CHAPTER 3

SOCIAL STRUCTURE,
SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION,
AND STRATIFICATION
A. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
1. Definition of social structure
Social structure is an abstract structure of a society consisted of
social formation and systems including the systems of how the
society holds its life in a whole.
2. Social structure functions.
a. social structure is public instrument to hold total life
arrangement in every life aspect.
b. Social structure functions as system chain in holding every
life aspect to create more erder and harmonious living.
C. Social structure is specific characteristic owned by a society
that could give specific color to make it different than other
societies.
3. Characteristics of Social Structure.
a. Abstract
b. Having Vertical and Horizontal Dimension.
c. As the base in social process of a society.
d. As part of behaviour arrangement system
and social relation.
4. Forms of Social Structure
a. Homogeneous Social Structure
b. Heterogeneous social structure
c. Ideological structure
d. Political structure
e. Economic structure
f. Social and Cultural structure
g. Security and defense structure
h. Formal Social structure
i. Informal social structure
j. Stiff social structure
k. Flexible social structure
l. Horizontal dimension
m. Vertical dimension
 5. Understanding Social Structure
a. If a society is considered as an organization, then
the social structure is identical with organizational
structure that arranges hierarchy structure,
position, role, and interaction pattern of the
organization members in vertical or horizontal
dimensions.
b. If a society is a car, then the social structure is the
chassis and the mechanic and electronic systems of
the car.
c. If social structure is minimized into a classroom
organizational structure, then the vertical
 B. SOCIAL
DIFFERENTIATION
Social differentiation is a classification on
differences with similar levels. It means
despite their differences, they are equal.
1. Social differentiation based on Races.
Human grouping based on races is
physical grouping based on physical
characteristics, like: complexion,
hair, and facial form.
Koentjaraningrat states that race is
human group showing certain bodily
characteristics in great frequency.
Race classification according to A.L.Kroeber :
1. Austroloid.
Native people of Australia.
2. Mongoloid.
a). Asiatic Mongoloid (North, Middle, and East Asia)
b). Malayan Mongoloid (South East Asia)
C). American Mongoloid (Native people of North
and South America).
3. Caucasoid.
a). Nordic (North Europe)
b). Alpine (Middle and East Europe)
c). Mediterranean (Around middle sea, South Europe,
North America, Middle east)
4. Negroid
a) African Negroid
b). Negrito (Middle Africa, Malayan Peninsula,
Philippine).
c). Melanesian ( Papua and Melanesia).
5. Special Races
a). Bushman (Kalahari Desert of South Africa)
b). Veddoid (Outback Srilanka and South Sulawesi)
c). Polynesian (Micronesian and Polynesian Islands).
d). Ainu ( Native people of Japan).
2. Social differentiation based on Religious
system (Religion and Belief)

Religion is collection of norms consisting of life

directions for human to reach certain goal in the
world and afterlife.
Belief is religious unit with unclear structure, yet
having almost the same functions like the direction
for human to earn peace.
Religion has a thought that regulating collective life
without regarding races, position, status, sex and
other differing elements.
Followers or believers are the people who follow
certain religion.
3. Social differentiation based on Ethnic
According to Koentjaraningrat, ethnic is
defined as human group bound by
awareness and identity of cultural unity,
while those awareness and identity
themselves often strengthened by
language unity.
Indonesia as a plural country consits of 16
big social groups, each group still has sub-
ethnics, which overal amount to about 195
ethnic groups.
4. Social Differentiation based on Gender
According to William Kornblum, sexual difference
is biological, which is primary sexual
characteristics, like different genitals between
male and female.
B. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
1. Definition
Social Stratification comes from latin stratum, means level,
and socius, means company or society.
Literally, social stratification means leveling in the society.
 According to Pitrim.A.Sorokin, social stratification is
permanent characteristic in every organized social group.
 According to Paul B Horton and Chester L Hunt, social
stratification means the status difference system applied
in a society.
It can be concluded that social stratification is social
differentiation into vertical classes formed by social
leveling from the highest to the lowest.
 2. Base of Social stratification
Social stratification will always be found in
the society as long as there is something
appreciated or rewarded.
Bases or measures to classify society
members into certain social stratification are
as follows:
a). Wealth measure
b). Power measure
c). Honor measure
d). Science measure
 3. Elements of social stratification
A). Status or Position
Status or position as one’s position in a social
group.
a. Ascribed status.
Which is achieved through a birth.
b. Achieved status
Which is achieved through deliberative
efforts.
c. Assigned status.
Which is achieved through an assignation,
like a honorary degree of someone
meritorious.
B). Role
Role is a dynamic aspect from the status.
4. Character of Social Stratification
A. Open Social Stratification.
In this stratification, every community member
has chance to ascend to higher social
stratification for his/her own capability and skill,
or descend to lower level for his/her incapability
and unfortunate
B. Closed Social Stratification
The society is more closed and there is no vertical
change.
C. Mixed Social Stratification
It means there can be a mixture of both social
stratification in a society.
The living example is the social system in Bali.