity as an ex
- experience disillusionment with old role
- start to look for alternative roles
- reach a turning point and make the decision to depart old role
- conflict occurs because society expects the ex to behave according to the old identity
Social institutions
Statuses and roles are organized into units that satisfy one or more basic needs of society
Family as social institution
Take responsibility for raising the young and teaching them accepted norms and values
Economics as social institution
Organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
Political institution
System of norms that governs the exercise and distribution of power in society
Education as an institution
Ensures the transmission of values, patterns, of behavior and certain skills and knowledge
Religion as an institution
Provides a shared, collective explanation of the meaning of life
Exchange as a social interaction
When people interact in an effort to receive an award or return for there actions
- most basic and common form of interaction
Reciprocity
The idea that if you do something for a person, that person owes you in return
- can be material or non-material
Exchange theory
People are motivated by self interest in their interactions wig other people
-people do things primarily for the rewards
Competition as social interaction
When two or more people or groups oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain
- positive: motivates people
- negative: stress, lack of cooperation in social relationships, inequality and conflict
Conflict as social interaction
Deliberate attempt to control a person by force, too oppose someone, or to harm another person
- few rules of accepted conduct
What are the four sources of conflict
Wars
Disagreements within groups
Legal disputes
Clashes over ideology, such as religion and politics
What are positives of conflict?
- Reinforces group boundaries
- Strengthens group loyalty by focusing on an outside threat
- Can lead to social change by bringing problems to the forefront and forcing opposing sides to seek solutions
Cooperations as social interaction
Two or more groups or people working together to achieve a desired goal that will benefit more than one person
Accommodation as a social interaction
A state of balance between cooperation and conflict (helps to ensure social stability)
Compromise
Occurs when the two parties at odds each give up something to come to a mutual agreement
Truce
Temporarily brings a halt to the competition or conflict until a compromise can be reached
Mediation
Calling in a third party who acts as adviser and counselor to guide the two parties toward an agreement
Arbitration
A third party makes a decision that is binding on both parties
Group
Set of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess a common interest
- largest group studied is society
Subsistence strategies
Ways societies use technology to provide for the needs of its members
- how sociologists classify societies
Preindustrial society
Food production is main economic activity
- animal and human labor
- subdivided according to technological level and method of producing food
What were hunter and gatherer societies like?
- Daily collection of wild plants and hunting wild animals
- Move around constantly
- do not build permanent villages
- do not generate numerous artifacts
- Rarely exceed 100 people
- Statuses are relatively equal
- Decisions reached through group consensus
- Family forms main social unit
- Family carries out most social functions
What are pastoral societies like?
- rely more on domesticated animals
- live a nomadic lifestyle
- – move herds to various pastures
- can support larger populations
- have excessive food supply
- – fewer needed to prepare food
- – division of labor
- production of food encourages trade
- –tends to create inequality
- –creates families with more power
- hereditary chieftain ships
Division of labor
Specialization by individuals/groups to perform specific economic activities
What are horticultural societies like?
- fruits and vegetables grown in garden plots
- – slash and burn method popular for clearing fields
- – rotate garden plots
- similar technology to pastoral societies
- build permanent or semi-permanent villages
- population depends on amount of land available for farming
- division of labor: role specialization
- more developed economical and political systems
What are agricultural societies like?
- animal labor utilized more with plows
- – more crops produced
- – irrigation used
- larger populations
- specialization les to cities
- power transferred form generation to generation(usually a monarchy)
- develop armies to protect
- create roads, leads to less bartering and more exchanging with money
- develop a writing system to keep records
- statuses: peasants or land owners
What were industrial societies like?
- emphasis shifts to manufactured goods
- production carried out by machines
- supports larger population because food production increased
- switch from agriculture to industrial workers
- urbanization occurs
- creates institutions
- – education occurs outside of home
- – more freedom to compete for social position
What are postindustrial societies like?
- focus is on information and services, not manufacturing
- standard of living improves
- stronger emphasis on education and role of science
- technology advances key to prosperity
- rights of individuals and self fulfillment are important values
- strong emphasis on social equality and democracy
Emile Durkheim
Contrasting societies, mechanical solidarity, organic solidarity
Mechanical solidarity
Preindustrial societies
- people share same values and preform same tasks
- United for common good
Organic solidarity
More developed societies
- complex division of labor; impersonal social relationships
- become dependent on others for survival
Ferdinand Tönnies
Contrasting societies, gemeinschaft(community), Gesellschaft(society)
Gemeinschaft
Community
- most people know each other
- relationships are close
- activities center on family and community
Gesellschaft
Society
- social relationships based on need; impersonal and temporary
- traditional values are weak
- individual goals more important than group goals
What are the four major features of groups in society?
- ) must consist of two or more people
- ) must be interaction among members
- ) members must have shared expectations
- ) members must possess some sense of common identity
Aggregate
When people gather together in one place but lack organization or interaction
- examples: crowds, shopping mall, festivals, sporting event crowds, people on airplanes
Social categories
Means of classifying people according to a shared trait or common status
- examples: red heads, grades, women, left handed people
What are characteristics of a group?
Size, time, organization
Triad
Group of three people
- one person cannot disband the group
- decisions are easier to make
Dyad
Smallest group consisting of two people
- each member has direct control over group’s existence
Time as a group characteristic
- Interaction is not continuous
- varies according to group and need
Formal group
Structure, goals and activities of the group are clearly defined
What number do sociologist consider the largest number of people in a group that works well together?
15
- any group larger tends to sort themselves into smaller groups
Informal group
No official structure or established rules of conduct
Primary group
Small group of people who interact over a relatively long period of time
- direct and personal basis
- relationships are intimate and often face to face
- communication is deep and intense
- structure is informal
Secondary group
Interaction is temporary and impersonal
- more casual with limited personal involvement
- person’s importance depends on function they play for the group (individual can be replaced)
- organized around specific goals
Reference group
Any group that an individual identified with
- adopt attitudes and values
In-group
A group that a person belongs to or identifies with
- tend to separate themselves through use of symbols
- view themselves positively and view others negatively
- often compete with out-groups
Out-group
Group that a person doesn’t belong to or identify with
Electronic community
People interacting via electronic means
Social networks
Web of relationships formed by all of a person’s interactions with others
- direct and indirect relationships
- do not have clear boundaries
- do not give a common sense of identity
- provide a support system
What are group functions?
- Groups need to define boundaries by using symbols, gestures and language
- groups have leaders
- groups need to control behaviors of members
- – employ effective sanctions to ensure conformity and norms
How do leaders get power?
- – influence attitudes and opinions
- – may be assigned by members
- – may be achieved because of abilities
- – two groups of leaders
Instrumental leaders
Task-oriented (help others reach goals)
Expressive leaders
Emotion-oriented (find ways to keep the group together and maintain morale)
Conformity
Accordance with accepted rules or conventions
