Chapter 4 SOCIAL STRUCTURES. Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Social Structure – A...
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Transcript of Chapter 4 SOCIAL STRUCTURES. Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure Social Structure – A...
Chapter 4
SOCIAL STRUCTURES
Section 1: Building Blocks of Social Structure
• Social Structure – A network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide our behavior · They make interaction predictable• Statuses – A socially defined position in a group or society• Role – Attached to status, it is the behavior (Rights and Responsibilities) that are expected
Statuses
· We all have several statuses They define: 1. Where we fit in society
2. How we relate to others• Ascribed Status – Assigned based on qualities beyond control
1. Inherited Traits2. At a certain age
EX – Teenager, Gender, Race, etc…
Statuses
• Achieved Statuses – Come with effort through special skills, knowledge and abil.
· They are almost endlessEX – Actor, Basketball Player, etc…
• Master Status – Either Ascribed or Achieved (Usually Achieved) · The status that plays the greatest role in shaping your life and identity and changes throughout life
Ex. Occupation, Wealth, Parenthood0 15 40 60-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roles
· Bring statuses to life – You occupy a status and you play a role• Reciprocal Roles – Corresponding roles that define the pattern of interaction between related statuses EX – Husband/Wife, Doctor/Patient, etc…
Role Expectation and Role Performance
· When people interact, their beh. corresponds to a role• Role Expectations – The socially determined behavior expected from a role EX – Parent – Caring and Understanding Doctor – Knowledgeable and Prof.
Role Expectation and Role Performance
• Role Performance – Actual Role Behavior· Not always the same as your role
expectation
Role Conflict and Role Strain
• Role Set – Different roles that are attached to a single status• Role Conflict – When fulfilling roles of one status it makes it hard to fulfill roles of another status• Role Strain – Difficulty in meeting all the expectation of a single statusEx – Being a boss (Long Hours –vs- Happy Workers)
Social Institutions
• Statuses and Roles that are organized to satisfy a basic need of a society
Ex – Family, Economy, Education and Rel.• Basic Needs – Physical/Emotional Support Producing Goods/Services
Social Control
Social Interaction #1 - Exchange
Exchange – People interacting in an effort to receive a reward in return · Almost all daily interaction involves exchangeReciprocity – Basis of Exchange
· Idea that if I do something for you, you are going to do something for me · Reward can be material or non-materialExchange Theory – People are motivated by self-interests and primary reason for behavior is to receive rewards
Social Interaction #2 - Competition
Competition - 2 or more people/groups opposing each other for a goal that only one can achieve (Has Rules) · A common feature of Western societies, it is how we advance in business, school, and sports.
Pro – It drives usNeg – Stress, Lack of Cooperation, Conflict
Social Interaction #3 - Conflict
Conflict – A deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone, or to harm someone
· 4 Sources: 1. Wars 2. Disagreements within groups
3. Legal Disputes 4. Clashes over ideology
· Emphasis is on defeating opponent and there are few rules (Even these are often ignored) · Often starts as competition and turns into conflict Pro – Unity against an outside threat
Social Interaction #4 - Cooperation
Cooperation – 2 or more people/groups working together to achieve a goal that benefits more than 1 · This is the social process that gets things done · Often combined with other forms of interaction Ex – Cooperation + Competition in sports tryouts
Social Interaction #5 - Accommodation• Accommodation – State of balance between cooperation and conflict ·”Give a little, take a little”Four forms: 1. Compromise – Both give up to agree
2. Truce – Halt to a conflict until a compromise is reached
3. Mediation – 3rd party advises to agreement
4. Arbitration – Decision binding for both
Section 3: Types of Societies
• Group – people who interact w/ shared expectations and have some common ident.
• Subsistence strategies – way a society uses tech. to meet needs
Preindustrial Societies
· Food production is the main economic activity (W/ human and anim. Labor) · There are 4 types of preindustrial societies
1. Hunting and Gathering2. Pastoral3. Horticultural4. Agricultural
Hunting and Gathering
• What they do…• First, collection of wild plants• Second, hunting of animals• Move around constantly → no permanent home → small society (<100)• Family is important
Pastoral Societies
• What they do…• Rely on domesticated, herd animals for food
(Still nomadic though)• They have more food → larger pop.
· Division of Labor – specialization of
individuals in specific activities
Horticultural Societies
• What they do…• Clear jungles to grow fruits/veg. in a garden (Slash and Burn)• B/c of farming → Semi-permanent villages w/
size based on amount of land
• Extra food → Division of labor
Agricultural Societies
• What they do…• Use animals to plow fields → Crops Up• Use irrigation → Crops Up• Use terracing → Crops Up• Crops = Very large pop. And specialized workers
begin to all develop dif. Parts of culture• Barter – Exchange of goods for goods
(Ag soc. Stop bartering and start trading)
Industrial Societies
• What they are…• From food producing to good producing• Since machine help grow more crops… pop.
Increases and less people are farming
• Urbanization – Concentration of pop. In cities b/c that’s where the factories are
Postindustrial Societies
• What they do…• Economy provides services and information not products or food
· Standard of living goes up · Quality of life goes up
EX – USA 73% service/ 25% man./ 2% farm
Contrasting Societies
• How do preindustrial and industrial soc. Differ?• Mechanical solidarity – when people share the same values and
tasks, they become united as a common whole• Organic solidarity – w/ specialized jobs (division of labor) people
become dependent on others for survival because they cant do it alone
(Rel. are based on need not shared values)• Gemeinschaft – “community” societies in which people know
one another very well (group solidarity)• Gesellschaft – “Society” need rather than emotion., very
impersonal relationships, the individual is put before the group
In groups of 3…• You will create a large poster explaining
the various types of societies:– Hunting/Gathering– Pastoral– Horticultural– Agricultural– Industrial– Post-Industrial– Contrasting
• Your poster must include – definitions & all aspects of each society– Images– Examples– Creativity
• These will be due shortly after lunch & we will hold a contest to see who has the best poster
• The best poster should:– Be clear & neat– Contain all important information– Be creative
• The group who wins will receive a special something on Monday I wonder what it will be…– Test pass??– Cupcakes??– Quiz Pass??
What is a Group?
1. 2 or more people2. There is lasting interaction b/t members3. Members have shared expectations4. Members have a common identity
• If only # 1 then you don’t have a group you have either an aggregate or a soc. category
• Aggregate – People in same place/same time without #2,3,4 Ex – People on an airplane, waiting to get into the movies• Social Category – Way to classify people according to shared trait
or status Ex – Teenagers, Left-Handers
Group Size
· Some are small, some are huge• Dyad – Smallest possible group w/ only 2 People.
Decision making is difficult• Triad – 3 person group, easier to make decisions (2 vs 1),
group doesn’t rely on one individual• Small Group – Few enough people so everyone can
interact face-to-face · No more then 15 ppl b/c any more and ppl begin to form smaller groups within the group
Time and Organization
• Time – Most groups fall in the middle of only meeting once to meeting forever
• Organization – Either formal or informal· Formal – Clearly defined structure,
goals and activities EX – Student Government· Informal – No official structure or
rules of conduct EX – Your friends
Types of Groups
• We are all members of several groups• Primary and Secondary Groups are the way in which we
classify groups based on intimacy. They CAN exist within the same group
· Primary – Small, Personal Interaction, Long lasting, and informal
EX - Family· Secondary – Temporary, Impersonal, and the
importance of members is based on their function (They can be easily replaced) EX – Classroom, Factory
Types of Groups
• Reference Group – group that a person identifies with and then adopts their attitudes and values
Ex – Friends• In-groups and Out-groups can be either primary or
secondary · In-group – group that a person belongs to and identifies with · Out-group – Group that a person does not belong to and does not identify with
Types of Groups
• E-communities- People communicate regularly on the internet now. As a result they form groups with IM, chat rooms, message boards, etc…
• Social Networks – All the relationships formed by your interaction
Group Functions
• You have to pick leaders, set goals, make decisions, assign tasks and control members
• Leaders- People who influence the attitudes and opinions of others. Can be assigned, elected, or achieved.
·Instrumental Leader – Task oriented to help the group reach goals
EX – Coach who draws plays·Expressive Leader – Emotionally oriented to
keep the group together and happy EX – Coach who plays music to get you ready
Section 4 and 5 Questions
1. What are the features of primary and secondary groups? Based on the examples in this section, what roles do group members play in primary and secondary groups?2. Compare the roles of group members in formal and informal groups.3. Describe the structure of Max Weber’s understanding of bureaucracies.4. How effective are bureaucracies?
Section 5: The Structure of Formal Organization
• Formal Organization – A large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals
EX – Schools, Businesses, Youth Org, etc..• Bureaucracy – A ranked authority structure that
operates according to specific rules and procedures Ex – DMV, Hospital, etc…• Rationality – Subjecting every feature of human
behavior to calculation, measurement and control
Weber’s Model of Bureaucracies
∙ Ideally, this is the best way to coordinate lots of people in an orderly way on one project• Bureaucratic Characteristics – According to
Weber, all bureaucracies have 5 basic characteristics
Bureaucratic Characteristics
• 1. Division of Labor – Work is divided among specialists who perform specific duties• 2. Ranking of Authority – Clear-cut lines of responsibility with each individual responsible to a supervisor at a higher level• 3. Employment Based on Formal Qualifications There are qualifications for each job, w/ people hired b/c of tests, education, or experience. The job is more important than the person, and they are easily replaceable
Bureaucratic Characteristics (Cont)
• 4. – Rules and Regulations – Rules, Regulations and Procedures exist for each person on the staff →
Responsibilities and Authority• 5.-Specific Lines of Promotion and Advancement
Clear-cut lines of how to advance. If you
stay with the company → Seniority and Job Security
Voluntary Association
• A nonprofit organization formed to pursue some common interest
Ex- Amateur Sports Team, Services Clubs, Charities, etc…
Relationships in Formal Organizations
• Within these big, formal structures, we often form primary, informal groups
∙ These operate independent of the formal structure
How Effective are Bureaucracies?
• There are things that weaken the effectiveness ∙ 1-Lose the original goal to keep going ∙ 2-Encourages a bureaucratic personality (Focuses only on the specific rules-Red Tape)
∙ 3-Result in Oligarchies (Few Ruling Many) ∙ 4-Peter Principle (Keep getting promoted until
you reach a job over your head)