NORMS AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE Unit 1 (Chapters 3&4)

Traditional American Values

Personal Achievement, Work, Individualism Morality and Humanitarianism

Examples? Efficiency and Practicality

Examples? Progress and Material Comfort

Success through Hard Work Equality and Democracy

Equal opportunity and Earning Respect/Success Freedom

Enforcing Norms

Internalization Process by which a norm becomes a part of an

individual’s personality Sanctions

Rewards and punishments used to enforce conformity to the norms

ENFORCEMENT OF SOCIAL NORMS

Negative: punishment or the threat of

punishment to enforce

conformity

Formal: reward or punishment

by a formal organization or

regulatory agency, such as a school

Informal: spontaneous expression of approval or

disapproval by an individual or group

Positive: action that rewards a particular

kind of behavior

Internalization: how a norm becomes part of a person’s personality, causing them to conform to society’s expectations

Sanctions: rewards or punishments used to enforce conformity to norms

Social Structure Key Questions

What is “Social Structure”?

What are the two major components of social structure?

How do these two components of social structure affect human interaction?

Status and Roles

Status Examples of Roles Examples of Conflict / Strain

Firefighter

Mother

P.T.A. President

Put out fires, save lives, wear a uniform

Voluntarily puts self in danger, but has loved ones who need him or her

Fatigue and long shifts make household tasks and interactions difficult

Provide food and shelter, nurture family, discipline children

Run meetings, recruit new members, plan activities

Has trouble getting members to attend and follow through on promises

Social Structure

Exchange—interacting in an effort to receive a reward or a return for one’s actions

Competition—two or more people or groups are in opposition to achieve a goal that only one can attain

Conflict—deliberate attempt to control a person by force, to oppose someone, or to harm another person

Cooperation—two or more people or groups working together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one of them

Accommodation—a state of balance between cooperation and conflict

Accommodation, Exchange, and Cooperation—stabilize social structure

Competition and Conflict—can disrupt social structure

Types of Social Interactions

ExchangeCompetition

ConflictCooperation

Accommodation

Societies

Preindustrial—food production is the main economic activity; can be subdivided according to the level of technology and the method of producing food

Industrial—emphasis shifts from the production of food to the production of manufactured goods, made possible by changes in production methods

Postindustrial—much of the economy is involved in providing information and services

Preindustrial Industrial

Postindustrial

Types of Societies

Hunting and gathering; pastoral; horticultural; mechanical solidarity

Organic solidarity

Manufacturing; urbanization; technology

Information; provision of services

Types of Societies (Characteristics)

Leadership, Family, Work, Specialization, Trade (Mead, Murdock)

2 types of Groups in Society Primary, Secondary

Groups

PRIMARY SECONDARY

Interact over a long period of time on a direct and personal basis

Entire self of the individual is taken into account

Relationships are intimate and often face-to-face

Communication is deep and intense

Structure is informal

Interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature

Involve a reaction to only a part of the individual’s self

Casual Limited in personal

involvement Individual can be

replaced easily

GROUP FUNCTIONS

Define Boundaries

Control Members’ Behavior

Set Goals Assign Tasks

Select Leaders

Make Decisions

The Structure of Formal Organizations

Head of the Bureaucracy(CEO, Superintendent, president, etc.)

(subordinates)

Department Head/VP Department Head/VP

(subordinates)

Max Weber

Division of labor Ranking of authority Employment based on formal

qualifications Rules and regulations Specific lines of promotion and

advancement

Bureaucracy Effectiveness

Efficient at coordinating large numbers of people, defining tasks and rewards

Provide stability Can lose sight of goals, create red tape,

and result in oligarchies In some instances, reward incompetence

and expand uncontrollably