SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND

INTERACTION

Social Structure and Interaction

Social structure is the framework of societal institutions
(politics, and religion) and social practices (social roles) that
make up a society and establish limits on behavior.

Social interaction is the process by which people act

toward or respond to other people and is the foundation for
all relationships and groups in society.

Social Structure Framework

The Five Elements of Social Structure:
1.Statuses
2.Social Roles
3.Groups
4.Social Networks
5.Social Institutions

Components of Social Structure

1. Status
- refers to any of the full range of socially defined
positions within a large group or society.
a) Ascribed status is assigned to a person by society
without regard for the person's unique talents or
characteristics.
This takes place at birth such as age, gender, racial
background and other biological characteristics.
Ascribed status does not necessarily have the same social
meaning in every society.
b) Achieved status comes largely through efforts
Examples are statuses such as bank president, lawyer
and other professions.
Our ascribed status frequently influences our achieved
status.
c) Master status is a status that dominates others and
thereby determines a person's general position in society.
It only shows that an individual can hold different and

Components of Social Structure

2. Role

Role Expectation
A group or societys definition of the way a specific role
ought to be played

Role Performance
How a person actually plays a role

Role Conflict
Occurs when incompatible demands are placed on a
person by two or more statuses held at the same time.

Role Strain
Occurs when incompatible demands are built into a single
status that the person holds.

Role Exit

the process of disengagement from a role that is central

to ones self-identity and establishment of a new role and
identity.

Components of Social Structure

3. Social Groups
A group is any number of people with similar norms,
Values and expectations who interact with one
another on a regular basis.
Every society is composed of many groups in which
daily social Interaction takes place.
Primary Groups
Family, close friends, school or work-related peer
groups
Secondary Groups
Schools, churches, corporations

Components of Social Structure

4. Social Network

A series of social relationships that links a person directly

to others, and through them indirectly to still more people.

May constrain people by limiting the range of their

interactions, yet networks may also empower people by
making available to them vast resources.

Involvement in social networks (networking) is especially

valuable in finding employment.

Components of Social Structure

5. Social
Institutions
institutions are
Family
Religion
Education
Economy
Government or politics

Five

Basic

Social

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND

INEQUALITIES

Social Stratification
Social stratification is the division of society into
categories, ranks, or classes.
These divisions lead to social inequalitythe
unequal sharing of resources and social rewards.
Stratification systems lie on a continuum of open to
closed systems according to how easy or difficult it is
to change statuses.
Both ascribed and achieved statuses can be used to
determine social standing.

Elements of Social Stratification

CLASS as defined by Marx, it is the division of
people in society by their relationship to the means of
production: those who own a large portion of societys
wealth.
STATUS For Weber, prestige rather than position
itself is important. Individuals are ranked in society as
high, middle, and low as determined by how the role
attached to their status is valued.
POWER refers to the ability of an individual to get
other people to do what he wants them to do with or
without their consent.

Kinds of Stratification System

CLOSED SOCIETY power, class and status are
ascribed. Individuals are born into a specific stratum
and therefore ones position is determined by family
affiliation (caste system in India).
ESTATE SYSTEM resembles the caste system in
that social positions according to functions: nobility,
clergy, the peasants.
OPEN SOCIETY is frequently found in industrial
societies where people have several options to
improve their socio-economic status.

Social Inequality
There are two main views of social inequality
Functionalisttheorists believe that inequality is inevitable
and desirable and plays an important function in society.
Important positions in society require more training and
thus should receive more rewards. Social inequality and
social stratification, according to this view, lead to a
meritocracy based on ability.
Conflicttheorists, on the other hand, view inequality as
resulting from groups with power dominating less powerful
groups. They believe that social inequality prevents and
hinders societal progress as those in power repress the
powerless people in order to maintain the status quo. In
today's world, this work of domination is achieved primarily
through the power of ideology--our thoughts, values,
beliefs, world views, norms, and expectations--through a
process known as "cultural hegemony."

Social Inequality
What are the types of ways that people can be unequal
Economic
Racial
Ethnic
Politically
Gender
Sexual Orientation
Religion

Karl Marx Concept of Class

Marx distinguishes one class from another on the basis of
two criteria: ownership of themeans of productionand
control of thelabor powerof others. From this, he defines
modern society as having three distinct classes:
1.Capitalists, or bourgeoisie, own the means of production
and purchase the labor power of others
2.Workers, or proletariat, do not own any means of
production or the ability to purchase the labor power of
others. Rather, they sell their own labor power.
3.A
small,
transitional
class
known
as
thepetite
bourgeoisieown sufficient means of production but do not
purchase labor power. Marx'sCommunist Manifestofails to
properly define the petite bourgeoisie beyond smaller
capitalists.
Class is thus determined by property relations not by
income or status. These factors are determined by

Max Weber Concept of Class

Weber, contrary to Marx's theories, noted that stratification
was based on more than ownership of capital. Weber
introduced three independent factors that form his theory
of stratification hierarchy: class, status, and power.
Class is a person's economic position in a society, based on
birth and individual achievement. Weber differs from Marx
in that he did not see this as the supreme factor in
stratification. Weber noted that managers ofcorporationsor
industries control firms they do not own; Marx would have
placed such a person in the proletariat.
Status refers to a person's prestige, social honor, or
popularity in a society. Weber noted that political power
was not rooted solely in capital value, but also in one's
individual status. Poets or saints, for example, can possess
immenseinfluenceon
society,
often
with
little
economicworth.

Max Weber Concept of Class

Power refers to a person's ability to get their way despite
the resistance of others. For example, individuals in state
jobs, such as an employee of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, or a member of the United States Congress,
may hold little property or status, but they still hold
immense power.