Relevance: sociology paper I: Social Structure
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Social structure, in sociology, the distinctive, stable arrangement of institutions whereby human beings in a society interact and live together. Social structure is often treated together with the concept of social change, which deals with the forces that change the social structure and the organization of society.
Although it is generally agreed that the term social structure refers to regularities in social life, its application is inconsistent. For example, the term is sometimes wrongly applied when other concepts such as custom, tradition, role, or norm would be more accurate.
Studies of social structure attempt to explain such matters as integration and trends in inequality. In the study of these phenomena, sociologists analyse organizations, social categories (such as age groups), or rates (such as of crime or birth). This approach, sometimes called formal sociology, does not refer directly to individual behaviour or interpersonal interaction. Therefore, the study of social structure is not considered a behavioural science; at this level, the analysis is too abstract. It is a step removed from the consideration of concrete human behaviour, even though the phenomena studied in social structure result from humans responding to each other and to their environments. Those who study social structure do, however, follow an emperical (observational) approach to research, methodology, and epistemology.
the social structure of a small group is generally more closely related to the daily activities of its individual members than is the social structure of a larger society. In the study of larger social groups, the problem of selection is acute: much depends on what is included as components of the social structure. Various theories offer different solutions to this problem of determining the primary characteristics of a Social group
The components or units of social structure are persons. A person is a human being that occupies position in a social structure. Even though the persons are subject to change the structure as such maintains its continuity. A nation, tribe, a political party, a religious body can continue in existence as an arrangement of persons though the personnel of each changes from time to time. There is continuity of structure just as a human body maintains its structure. Sociologists speak of few kinds of structures or groups that will be present in all societies. These structures will exist in any society regardless of its ethos, history or any cultural variability.
Social Structure through various lenses
Herbert Spencer was the first thinker who wrote about structure of a society. He came up with biological analogies (organic structure and evolution) to define the social structure.
A progressively broad meaning of social structure is that social structure alludes to the suffering deliberate and designed connections between the components of a general public. As per Raymond Firth it sees no difference amongst the transient and the most suffering components in social movement and it makes it practically difficult to recognize the possibility of the structure of society from that of the totality of the general public itself.
According to Radcliff-Brown social structure is a part of the social structure of all social relations of person to person. In the study of social structure, the concrete reality with which we are concerned is the set of actually existing relations at a given moment of time that link together certain human beings.
As per S.F Nadal structure alludes to a determinable enunciation and requested course of action of parts. It is identified with the external perspective or the structure of society and is absolutely unconcerned with the utilitarian part of society. So he has accentuated that the social structure alludes to the system of social relationship that is made among the individuals when they communicate with one another as indicated by their statuses as per the examples of society. He has accentuated that the social structure alludes to the system of social relationship that is made among the individuals when they collaborate with one another as per their statuses as per the examples of society.
According to Karl Mannheim social structure refers to the web of interacting social forces from which have arisen the various modes of observing and thinking. Social structure is an abstract and intangible phenomenon Individuals is the units of association and institutions are the units of social structure. These institutions and associations are inter-related in a particular arrangement and thus create the pattern of social structure. It refers to the external aspect of society that is relatively stable as compared to the functional or internal aspect of society. Social structure is a living structure that is created, maintained for a time and changes.
According to Ginsberg the study of social structure is concerned with the principal form of social organization that is types of groups, associations and institutions and the complex of these that constitute societies.
As indicated by Talcott Parsons, the term social structure applies to the specific game plan of the interrelated organizations, offices and social examples just as the statuses and jobs which every individual expect in the gathering. Parsons has attempted to clarify the idea of social structure in theoretical structure. Every one of the units of social structure that is foundations, organizations, social examples, statuses and jobs are undetectable and impalpable and consequently are unique. As indicated by Maclver and Page the different methods of collection together involve the intricate example of the social structure. They have likewise respected that social structure is unique which is made out of a few gatherings like family, church, class, position, state or network and so forth.
As per Johnson, the structure of anything comprises of the moderately steady between connections among its parts; the term part itself suggests a specific level of solidness. Since a social framework is made out of the between related demonstrations of individuals, its structure must be looked for in some level of normality or repeat in these demonstrations.
Social Structure in Sociology?
- Social structure is an abstract and intangible phenomenon
- Individual are unit of association and institutions are units of social structure
- These institutions and associations are interrelated in a particular arrangement and thus creates a pattern of social structure
- It is related to external aspects of society which is relatively stable as compared to functional or internal aspects of society
- Social structure is a living structure which is created and maintained for a time and then changes