SOC100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Social Group, Role Theory, Ideal Type
14 Jun 2018
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CHAPTER 4 - SOCIALIZATION: THE SELF AND SOCIAL IDENTITY
Overview:
- LO7 and LO8 social structures
- Social structure
- Framework of cultural elements and social patterns that organize life
- Social structures are the ways we behave in our daily lives in repeating patterns
and interactions that teach us how to act → sociology must be studied with this
→ makes it predictable
- All those patterns represent social structures
- The “rules” basically
- Can be measured, counted, and used to predict behaviours within
society
- Consists of
- Statuses and roles
- Social groups
- Social institutions
- Social structures organize our behaviour
- So if an alien had a hand as a head, then by social structure, we see a
hand and we shake it as a means to be friendly. The reason we see a hand
and shake it, is based on social structures that TELL US WHAT TO DO
- It has elements and patterns
- Allows us to interpret social situations
- We do not think much about our culture; we only think about it
when we encounter someone that is different
- Limits options
- So culture limits what you can do, acts as a constraint. Society
enables you to be free, but restricts you from doing things
because of social norms that may deem other things as “bad”, so
you cannot do it
- Culture teaches you how to be someone, but it also causes you to
NOT be something
- Creates boundaries
- Defines inclusion and exclusion
- Society emphasizes on inclusion, however the moment
you do not conform to the societal norms, you are
excluded.
- Statuses and roles
- Status is any recognized social position
- Exists over time regardless of specific individuals
- Eg: brother, student, professor
- So a status is what you are
- A role is the behavioural component of a given status
