The way we create relationships with others is based on certain patterns we use

daily. This lesson takes you through the definition and theory of social structure in
society and offers a quiz to test your knowledge.

Overview of Social Structure

Have you ever visited a large city and stopped at an outdoor cart to order a hot
dog? If so, the person who sold you that hot dog was a vendor. Vendors live day to
day based on the location of where they move their product each day. Most vendors
are viewed as being poor immigrants who can't make it in society. This is not the
case. Although it's easy to look at vendors as just people selling products on the
street, in actuality they are pursuing the same life goals as you and I.

This example of social structure demonstrates how people in society develop a code
of conduct in regards to living in society. There are specific elements and
frameworks that we use to fit into mainstream society and to develop the concept
of social structure.

Types of Social Structure

To best help us understand the social structure and elements of society, sociologist
Talcott Parsons produced one of the best-known theoretical foundations for studying
society. Parsons believed that society best functions in four ways, and these four
elements are necessary in forming the social structure of society.

1. Adaptation: The way we adapt to our environments is one of the ways we

function through survival in society. For example, jobs, economy, family.
2. Goal attainment: The need to set goals and achieve them in society.
3. Integration: The need to relate to other human beings who share similar
interests.
4. Latency: The need to have people motivate us toward our goals of
achievement.

Developing Social Structure & Role in Society

What kinds of social groups do you belong to? Do you ever stop to think that your
role within your social groups determines how you take part in the structure and
organization of society? Most times we don't, but we, the individuals, are society.
Status is our social position within a group (for example, leader, organizer, founder)
whereas role is the part we are expected to play in our lives (for example, mother,
father, sister, brother). Therefore, in the formation of the social structure in society,
we develop our roles and status through our social interactions, relationships, and
patterns of behavior.

There are two types of statuses that help us understand our status in society.

Achieved status is when someone does something that may define his or her role.
For example, a person becomes a musician by studying music, or a woman
becomes a mother by giving birth.

Ascribed statuses are assigned roles given to us in life. For example, we do not
pick the family we are born into.
Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of people
in a hierarchy. Let's examine some of the theories surrounding this concept.

Definition of Social Stratification

Social stratification refers to a system by which a society ranks categories of

people in a hierarchy. In the United States, it is perfectly clear that some groups
have greater status, power, and wealth than other groups. These differences are
what led to social stratification. Social stratification is based on four major
principles:

1. Social stratification is a trait of society, not simply a reflection of individual

differences.
2. Social stratification persists over generations.
3. Social stratification is universal (it happens everywhere) but variable (it takes
different forms across different societies).
4. Social stratification involves not just inequality but beliefs as well (inequality
is rooted in a society's philosophy).

Why does social stratification exist, and why are some countries more stratified
than others? To analyze this question, we can look at social stratification through
three major perspectives: structural functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic
interaction.

The Functions of Social Stratification

Structural functionalists argue that social inequality plays a vital role in the
smooth operation of a society. The Davis-Moore thesis states that social
stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of society. Davis and
Moore argue that the most difficult jobs in any society are the most necessary and
require the highest rewards and compensation to sufficiently motivate individuals to
fill them. Certain jobs, like mowing grass or cleaning toilets, can be performed by
almost anyone, while other jobs, such as performing brain surgery, are difficult and
require the most talented people to perform them.

In order to lure the most talented people away from less important work, a society
must offer those people rewards and incentives. Davis and Moore further claim that
any society can be equal, but only to the extent that people are willing to let anyone
perform any job. This would also require that even those who do their job poorly are
rewarded equally. What would be the incentive for people to do their best if
everyone was rewarded equally?

Stratification and Conflict

Social conflict theorists disagree that social stratification is functional for a

society. Instead, they argue that social stratification benefits some at the expense of
others. Two theorists, Karl Marx and Max Weber, are the primary contributors to this
perspective.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher, sociologist, economist, and revolutionary
socialist. He based his theory on the idea that society has two classes of people: the
bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of
production, such as factories and other businesses, while the proletariat are the
workers. Marx argued that the bourgeoisie (owners) give proletariats (workers) just
enough to survive, but ultimately the workers are exploited.

As a result of this exploitation, Marx foresaw a workers' revolution. He believed that

oppression and misery would eventually drive the working majority to come
together and overthrow capitalism. The result would be a socialist utopia where
such extreme class differences would cease to exist. Despite Marx's prediction,
capitalism is still thriving.

Max Weber, also a conflict theorist, agreed with Marx that social stratification
causes social conflict. Unlike Marx, he portrays social stratification as a
multidimensional ranking rather than a hierarchy of two clearly-defined classes.
Weber saw three dimensions of social stratification in terms of a continuum. Social
class for Weber included power and prestige in addition to property or wealth.
Today, sociologists use the term socioeconomic status (SES) to refer to this
ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality.