Social Institutions and Structure

1
Social Institutions and Structure

• How do we define reality

2
Interaction within Social Structures

• How do social institutions affect group behavior
• Individuals are guided by the rules and
  regulations of institutions
• Roles are defined by the involvement in
  institutions and organizations
• What we do is defined by our roles within
  institutions

3
Defining Social Reality

• The power to control what is seen as reality
  defines a groups power and position within
  society
• Reality changes as different groups move into
  power and create hegemony
• Political Party and War
• Reality is based in structure and organizations
• Elements of Social Structure

4
Statuses

• Defined position within a larger group or society
• Ascribed status status assigned to individuals
  without regard to talent or skill status based
  on biological traits
• Achieved status status assigned to individuals
  through their own efforts, skills, and talents
• Master status status within an individual that
  has dominance over another

5
Example of Individual Status
6
Social Roles

• Set of expectations for people who occupy roles
  and specific positions in society
• Roles and expectations are determined by society
• Roles allow individuals to take on
  responsibilities and anticipate the reactions of
  others
• Roles may also restrict interaction and
  relationships

7
Role Conflict

• When two or more roles begin to overlap and
  conflict with each other
• Expectations of each role violates the norms of
  the other
• How we interpret the roles and behavior that is
  expected
• Assume the behavior of the more dominant role

8
Role Strain

• The idea that occupying a single role can cause
  strain within an individual
• Multiple expectations are placed on the
  individual
• Individuals feel that it is necessary to maintain
  the integrity of the role they are inhabiting
• Soldier in a war

9
Social Groups

• Defined as a group of people who share the same
  norms, values, and expectations who interact with
  each other on a daily basis
• Groups can span over time and space
• Using the Internet, we have been able to create
  long lasting groups across the world
• Primary groups
• Secondary groups

10
Primary and Secondary Groups

• Primary groups those that we spend time with
  using face to face interaction
• Family, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Husband,
  Wife
• Secondary groups relationships based on formal,
  and impersonal interaction. Little intimacy
  between the individuals
• Co-workers, students at school, cashiers,
  tellers, waiters, waitresses, customers at work

11
Social Networks

• Links that connect individuals to other
  individuals and groups
• Networks may restrict (small) or empower (large)
  individuals to interact with each other
• Technology allows individuals to interact over
  time and space
• Email, newsgroups, blogs, forums, electronic
  journals, etc.
• Myspace

12
Social Institutions

• Entities allow individuals to connect and adopt
  rules
• Institutions are centered around the same basic
  ideas, values, and basic needs
• Institutions serve basic functions of the larger
  society
• Maintain stability and function to give
  individuals something to belong to

13
Global Perspectives

• Global views of social institutions
• Ferdinand Tonnies
• Gerhard Lenski
• Pre-industrial
• Industrial
• Post-industrial/Post-modern

14
Ferdinand Tonnies

• Two conflicting views on society
• Gemeinshaft -- Society is based on the intimate
  relationships between individuals concurrent
  with the rural community, individuals have
  similar backgrounds and values
• Gesellshaft Society is based on the formal
  relationships of individuals, characteristic of
  modern rural cities relationships are rules by
  social laws and rules

15
Gerhard Lenski

• Argued that society was always changing with the
  introduction of new innovations and culture
• Sociocultural evolution
• The interplay of innovation, social and cultural
  continuity continue to change society.
• Technology is the driving force behind social
  change

16
Social Organization
17
Hunter-Gatherer

• Nomadic People
• Technology is minimal
• Populations were small strong cultural
  boundaries
• People relied on what was readily available, such
  as fruits, nuts, berries, and animals
• Composed of small spread out groups
• Little inequality due to the lack of resources
• Low division of labor

18
Horticultural Society

• Supplementary to hunter-gatherer lifestyle
• First glimpse of modern human settlement
• Groups became more stationary
• Planting seeds and growing crops emerged and
  allowed people to stay in one location
• Varying ratios of hunting and agriculture
• Tools and households become important to the
  development of society
• Evolved into the Agrarian society

19
Agrarian Society

• Emerged 10-12,000 years ago
• Primarily engaged in the production of crops and
  the surplus of food
• Cultures become stationary begin to merge a
  populations grow
• Cities begin to emerge around food development
• Cultivation and storage of food become key
  components

20
Industrial/Modern Society

• Follows the pre-industrial society depends
  largely on the mechanization of production
• Majority of society moves from an agrarian to an
  industrial society
• Mechanical labor replaces human labor and
  factories begin to expand throughout England
• Families are no longer self sufficient and must
  depend on paid labor to survive

21
Industrial/Modern Theorist

• Modern Theories attempt to rationalize society
  into large, grand theories.
• Theorists
• Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim
• George Ritzer (McDonaldization of Society)
• Anthony Giddens, Jurgen Habermas, Ulrich Beck

22
Modern Theorists

• Anthony Giddens
• Modern society is a juggernaut that is out of
  control, over space and time. It will stop when
  it is done
• Jurgen Habermas
• Modern society is an unfinished product, it is
  continually growing and expanding
• Ulrich Beck
• Modern society is now based on Risk, The Risk
  Society. Science has created problems that it
  can no longer control. Society has become a
  testing bed for scientists.

23
Post-Industrial society

• The point which mechanical technology has become
  mainstream
• Information becomes the key to society
• Daniel Bell
• Argued that society becomes based on the exchange
  and processing of information
• Social issues become more of a concern throughout
  society
• Healthcare, education, environmental issues

24
Post-Modern Society

• Society that is more pre-occupied with the
  creation of goods and images
• Break from the modern society
• Goods and information is created and consumed on
  a grand scale
• There are no longer physical boundaries for
  cultural items
• Social break from the modern system

25
Post-Modern Society

• The attempt to reorganize society without the
  strict boundaries of the modern system of
  production
• Cultural items are spread throughout the world
• Sushi in Kroger's
• American restaurants in Japan

26
Post-Modern Society

• Post-modern theories are concerned with specific
  phenomena, not all inclusive theories
• Argues that there is no end all be all theories
  that encompass all of life
• Theorists
• Jean Baudrillard, Jean-Francios Lyotard,
• Frederic Jameson

27
Post-Modern Theorists

• Jean Baudrillard
• Society is dominated by media and its images
• Simulacra the world is characteristics of
  simulations of the real world
• Jean Lyotard
• Society is based on difference and plurality
• Frederic Jameson
• Post modern world is superficial and depthless

28
Modern and Post Modern Society

• Modern/Industrial society
• Based on the totality of rationalization
  mechanization and rational processes control
  society
• Post Modern/Industrial society
• Based on the creation and control of information
  images and the media become the dominant force
  increasing technologies are used to increase
  supply for goods and services

29
UnderstandingOrganizations

• Formal Organizations, Bureaucracies, and a Movie

30
Formal Organizations

• Why do we have a organizations
• As societies develop the need arises for
  structure and regulations
• As populations grow there must be a way to
  organize individuals and groups
• Complex societies need to have structure, rules,
  and formal systems to operate
• A formal organization is a group designed for a
  special purpose and structured for maximum
  efficiency

31
Weber and Bureaucracy

• 'Bureaucracy' is rule conducted from a desk or
  office
• The preparation and dispatch of written documents
  to subordinates
• Characterized by an elaborate hierarchical
  division of labor directed by explicit rules
  impersonally applied

32
Bureaucracy

• Component of large scale organizations that allow
  them to operate at maximum efficiency
• Based on hierarchical system with individuals
  occupying roles that report to a multiple
  superiors
• Composed of multiple layers of rules and
  regulations that are imposed onto the individual

33
Max Weber

• Five characteristics of bureaucracies
• Division of labor
• Hierarchy of Authority
• Written Rules and Regulations
• Impersonality
• Employment based on technical skills (meritocracy)

34
Division of Labor

• Produces efficiency in large scale organizations
• Produces trained incapacities for the individual
• Individuals become so specialized problems begin
  to go un noticed
• Produces a narrow perspective

35
Hierarchy of Authority

• Clarifies who is in command
• Everyone is always under the supervision of
  another
• Deprives employees of a voice in decision making
• Permits concealment of mistakes from superiors

36
Written Rules

• Clear expectations from the organizations
• Goal displacement
• Overly strict enforcement of regulations
• Lets workers know what is expected from them
• Stifles initiative
• Leads to goal displacement

37
Impersonality

• Decisions are made without the consideration of
  the individual
• Reduces bias from superiors and subordinates
• Contributes to a cold and uncaring atmosphere
• Discourages loyalty to the company

38
MeritocracyEmployment based on skills

• Discourages favoritism and reduces petty
  rivalries
• Standards are used to measure individuals skill
  levels
• Discourages ambition to improve oneself
• Promotes the Peter principle
• Everyone rises to their level of incompetence
• Individuals are promoted to one level over their
  skill level

39
Organizational Culture

• Scientific Management Approach
• Individuals are motivated by economic rewards
• Physical restraints hold workers from full
  efficiency
• Individuals become commodities and resources
  rather than people within an organization

40
Human Relations

• This approach focuses on the people,
  communication, and individual participation in
  the corporation
• Small groups begin to change the structure of the
  organization through compromise and struggle
• Specialists trained in human relations force the
  communication between management and employees

41
Functionalist POV

• Institutions provide stability to society
• Gives meaning and attachment to individuals
• Weber
• Institutions become beaurocracies
• People become part of the system
• Durkheim
• Institutions provide solidarity
• Involvement in institutions provides norms
• Lack of norms Anomie

42
Conflict POV

• Institutions are guided by the upper class
• Norms and values are dictated by the dominant
  class and their ideals
• Marx
• Norms are established through force
• Value and ideals are centered in the dominant
  class
• Hegemonic ideals and values

43
Interactionist POV

• Relationship within institutions
• How do we create and maintain relationships
• Reality is shaped by our interpretation of
  symbols
• We create our reality through meaning and
  percpetion

44
Office Space

• Look for aspects of the bureaucracy
• Five aspects of organizations
• Look for statuses and roles
• Record instances of role strain, role conflict,
  primary, and secondary groups
• Scientific management approach
• Human relations approach