Functional Theory: Social structure is essential
because it creates order and predictability in a society
(Parsons, 1951). –Connects people to larger society through webbed pattern of social relationships (thus, homeless people are at a disadvantage ’cause little connections).
The sociological significance of social structure is
that it guides our behavior
. The social structure tends to over ride personal feelings and desires. Large numbers of people who have similar amounts of income and eduation and who work at jobs that are roughly comparable in prestige.
Why is social structure important in our interaction with others?
The stable patterns of social relationships within a particular society make up its social structure
. Social structure is a macrolevel influence because it shapes and determines the overall patterns in which social interaction occurs.
Social structure
guides people’s behaviors
. … People develop these perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors from their place in the social structure, and they act accordingly. All of the components of social structure work together to maintain social order by limiting, guiding, and organizing human behavior.
A social structure is
effective in organizing behavior of large numbers of actors
. A structure is coercive of individual and group behavior. A social structure assigns roles and powers to individual actors. A social structure often has distributive consequences for individuals and groups.
Social structure, in sociology,
the distinctive, stable arrangement of institutions whereby human beings in a society interact and live together
. Social structure is often treated together with the concept of social change, which deals with the forces that change the social structure and the organization of society.
The examples of social structure in Sociology are
the family, religion, economic, political and education institutions
.
A social interaction is
an exchange between two or more individuals and is a building block of society
. Social interaction can be studied between groups of two (dyads), three (triads) or larger social groups. By interacting with one another, people design rules, institutions and systems within which they seek to live.
Social structure includes
social groups and institutions
. These are called the major groups and institutions. Four of these – the family, economic institutions, political institutions and religious institutions – centre upon getting food and other items of wealth, procreation, worship and ruling.
Social system has the characteristics of
pattern, order and balance
. Social system is not an integrated whole but putting together of different units. This coming together does not take place in a random and haphazard manner. There is an order am’ balance.
Structural inequalities upset many Americans’ sense of justice. But worse, these inequalities actually
make many people sick
. The harmful effect of inequality is not just because of being at a lower status. Even just being aware of it can make a person sick, some studies suggest.
The concept of personality, too,
connotes both structure and process or change
. … Most contemporary observers would agree with a definition of personality as “regularities and consistencies in the behavior of individuals in their lives” (Snyder and Ickes 1985, p.
Examples of social structure
include family, religion, law, economy, and class. It contrasts with “
social
system”, which refers to the parent
structure
in which these various
structures
are embedded.
It is helpful to think about social structure as operating on three levels within a given society:
the macro, meso, and micro levels
.
The social structure generally refers to the social arrangements that organize a group or society. … Social institutions are structures that are
patterned on the basis of social needs
. They include the family, education, religion, the economy, politics, and health care.
Social structure theories
emphasize poverty, lack of education, absence of marketable skills, and subcultural values as fundamental causes of crime
. Three subtypes of social structure theories can be identified: social disorganization theory, strain theory, and culture conflict theory.
