Social Structure Definition and Overview in Sociology

Social structure is the organized set of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships that together compose society. Social structure is both a product of social interaction and directly determines it. Social structures are not immediately visible to the untrained observer, however, they are always present and affect all dimensions of human experience in society.​ It is helpful to think about social structure as operating on three levels within a given society: the macro, meso, and micro levels. Social Structure: The Macro Level of Society When sociologists use the term social structure they are typically referring to macro-level social forces including social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships. The major social institutions recognized by sociologists include family, religion, education, media, law, politics, and economy. These are understood as distinct institutions that are interrelated and interdependent and together help compose the overarching social structure of a society. These institutions organize our social relationships to others and create patterns of social relations when viewed on a large scale. For example, the institution of family organizes people into distinct social relationships and roles, including mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife, etc., and there is typically a hierarchy to these relationships, which results in a power differential. The same goes for religion, education, law, and politics. These social facts may be less obvious within the institutions of media and economy, but they are present there too. Within these, there are organizations and people who hold greater amounts of power than others to determine what happens within them, and as such, they hold more power in society. The actions of these people and their organizations behave as structuring forces in the lives of all of us. The organization and operation of these social institutions in a given society result in other aspects of social structure, including socio-economic stratification, which is not just a product of a class system but is also determined by systemic racism and sexism, as well as other forms of bias and discrimination. The social structure of the U.S. results in a sharply stratified society in which very few people control wealth and power — and they have historically tended to be white and male — while the majority has very little of either. Given that racism is embedded in core social institutions like education, law, and politics, our social structure also results in a systemically racist society. The same can be said for the problem of gender bias and sexism. Social Networks: The Meso Level Manifestation of Social Structure Sociologists see social structure present at the meso level — between the macro and the micro levels — in the social networks that are organized by the social institutions and institutionalized social relationships described above. For example, systemic racism fosters segregation within U.S. society, which results in some racially homogenous networks. The majority of white people in the U.S. today have entirely white social networks. Our social networks are also a manifestation of social stratification, whereby social relations between people are structured by class differences, differences in educational attainment, and differences in levels of wealth. In turn, social networks act as structuring forces by shaping the kinds of opportunities that may or may not be available to us, and by fostering particular behavioral and interactional norms that work to determine our life course and outcomes. Social Interaction: Social Structure at the Micro Level of Everyday Life Social structure manifests at the micro level in the everyday interactions we have with each other in the forms of norms and customs. We can see it present in the way patterned institutionalized relationships shape our interactions within certain institutions like family and education, and it is present in the way institutionalized ideas about race, gender, and sexuality shape what we expect from others, how we expect to be seen by them, and how we interact together. Conclusion In conclusion, social structure is composed of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships, but we also understand it as present in the social networks that connect us, and in the interactions that fill our everyday lives. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Literary Criticism Of Harrison Bergeron - 986 Words

The short, science-fiction story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† by Kurt Vonnegut is a literary piece in which members of a community abolish the possibilities of reasoning to maintain peace. As said in the story: â€Å"then other people’d get away with it - and soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else† (Vonnegut 2), the society’s government believed that with the introduction of uniqueness and superiority, conflict would arise, because competition to be better would begin. As a result, because of these customs, the Bergeron’s family is severely punished by taking away their fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, because of the characteristics of the Bergeron family’s son: his natural talents and beauty†¦show more content†¦As a result of these laws however, talented individuals were forced to use handicaps. These handicaps were special accessories designed for highly intelligent ind ividuals, so that if they ever attempt to use their supreme mental abilities in any event, this accessory would impair their abilities. Hazel, a citizen within this society, did not use this accessory, since she had a short memory span. Another citizen within the society that was smarter, George, was forced to use this accessory. George had to wear a mental handicap radio around his ear that transmitted abrupt sounds to avoid the outgoing use of his mind. Along with the handicap radio, he had to wear a forty-seven pound of birdshot in a canvas bag to debilitate the use of his strength. Overall, the constitution of this new civilization hindered individuals to think about anything differently so that others that weren’t above the normal capacity standard of mental abilities didn’t feel as if they didn’t belong to the same world, and cause there to be conflict or â€Å"competition,† as the government would say, as a result of these inferiorities. The same w as also applied to individuals who had greater strength than the typical standard – their strength was also impaired to match the ordinary standard set by officials of the government because the government believed differences in strength among citizens would also cause conflict. The H.GShow MoreRelatedHarrison Bergeron1095 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a story literally exaggerated to its limit by showing, in the near future, what it means to be equal in every way by having people not being able to show any form of intelligence or creativity whatsoever. When Harrison Bergeron breaks the chains of government oppression, he dies for his failed cause. He dies because he chooses not to conform to the rest of his oppressive society. His parents, George andRead MoreWe Are Not Our Own1208 Words   |  5 PagesEnide Sifrain Professor Stewart English 1102 29 October 2014 We are not our own The story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. he describes how the world would be enforced by the system of our government. This system the government imposes how to rule the minds of each civilian by diminishing their intellectual brains with handicap devices. The government wants everyone to be equal to each other and if one was more intelligent than the others they had to be labeled with a handicap deviceRead MoreThe Downfalls of Egalitarianism and Television964 Words   |  4 PagesKurt Vonnegut envisioned the fatal outcome in his masterpiece, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron.† The story illustrates â€Å"what would happen if a government or some other power takes this notion serious† (Mowery). The protagonist, Harrison, who is arrest for â€Å"exuberant individuality,† escapes from prison and goes on national television station to declare himself emperor, only later to be killed by the handicap general Diane Moon. In â€Å"Harrison Berger on,† Kurt Vonnegut satirizes the movement toward egalitarianism andRead MoreThe Downfalls of Egalitarianism and Television989 Words   |  4 Pagesto be equal? Kurt Vonnegut envisioned this in his masterpiece, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron.† The story is about â€Å"what would happen if a government or some other power takes this notion serious† (Mowery). The protagonist, Harrison, who is arrest for â€Å"exuberant individuality,† escapes from prison and goes on a national television station to declare himself emperor, only later to be killed by the handicap general Diane Moon. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† Kurt Vonnegut satirizes the movement toward egalitarianism andRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Critical Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the very first time. â€Å"So many people are. Afraid of firemen, i mean. But you’re just a man, after all...† (Bradbury 7) Through this attempt, Bradbury got Readers views for Fahrenheit 451 and the meaning that goes with it. Reader’s response criticism can be an opinion or thought of what the reader thinks or feels about a text or book. From reading the novel Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses symbolism to get his point to across to readers about our society’s future. He uses symbolism from theRead MoreHistory of the Development of the Short Story.3660 Words   |  15 PagesThe Short Story. Basic Literary Elements of The Short Story. 1.1.History of The Development of The Short Story. 1.1.1.Early Forms.Origins. The short story refers to a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, usually in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas (in the 20th and 21st century sense) and novels or books. Short story definitions based upon length differ somewhat even among professional writersRead More Slaughterhouse-Five: The Novel and the Movie Essay examples3404 Words   |  14 PagesHappy Birthday, Wanda June (1971) turned out so abominably that he asked to have his name removed from it; and he found Slapstick of Another Kind (1984) to be perfectly horrible (41,44). (This article was writen prior to Showtimes Harrison Bergeron, and Fine Lines Mother Night). A number of other Vonnegut novels have been optioned, but the film projects have either been abandoned during production or never advanced beyond an unproduced screenplay adaptation, indicating

Women in Mythology Free Essays

In myths the classical hero is consistently male, but in underworld myths females tend to have a larger or primary role. Jung emphasized the importance of the women the hero encountered during his adventures: they represent the anima, or the female part of the male psyche. This figure is an opposite-sex archetype essential to the development of a complete and mature personality. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Mythology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Women in underworld myths are often portrayed as either â€Å"Mother Atonement†, a goddess or a temptress (189), although these are the main roles of women in underworld myths there are also women who portray a heroic role closer to that of a man. The first myth is the story of Psyche; Psyche loses her husband Cupid and must perform a series of tasks to win him back. The role of Psyche is similar to that of a male role in a traditional heroic archetype because she must complete a series of tasks in order to test her, and show her worthiness to Cupid. It is different because this myth does not contain each part of separation and departure, trials and victories or return. This story includes â€Å"the call to adventure†, which is when Psyche loses cupid, â€Å"the road of trials† where Psyche must complete her many tasks and â€Å"crossing the return threshold† where she wins Cupid’s love back. The role of the woman, Psyche, in this myth and in general is significant because she plays not as much of a hero role but has to endure the process that a hero would take, she also plays neither a seductress nor a Mother Atonement role in comparison to other mythological women such as the Lady of Tubber Tintye or the virgin goddess Diana. The second myth is The Prince of the Lonesome Isle. All of the women, minus one, in this particular myth play the roles of temptresses. The first thirteen women the hero comes across are the most beautiful women he has ever laid eyes on, each more beautiful than the previous, each continuously tempting the prince to stay but he leaves them nonetheless. The last woman in the myth, the Lady of Tubber Tintye, plays the role of a creator goddess who nourishes and protects the world(189), he stays with her six days and six nights but still continues and completes his quest (Jeremiah Curtin 101-106). The ways in which the roles of the women differ from the male roles in the traditional heroic archetype are that the women do not present a heroic archetype but rather that of a distraction from the princes original quest he wishes to complete. â€Å"In the morning they came to a house on the roadside; and going in, they saw a woman who had washed herself in a golden basin which stood before her. She was then wetting her head with the water in the basin, and combing her hair with a golden comb. She threw back her hair, and looking at the prince, said: † You are welcome, sister’s son. What is on you? Is it the misfortune of the world that has brought you here? † â€Å"It is not; I am going to Tubber Tintye for three bottles of water. † â€Å"That is what you’ll never do; no man can cross the fiery river or go through the enchantments around Tubber Tintye. Stay here with me, and I’ll give you all I have. † â€Å"No, I cannot stay, I must go on. â€Å"† (Jeremiah Curtin) These women are significant to the actual story because they show how the prince resisted the calls of the seductresses, met and united with a goddess who helped him to fulfill his quest. These women in the myth are significant to the portrayal of women in myths in general because they fit the stereotype of women in underworld myths being evil temptresses. But it also breaks the mold seeing as once the prince meets with the creator goddess, â€Å"queen goddess of the world†(189) she helps him to fulfill his quest rather than hindering his quest or inhibiting his ability, such as in the myth of Actaeon and the virgin goddess Diana. In the last myth, the myth of Actaeon and the virgin goddess Diana (Artemis), Actaeon stumbles across Diana while he is hunting and happens to see her while she is bathing in a stream. Diana fears that he will brag about seeing her, and turns him into a stag, which then his own hunting dogs are set on him (189). Diana’s importance to the story shows the power that women have, they are not just pretty faces there is always something more to them. To the general portrayal of women in myths Diana unmasks the Greek male’s fear of women – female beauty is not just there for his enjoyment – it has a power to trap and then destroy (Andrew Wilson) Diana’s roll differs from the traditional male heroic archetype because she is an object of lust turned somewhat evil rather than brave or heroic. She is similar to that of the heroic archetype of a male because she is a â€Å"vengeful destroyer† (Storybuilder User’s Manual) towards Actaeon. In conclusion, throughout underworld mythology the role of women can stray from the typical â€Å"temptress or goddess† and find their way to being a woman called to an adventure. They all have significance to be able to change mythology from a man only perspective, into one where a woman can also be the hero. Although most of the women in these myths are have more differences from the male heroic archetype than similarities, they still have some form of the heroic archetype to them: Psyche’s love for Cupid is tested through tasks, and Diana uses her vengeful destroyer attitude. The women of underworld mythology show that women are not just their beauty or for looking at, they have an underlying root of skill that should allow them their own heroic archetype as well. Works Cited Campbell, John. â€Å"Hero with a Thousand Faces. † Magical Earth Maiden Pattern. Princeton University Press, n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 013. . Curtin, Jeremiah. â€Å"The King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome Island. † Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland. Little, Brown and Company, n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. . Storybuilders User Manual. â€Å"Archetypes, Myths, and Characters. † Archetypes, Myths and Characters. Seven Valleys Software, Glen Rock, PA, 1996-1998. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. . Thury, Eva M. , and Margaret Klopfle Devinney. Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. pages 185-191 Wilson, Andrew. â€Å"Diana Actaeon. † The Classics Pages. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. . How to cite Women in Mythology, Essay examples

Buddhism- Critical Thinking Paper free essay sample

October 3, 2011 Buddhism- Critical Thinking Paper Part One: Origin Buddhism was founded by Prince Siddhartha Gautama. His father the king kept him sheltered from the world. He never witnessed sadness, hungry, pain, or the aging. On four occasions he had visions of people sick, hungry and dying. After having the visions he left his family and his home to go out to experience the world on the â€Å"Great Renunciation†. For six years he had very little to eat or drink. Finally one day while sitting under a fig tree, (Bodhi-tree of wisdom). He was enlightened about the way life should be. He had reached nirvana (the highest level of knowledge). Once he reached nirvana he changed his name to Buddha (meaning: the Enlightened One). Identity Buddha gave the Sermon at Benares to share what he had discovered during his meditation under the fig tree (Bodhi-the tree of wisdom). He thought the Four Nobles and Eightfold Noble Path. We will write a custom essay sample on Buddhism- Critical Thinking Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His belief was if you stopped desire you would not suffer. You can obtain what is called the Middle Way when you use moderation. This is to keep you from desire. Meaning The meaning of Buddhism is to find inner peace. To be removed from life’s desires. Morality There is a sense of morality in Buddhism. It is taught not commit adultery, or to steal, or to lie. They look at stealing and adultery as somewhat the same. To commit adultery is like stealing someone else’s partner. Destiny The destiny for a Buddhist is to reach nirvana, totally enlightened and to be wise about life. Buddhism- Critical Thinking Paper Part two: Origin Buddhism was founded by an Asian prince who was on a six year quest for knowledge and wisdom. Christianity was created by God though his inspired words, through prophets and the teachings of Jesus. Identity Buddhism’s identity is peace and wisdom.