Social Dynamics

1
Social Dynamics

• Functionalism continued
• The example of Malinowski
• Conflict dynamics

2
Social Order Social Disorder

• Chapter 1 of Sociology Micro, Macro and Mega is
  about the social structure.
• For functional theory, that structure is mainly
  the set of solidary groups and norms.
• For conflict theory, that structure is mainly a
  structure of unequal positions and rewards.
• Chapter 2 deals with social dynamics.
• For functional theory, that dynamic is mainly the
  norms and their opposite anomie
• For conflict theory, that dynamic is mainly the
  dynamic of alienation.

3
Conflict Dynamics

• For conflict theorist, the process creating
  classes also generates a discontinuous process of
  change.
• This is evident in the Monopoly model.
• In Monopoly, the rules do not lead to one game
  continuing indefinitely or just flowing into
  another.
• The rules create a dynamic of polarization and
  increased inequality that ends the game.

4
Alienation and Inequality

• In Monopoly, the only thing that is alienated is
  property.
• For example, when you land on Boardwalk, you may
  have to begin selling all your stuff to pay the
  rent..
• It is not robbery it is the rules.
• In the real world, political influence, power,
  status, education, health, contacts, etc are also
  alienated.

5
Changing the rules

• There are many ways that the rules of Monopoly
  could be changed to slow down the process of
  concentration.
• So long as possession of resources helps one get
  access to further resources, the tendency will be
  for polarization to occur.
• For Marx, this concentration of resources and of
  the power and interest to hold on to them was
  also the process by which the social structure
  takes on a life of its own.

6
Functional Dynamics

• For Durkheim and other funcitonalists, the main
  process of social dynamics is that of structural
  differentiation.
• Relatively undifferentiated, homogeneous
  structures and roles are replaced by specialized,
  hetergeneous ones.
• This leads to a tendency to anomie the
  weakening or breakdown of the normative system.

7
Organic Solidarity

• But Durkhiem did not believe that anomie was
  inevitable.
• The transformation of the normative system in the
  direction of more general and fairer rules
  (democracy, human rights, equality before the
  law, equal opportunity, etc.) could allow the
  normative integration of an advanced,
  differentiated heterogeneous society.

8
The forced division of labor

• However, Durkheim believed that organic
  solidarity could not happen unless positions were
  equally open to all.
• He called the absence of equal access the forced
  division of labor.
• And he believed that when there is inherited
  property, there is inherited social position and
  forced division of labor.
• He believed that forced division of labor would
  gradually disappear by public education,
  scholarships, inheritance taxes, and provision
  for the poor.

9
Functionalist Anthropology

• Much of functionalist sociology was influenced by
  functionalist anthropology.
• Bronslow Malinowski is a main example.
• In the 20th century, the view that social
  structures and cultures must be viewed as
  interdependent wholes has been a dominant
  approach.

10
Functional Universals.

• Malinowski believed that there are around a dozen
  tasks that all societies must perform.
• Institutions are organized to carry out those
  tasks.
• The later chapters of Sociology Micro, Macro and
  Mega are a typical, but not exhaustive account of
  these functions
• Family, religion, politics, economy, medicine,
  education, science, regulation of sexuality

11
An example of functionalist explanation in
anthropology

• Malinowski's Argonauts of the Western Pacific
  (1922) studied the Trobriand Islanders
• The Kula is a series of ritual gifts/exchanges.
• One gives necklaces (Soulava) to people, who at a
  later time, give one arm shells (Mwali)
• One gives arm shells to others, who will, in
  return, later give one necklaces
• The Kula ring is an institutional system
• A given Trobriander knows his/her task, but
  neither knows nor understands the whole system.
• It is connected to every aspect of Trobriand
  life kinship, economics, politics, religion,
  magic and myth.

12
The Kula ring Soulava (red)goes clockwise Mwali
(blue) goes counterclockwise
Soulava
Mwali
13
Why do they do it?

• It is extremely hard to construct the dugouts to
  cross the ocean.
• It requires the kinship and political and status
  system be organized to do it.
• It is extremely scary to be out of sight of land
  in shark-infested waters.
• Bodies of magic and myth motivate it.
• Someone on the East coast of Boyowa (NW) cant
  get good Mwali any other way. But why should he
  care?

14
(Manifest) Functions of the Kula

• Individuals give valuable soulava so that their
  Kula-partners will later give them valuable mwali
  and vice versa. Why?
• Individuals engage in trading and in socializing
  when they make a Kula trip,
• but they would not make the trip for those
  purposes.
• They get status from having good Soulava or Mwali
• but those arent useful why are they valued?

15
Latent Functions of the Kula

• The economic trading and socializing
  (wife-finding) that goes on during a Kula
  expedition are key to a villages connection to
  the larger society, and the social integration of
  the Trobriand Islands as a whole.
• Functionalists argued that when you analyze any
  practice it is functionally connected to the
  whole culture and structure.
• Malinowski argued that such ritual exchanges
  promote social and normative integration,
• and that all social institutions and cultural
  beliefs serve essential functions in this way.