 Social Structure

Social structure is the distinctive, stable system of social relations that exists in any human

society. It is not concerned with people as individuals, in groups, or in the organizations forming

the society, nor the ultimate goal of their relationships. Rather, social structure deals with the

organization of their relationships: how they are arranged into patterns. Thus, the concept of

social structure assumes that human social relationships are not arbitrary or coincidental, but

rather they follow certain patterns that can be identified.

Social structure is the institutional framework that makes for order in repetitive, rhythmic
(whether daily, weekly, or yearly) interactions among people. The key to the social structure of
a society lies in understanding its social institutions and their intertwining combinations.
Social institutions provide the order necessary to make social structure possible.