Social Structure

1
Social Structure

• Preview
• Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure
• Section 2 Types of Social Interaction
• Section 3 Types of Societies
• Section 4 Groups Within Society
• Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations
• Chapter Wrap-Up

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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Read to Discover
• What are the two major components of social
  structure?
• How do these two components of social structure
  affect human interaction?

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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure
Question What are the two major components of
social structure?
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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Statusa socially defined position in a group or
  in a society, which has attached to it one or
  more roles
• Rolethe behavior expected of someone occupying a
  particular status

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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure
Status
Examples of Roles
Examples of Conflict / Strain
Put out fires, save lives, wear a uniform
Voluntarily puts self in danger, but has loved
ones who need him or her
Firefighter
Fatigue and long shifts make household tasks and
interactions difficult
Provide food and shelter, nurture family,
discipline children
Mother
Run meetings, recruit new members, plan activities
Has trouble getting members to attend and follow
through on promises
P.T.A. President
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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure
Question How do these two components of social
structure affect human interaction?
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Section 1 Building Blocks of Social Structure

• Peoples particular roles and statuses affect how
  they relate to one another
• Statuses are ways of defining where individuals
  fit in society and how they relate to others
• Most roles have reciprocal roles that define the
  patterns of interaction between related statuses,
  such as husband and wife or teacher and student

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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction

• Read to Discover
• What are the most common types of social
  interaction?
• Which types of interactions stabilize social
  structure and which can disrupt it?

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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction
Question What are some common types of social
interaction, and what are examples of each?
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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction

• Exchangeinteracting in an effort to receive a
  reward or a return for ones actions
• Competitiontwo or more people or groups are in
  opposition to achieve a goal that only one can
  attain
• Conflictdeliberate attempt to control a person
  by force, to oppose someone, or to harm another
  person

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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction

• Cooperationtwo or more people or groups working
  together to achieve a goal that will benefit more
  than one of them
• Accommodationa state of balance between
  cooperation and conflict

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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction
Competition
Exchange
Conflict
Cooperation
Accommodation
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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction
Question Which types of interactions stabilize
social structure and which can disrupt it?
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Section 2 Types of Social Interaction

• Accommodation, Exchange, and Cooperationstabilize
  social structure
• Competition and Conflictcan disrupt social
  structure

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Section 3 Types of Societies

• Read to Discover
• What types of societies exist in the world today?
• What roles do individuals play in these models of
  group systems?

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Section 3 Types of Societies
Question What are the three main types of
societies and characteristics or examples of each?
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Section 3 Types of Societies

• Preindustrialfood production is the main
  economic activity can be subdivided according to
  the level of technology and the method of
  producing food
• Industrialemphasis shifts from the production of
  food to the production of manufactured goods,
  made possible by changes in production methods
• Postindustrialmuch of the economy is involved in
  providing information and services

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Section 3 Types of Societies
Hunting and gathering pastoral horticultural
mechanical solidarity
Manufacturing urbanization
technology
Organic solidarity
Information provision of services
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Section 3 Types of Societies
Question What roles do individuals play in these
models of group systems?
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Section 3 Types of Societies

• Roles related to
• Leadership
• Family
• Work
• Specialization
• Trade

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Section 4 Groups Within Society

• Read to Discover
• What are the major features of primary and
  secondary groups?
• What purposes do groups fulfill?

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Section 4 Groups Within Society
Question What are the major features of primary
and secondary groups?
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Section 4 Groups Within Society

• Primary Groups
• Interact over a long period of time on a direct
  and personal basis
• Entire self of the individual is taken into
  account
• Relationships are intimate and often
  face-to-face
• Communication is deep and intense
• Structure is informal

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Section 4 Groups Within Society

• Secondary Groups
• Interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature
• Involve a reaction to only a part of the
  individuals self
• Casual
• Limited in personal involvement
• Individual can be replaced easily

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Section 4 Groups Within Society
Question What are the purposes and functions of
groups?
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Section 4 Groups Within Society
Functions of Groups

• Select leaderspeople that influence the
  attitudes and opinions of others
• Define boundariesmembers can tell who belongs
  and who does not
• Set goals, assign tasks, and make decisions
• Control members behaviorif members violate
  group norms, the group cannot survive long

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Section 4 Groups Within Society
Define Boundaries
Select Leaders
Assign Tasks
Set Goals
Make Decisions
Control Members Behavior
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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations

• Read to Discover
• How are bureaucracies structured?
• How effective are bureaucracies?

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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations
Question How are bureaucracies structured?
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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations
(CEO, Superintendent, president, etc.)
Department Head/VP
Department Head/VP
(subordinates)
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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations
Webers Model

• Division of labor
• Ranking of authority
• Employment based on formal qualifications
• Rules and regulations
• Specific lines of promotion and advancement

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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations
Question How effective are bureaucracies?
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Section 5 The Structure of Formal Organizations

• Efficient at coordinating large numbers of
  people, defining tasks and rewards
• Provide stability
• Can lose sight of goals, create red tape, and
  result in oligarchies
• In some instances, reward incompetence and expand
  uncontrollably

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Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas

1. How can a persons status differ from his or her
   role?
2. How does role conflict affect groups and
   individuals? How can it be resolved?
3. What are the five most common forms of
   interaction recognized by sociologists?
4. Identify and describe the three broad categories
   of societies used by sociologists.
5. How do the roles of group members differ between
   primary and secondary groups?
6. What, according to Max Webers model, are the
   major characteristics of a bureaucracy?
7. What weaknesses influence the effectiveness of
   bureaucracies?