SOC-2000Understanding Human Society Wayne State University Dr. Monica White Lecture Outline Chapter 2Social Structure A.

Social structure- The structure of behavior in groups and society. Aggregate- Collection of individuals who happen to be at the same place at the same time. Group- a collection of people who because of sustained interaction, have evolved a common structure and culture Social interaction- When the actions of one person affect another person. Social relationship-Enduring social interaction; sexual attraction; familial ties, a common interest. B. Culture-Shared beliefs of group members that unite them and guide their behavior. Norms- All social organizations have rules (norms) that specify appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Folkways- Some norms are not considered as important as others; so if violated consequences are not severe. Folkways vary from group to group. Mores- Are important norms, the violation of which results in severe punishment (killing someone, stealing, etc). Valuessocial rolessocial status- Each of us belong to a number or organizations, in which we occupy a position. (student, daughter, sister, friend, Catholic, teacher, democrat) hierarchy- the arrangement of people in order of importance. master status- trumps all other statuses when a situation or an individual is evaluated by others. Informs others of our educational attainment, skills and income. Role- behavioral expectations and requirements attached to a position in social organization. Social Control C. Primary and Secondary Groups Social group- is an organization created through enduring and patterned interaction. Consists of people who have a common identity, share a common culture.

Primary group- Groups whose members are the most intimately involved with each other. Groups are small and have face to face interaction. Strong identification, loyalty and emotional attachment. Secondary group- much larger and more impersonal. Formally organized, task oriented, and relatively non permanent. Ultimate secondary group- is a bureaucracy. Bureaucracy- a hierarchical formal organization characterized by rationality and efficiency. Iron cage of rationality- Bureaucracies are cages in a sense that people are trapped in, where basic humanity denied. Weber feared most of these systems would grow more rational and that rational principles would come to dominate sectors of society. D. Power of the social group Suicide- Ending ones life; sociologist however are interested in how social factors that may produce the feelings of suicide. Egoistic- When an individual has minimal ties to a social group.( Married people less likely to commit suicide that single people). Being an important part of a group gives meaning and purpose to life. Altruistic- Person tends to be group oriented; a group might expect its members to kill themselves for the good of those under certain conditions. (Soldiers might make a move that they know will kill them, but help others, or Muslim suicide bombers). Anomic- related to the individuals attachment to a group. So when a sudden change like moving to a new place, divorce, rapid loss of status, the person feels like they lost their ties and not know how to behave, life may appear aimless. Group affects on perceptions Asch study- Asked subjects to compare the length of lines on a card. One person in the group was coached to give the wrong answer to see if others would be persuaded or stick to their own answer.74 % of people in this study gave in to group pressure at least once. Group affects on convictions Groupthink- A group believed that a great flood would submerge the west coast and a flying saucer would come and save them. When this event passed and didnt happen the group leader said the world had been spared because of them. A group is brainwashed to believe the rest in the group, so the group all thinks alike. Group affects health and life- Memberships in groups that dont believe in medical

intervention. Memberships in certain groups can affect the health of others if they ban these types of things. Group affects behavior The societal or macro level Society- Largest social organization to which people owe their allegiance. Its an aggregate of people, united by a common culture. Social as a social system- composed of interdependent parts that are linked together into a boundary-maintaining whole. Culture of society Symbols- a thing that represents something else, such as a word, gesture, or physical object (cross, flag) Language- how people in different cultures talk to one another, how they communicate. GesturesRituals- symbolic actions that reinforce the collective rembering of the groups shared meanings. Appropriate and inappropriate behavior Rules Activities Skills Knowledge Social classes Social stratification- hierarchical arrangement of people in terms of power, prestige and resources. Social institutions - social arrangements that channel behavior in prescribed ways in important areas of social life.