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Social Structure
Social Structure
Meaning of Structure
The word ‘Structure’ in its original English meaning refers to “building construction” or
“arrangement of parts”, or “manner of organiasation”. Gradually, structure began to
imply inter-relations between the parts of any whole.
For example, a building which has structure consists of various parts such as stones,
sand, bricks, iron, cement, wood, glass etc.
Stones
Bricks
Sand
Structure of Building Needs
Concretes
In the same way, society too has its own structure called
‘social structure’. The components or units of social
structure are “persons”.
Introduction of Social Structure
The concept of social structure became popular amongst the sociologists, after
the World War II. In this period of time the term Social Structure came to be
applied to ‘almost any ordered arrangement of social phenomenon’.
Herbert Spencer was the first sociologist to through light on the structure of the
society. He was too much fascinated by his biological analogies(organic structure
and evolution) to make clear which he meant by the structure of the society.
According to him the meaning of social structure can be easily understood if we
take an example of the organic structure of body. Body is an arrangement of
different parts like legs ,mouth ,nose and ears ,etc. The body works through these
interdependent and inter-related parts. Social structure also consists of many parts
like families, schools ,factories, offices , non-govermental origination , jails , police
and hospitals ,etc.
Bank
Social
Structure
 Social Structure is recurring pattern of social behavior. It is based on the
working of subgroups and there is always a close relationship between roles and
sub-groups because each role occupant is required to perform certain duties
towards the members of a sub-group
Model of Social Structure
Educational System
Political System
Economic System
Stratification System
Kinship System
Meaning of Social Structure
Social structure refers to the stable patterns of collective rules,
roles and activities or in a society or in one of its part.
For example, In the University every year seniors depart and a new
class of freshman enters, some faculty members are replaced, new
classes are added to the curriculum, the administration arranges to
include students representatives in its planning sessions, curfews
are abolished and tuitions rises yet despite change in the personnel
and policies, something about the university remained unchanged.
Faculty members still design their courses, assign work to the
students and evaluate their progress. This way in which individual
faculty members perform their role vary, but the general pattern
are much the same and fit together into an overall structure that
we call a University. Structure itself remain invisible, it silently
shapes our action.
Definitions of Social structure
S.F. Nadel – “Social Structure indicates an ordered arrangement of parts
which can be treated transferable being relatively invariant while the
other parts themselves are variable”.
Redcliffe Brown – “The components of social structure are human
beings, the structure itself being an arrangement of persons in
relationships institutionally defined an regulated”.
Moris Ginsberg – “The study of social structure concerned with the
principal forms of social structure of social organization, i.e., types of
groups, associations and institutions and he complex of those which
constitute societies ,… A full account of social structure would involve a
review of the whole field of comparative institutions.
Characteristics of Social structure
 Social Structure is an Abstract and Intangible phenomenon
 Social Structure is comparatively a permanent concept
Patterned Arrangement
Normative Base
 Social Structure indicates External forms
 Social Structure is influenced by the Local Condition
 Social Structure does not indicates always the state of organization
Importance of Social processes in Social Structure
Social Structure is formed by many sub – structure – For example,
family, religion, economy these social units has their on structure.
Social Structure is a “living” structure which is created maintained for
a time and changes.
 Position System: Position system refers to statuses and roles of the
individual. The desires and aspirations of the individual are varied.
Proper functioning of social structure depends upon proper assignment
of roles and statuses. For example, when you hear the word status you
are likely to think of position. In Sociology, status refers to the position
that an individual occupies. That position may have a great deal of
prestige, as in the case of a judge or doctor, or it may carry less prestige,
as in the case of with a bus conductor. In addition, all of us occupy
several positions at the same time.
Sanction System: For the proper enforcement of the norms, every
society has a sanction system. It may also be understood from the
perspective rewards and punishments or penalties a society prescribes
 A System of Anticipated Response: Everyday, we hear the words like
“work ethics”, or see the play cards, which read – “city is yours, keep it
clean”. All are supposed to be the functions of the system of
anticipated responses. The anticipated responses system calls upon
the individuals to participate in the social system. It points to the fact
that individuals must realize their duties and should make effects to
fulfill them. Depending on this, a social structure can work
successfully.