Social Structure and Social Interaction

1. Social Structure and Social Interaction Chapter 4

2. Levels of sociological analysis • Macrosociology- focus on large-scale features of social structure - functionalist and conflict theorists • Microsociology- places emphasis on social interaction - symbolic theorists

3. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure • Components- culture, social class, social status, roles, groups, and institutions

4. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure CULTURE • Language, beliefs, values, behaviors, gestures SOCIAL CLASS • Income, education, occupation

5. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure SOCIAL STATUS- can carry a great deal of prestige (example?) or very little (example?) Lets give an example for each: • Status set • Ascribed status • Achieved status • Status symbols • Master status • Roles • Group

6. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS • Society’s standard ways of meeting its basic needs (ex. Religion, law, medicine) What basic needs are being met by the examples above? • Set limits and provide guidelines for behavior

7. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure FUNCTIONALIST AND CONFLICT THEORIES • Functionalists- social institutions as ways of meeting group needs such as preserving order, providing a sense of purpose, etc. • Conflict theorists- social institutions are the primary means by which the elite maintains its privileged position 7

8. Macrosociological perspective: Social structure EMILE DURKHEIM • Social cohesion- degree to which members of a society feel united by shared values and other social bonds • Mechanical solidarity- collective consciousness that people experience as a result of perform the same or similar tasks • Organic solidarity- collective consciousness based on the interdependence brought about by how people divide up tasks 8