Social Structures

Social Structure

Do you think a society can exist without a social structure?

Social Structures…

A network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction

Dynamic (changing)

People’s actions can affect and even reshape

Stop, Read, and Think….

What factors might help determine how a person functions in society?

…

The groups to which the person belongs

The jobs or roles the person fulfills

Social Structure

Statuses- a position in a group that guides human interaction

A status carries with it a set of culturally defined rights and duties…

Roles- the behavior

Status

Defines where individuals fit(i.e. mother, daughter, sister, teacher, Jewish)

Ascribed- assigned based on inherited traits or age (i.e. senior citizen, sex, or race)

Achieved-individual efforts (i.e. doctor, athlete)

Master-ranks the highest above all others

(occupation, marital status, parenthood)

Roles

“You occupy a status, but you play a role”

Roles bring status to life

You play many different roles everyday.

Reciprocal-defining the pattern of interaction between related statuses

(i.e. student-teacher, leader-follower)

Roles

Role expectations or Social roles-socially determined behaviors expected of person performing a role

Ex. Lawyers defending/prosecuting clients

Role performance-actual role does not always match behavior expected

Ex. Parents abusing children

Roles

Role set -Many different roles attached to a single statusRole conflict -occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same personConflict between statuses

Ex…being a good student sometimes makes you a bad friend, employee, sister…

RolesRole strain- difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations

Role exit is the process people go through to detach from a role that was previously central to their social identity. (Imprisonment, divorce, HS student to college student)

Think Pair Share

Create 1 example of a role strain and role conflict. (1 minute)

Share with shoulder partner (1minute)

Be prepared to share with class

Social Institutions

Statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more basic needs of society

Ex. Family, medical, educational, economic, religious ,legal and political systems

Organized pattern of beliefs/behavior centered on basic needs

Check for Understanding

Social structure- how is the institution organized

Identify statuses and roles within

An example of role conflict or role strain for each

Family

Medical(hospitals)

Educational

Economic

Religion

Legal (courts)

Political

Types of Social Interaction

Social interaction the way in which people respond to one anotherExamples of interaction:

ExchangeCompetitionConflictCooperationAccommodation

Exchange

Most basic and common form

Interaction in effort to receive a reward

Reward might be tangible or intangible

• Exchange theory is the idea that people are motivated by self-interest in their interactions with other people.

**** Rewarded behavior is repeated

Reciprocity- you do something for someone, that person owes you something (Basis of exchange interactions)

Competition

2 or more groups of people oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain

Common feature of Western society

Cornerstone of capitalism

Can be positive motivator

Can be negative: psychological stress, lack of cooperation, inequality, conflict

Conflict

Deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone, harm another person

Few rules of conduct

Conflict

Simmel’s 4 sources of conflict: wars, disagreements within groups, legal disputes, and clashes over ideology (such as religion or politics)

Conflict

Conflict reinforces group boundaries, strengthens group loyalty focusing on outside threat

Lead to social change by bringing problems to forefront

Seek solutions

Cooperation

2 or more people or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one person.

Social process that gets things done

Cooperation is used with other forms of interaction

Examples…. Cooperation and competition…

Accommodation

The state of balance between cooperation and conflict

“you give a little, you take a little”

Compromise

Truce

Arbitration

Compromise

Each party gives up something they want in order to come to an agreement

Mediation

Calling in a third party who guides the two parties toward an agreement

Arbitration

A third party makes a decision that is binding on both parties

Accommodation

Truce

Temporarily brings a halt to the competition or conflict until a compromise can be reached

Accomodation is a state of balance between cooperation and conflict.

Create a comic strip panel for each type of interaction. Be sure to include statuses.