Social & Legal Issues

Social Structure

Social & Legal Issues

2

Building Blocks of Social Structure

Social structure is the network of interrelated
statuses and roles that guides human
interaction.
A status is a socially defined position in
society, while a role is the behavior, or the
rights and obligations
obligations, attached to a status.
status
A social institution is a system of statuses and
roles organized to satisfy one or more of
societys basic needs

Social & Legal Issues

Main Idea
Social
S i l structure
t t
is
i the
th network
t
k off interrelated
i t
l t d
statuses and roles that g
guides human
interaction. A status is a socially defined
position
i i in
i society,
i
while
hil a role
l is
i the
h behavior
b h i
attached
c ed too a status
s us

Social & Legal Issues

A social structure is a network of

interrelated statuses and roles that guide
human behavior. A status is a socially
d fi d position,
defined
ii
while
hil a role
l is
i the
h behavior
b h i
associated with a status
Ascribed and Achieved Statuses

Master Status

Ascribed status is assigned

according
g to q
qualities beyond
y
a
persons control, such as age.
Achieved status is acquired
through a persons
person s direct efforts,
efforts
such as education.

Most people have many

statuses, but a master
status is the one that plays
the greatest role in a
persons
person
s life.
It can be either ascribed or
achieved.

Social & Legal Issues

R l
Roles
Role Expectations and Role Performance
Role expectations are the socially determined behaviors
expectedd off a person with
i h a particular
i l status.
Role performance is the actual behaviors of a person with a
particular
i l status. They
Th may or may not be
b the
h expectedd
behaviors.

Social & Legal Issues

R l C
Role
Conflict,
fli Role
R l S
Strain,
i and
dR
Role
l E
Exit
i
A role
o e set
se iss thee ddifferent
e e roles
o es associated
ssoc ed with
w a particular
p cu
status.
Role conflict occurs when fulfillingg the role expectations
p
of
one status interferes with a second status.
Role strain occurs when a pperson has difficultyy fulfilling
g the
role of one status.
Role exit is the pprocess ppeople
p go
g through
g to detach from a role
that was previously central to their social identity.

Social & Legal Issues

S i l Institutions
Social
I i i
A social institution is a group of statuses and roles that are
organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society.
Th
The ffamily,
il the
h most universal
i
l social
i l institution,
i i i takes
k responsibility
ibili for
f
raising the young and teaching them accepted norms and values.
g
the production,
p
distribution, and
The economic institution organizes
consumption of goods and services.
The political institution is the system of norms that governs the exercise and
distribution of power in society.
society
Education ensures the transmission of values, patterns of behavior, and
certain skills and knowledge.
Religion provides a shared, collective explanation of the meaning of life.

Social & Legal Issues

Types
yp of Social Interaction
There are five common forms of social interactionexchange,
competition, conflict, cooperation, and accommodation.
Exchange,
h
cooperation,
i andd accommodation
d i tendd to stabilize
bili
the social structure, while competition and conflict tend to
encourage social change.
change
S
Sociologists
i l i t identify
id tif fi
five common fforms off social
i l iinteraction:
t
ti
exchange, competition, conflict, cooperation, and
accommodation.
accommodation

Social & Legal Issues

Exchange
Exchange occurs when people interact in an effort to receive a reward or a
return for their actions.

Reward might be tangible or intangible

Reciprocity is the idea that if you do something for someone, that person
owes y
you something
g in return.

Basis of exchange interactions

Exchange
g theoryy is the idea that p
people
p are motivated by
y self-interest in
their interactions with other people.

Rewarded behavior is repeated

Social & Legal Issues

C
Competition
i i and
d Conflict
C fli
Competition
Competition occurs when two or more people or groups oppose each other
to achieve a goal that only one can attain.
attain
Common in Western societies
Sometimes considered basis of capitalism
p
and democracy
y
Can lead to psychological stress, a lack of cooperation, and conflict

Conflict
Conflict is the deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose
someone, or to harm another person.
Has
H ffew rules
l off acceptedd conduct
d
Can reinforce group boundaries and loyalty

Social & Legal Issues

C
Components
t off Social
S i l St
Structure:
t
Groups
G
Functional theorists emphasize the social
institutions exist because they perform five
essential tasks
replacing members
teaching new members
producing, distributing, and consuming goods and
services
preserving order
providing in maintaining a sense of purpose

Social & Legal Issues

Components of Social Structure: Groups

Conflict theorists agree that social institutions
are organized to meet basic social needs
However, they do not believe that social
institutions work for the common good of
everyone in society

Social & Legal Issues

The Structure of Formal Organizations

Formal
o a o
organizations
ga at o s a
are
e co
complex
p e seco
secondary
da y g
groups
oups
created to achieve specific goals. Most are structured as
bureaucracies.
Max Weber noted that all bureaucracies, regardless of
their goals or purposes, have common characteristics.
Formal and informal structures can affect the efficiency of
bureaucracies.
Main Idea
Formal organizations are complex secondary groups created to
achieve specific goals. Most are structured as bureaucracies. Formal
and informal structures can affect the efficiency of bureaucracies.

Social & Legal Issues

Webers
Weber
s Model of Bureaucracies
Division of labor
Work is divided among specialists.

Ranking of authority
There are clear-cut lines of responsibility.

Employment based on formal qualifications

Individuals are hired on the basis of tests, education, or
experience.
Workers are replaceable.

Social & Legal Issues

Webers
Weber
s Model of Bureaucracies (cont
(contd
d.))
Written rules and regulations
There are objective
j
rules that identify
y each persons
responsibilities.

Specific lines of promotion and advancement

Lines of promotion reward loyalty with job security and seniority.

Organizations fit this ideal type to varying degrees

Some, like voluntary associations, may vary with the abilities of
volunteers.

Social & Legal Issues

Problems of Bureaucracies
Webers Bureaucracy
Views bureaucracy in a positive light
Best way to organize large numbers of people to attain a large goal
Create order by clearly defining tasks
Provide stability

Fl
Flaws
off Bureaucracy
B
Several significant weaknesses
No
N llonger ffulfill
lfill original
i i l goals
l
New goal might be self-continuation
Encourage
g bureaucratic p
personality
y
Create alienation among employees
Result in oligarchya tendency labeled the iron law of oligarchy

Social & Legal Issues

Current Research
The McDonaldization of Society
y
Max Weber suggested that as society progressed it would become increasingly
guided by rules, regulations, and formal structures. George Ritzer called this
tendency McDonaldization.
McDonaldization

Four aspects
p
to McDonaldization:
efficiency, calculability,
predictability, and control
Operations are performed to
specific guidelines that maximize
efficiency
Uniformity
U if
it across production
d ti
lines results in uniform products

Pros: convenient,, familiar

Cons: removal of human aspect,
no room for innovation, reduction
of face-to-face interactions