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Feb 13, 2024 · Social stratification is the organization of society into hierarchical layers, or strata, based on various factors like wealth, occupation, education level, race, or gender. For example, economic stratification is based on an individual’s wealth and income.
- Conflict Theory. Type of Theory: Macrosociology. Conflict Theory proposes that society is marked by ongoing struggles for resources and power, resulting in social inequalities.
- Functionalism. Type of Theory: Macrosociology. Definition: Functionalism considers society as a complex system of interdependent parts, each having a function fulfilling societal stability.
- Symbolic Interactionism. Type of Theory: Microsociology. Symbolic Interactionism emphasizes how individuals use symbols to navigate social interactions and create social worlds.
- Social Exchange Theory. Type of Theory: Microsociology. Social Exchange Theory postulates that human relationships and interactions are guided by a cost-benefit analysis and the pursuit of rewards.
- Sociological Definition of Social Structure
- Social Structures Examples
- Five Key Social Structures in Sociology
- Benefits of Social Structures
- Conclusion
The word social structure was first introduced in 1873, by Herbert Spencer, who was an English philosopher, sociologist, anthropologist, and biologist. We generally consider him to be a functionalist sociologist. Spencer compared the many groups in a society to the various organs in the human body. Just like organs they, “performed a specifiable fu...
Nations: The nation-state is one of the formal social structures that shape how we interact as imagined communities, and shapes geopolitical structures worldwide.Economies:Economies act as social structures on local (i.e. industrial and commercial estates such as silicon valley), national, and international levels (i.e. the European economic zone).Racial Groups:Humans have, throughout history, been separated into groups based on racial traits (such as skin colour, facial features, types of hair, stature).Religions:Religion provides moral guidelines and laws for behavior of members of the religious groups.1. Racial Groups
Throughout history, racial identities have been used as social structures to stratify societies (often leading to discriminatory outcomes). People cohere around racial identities both as a matter of self-identification and through ascribed statuses that they have no choice about. This can result in different treatment of groups based upon their identification. Sociologists often concern themselves with identifying how societies are stratified on racial lines. For example, research conducted b...
2. Ethnic Groups
While race and ethnicity overlap, the concepts do differ. In fact, if we look at ethnic groups within societies like Myanmar, we can see that there can be many ethnicities with shared racial origins, who mark their difference by culture and tradition. Abramson (1976) suggests a four-point definition of ethnicity: 1. Intergenerational continuity:relationships and customs that transfer from grandparents to grandchildren (p. 44). Simply put, the origin of someone’s ethnicity is based on a histor...
3. Community
The word community is derived from two Latin words; ‘com’ and ‘munis’. When used in the English language, ‘com’ means together, while ‘munis’ means to serve. Therefore, community means to serve together (Mini Pradeep & Sathyamurthi,2017, p.58). However, community can mean different things to different people. Some sociologists believe that a main component of a community is a specific geographic location where people live together. While, others, like American anthropologist Robert Redfield (...
Human beings can create social structures to more effectively organize society, achieve efficiency in the economic sphere, and work of the common good. Indeed, humans’ capacity to create large-scale social structures that transcend immediate relationships has facilitated rapid economic growth, the spread of ideas around the world, and growing globa...
Social structures in sociology help sociologists to better understand how society functions. They allow sociologists to analyze the interactions between different social institutions, groups, individuals, communities, and other layers of society to better understand what they have in common and how they may differ. Researching on the macro, meso, a...
Dec 3, 2020 · This chapter provides an outline of identity theory as it has developed out of its structural symbolic interaction origins. Identities are sets of meanings that define who we are in terms of the roles we have, the groups or social categories to which we belong, or the unique characteristics that make us different from others.The chapter reviews ...
Sep 12, 2024 · sociology, a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them. It does this by examining the dynamics of constituent parts of societies such as institutions, communities, populations, and gender, racial, or age groups.
Jan 2, 2024 · A person’s status can be understood in two key forms: Ascribed Status: This is the status a person is born into or assigned without personal control or choice. Examples include race, gender, and family background. Ascribed statuses are often based on societal expectations and norms, and individuals have limited ability to change them.
Oct 12, 2022 · It covers how sociologists use concepts to describe and categorize human interactions and relationships, using examples like dyadic relationships and the role concept. This section explains how sociological concepts help in understanding social structures and dynamics, and introduces Radcliffe-Brown's and Nadel's contributions to ...
