Sociology Chapter: Social Constructs and Structures

Social Structure

• Pre-existing patterns of social behavior and the organization of society into predictable relationships.

Social Construction

• Reality is a product of cultural and historical timeframes, determined by societal agreement rather than inherent natural characteristics.
• Thomas Theorem (1923): If an individual believes something is real, it has real consequences.

Racial Formation Theory (Omi & Winant, 1989)

• Race is a social construct, determined by societal variables.
• Racial categories have evolved throughout history.
• Individuals may claim racial identities, but society might reject those claims based on its own standards.
• Race is not based on biological indicators, rather social constructs.

Ethnic Groups

• Are set apart by national origin or distinctive cultural patterns.
• Behavioral differences are learned through socialization and interaction, not biology.

Social Construction of Reality (Berger & Luckmann, 1966)

• Three-stage model explaining the construction of reality:
  • Externalization: Individuals develop ideas about the world and try to persuade others. Moral entrepreneurs (Becker, 1963) promote their version of reality as the "correct" one.
  • Objectivation: Externalized ideas are viewed as "fact," existing independent of their originators. Ideas are considered for truthfulness and spread through social interaction. Urban legends, often reflecting societal fears and values, are an example.
  • Internalization: Ideas, now seen as true by many, become incorporated into individual beliefs and behaviors. People lose awareness that "reality" is simply a set of ideas, treating them as inherent truths.

Elements of Structure: Status

• Status represents a defined position within a group or society.
• Ascribed Status: A position assigned based on social criteria without regard for individual characteristics or abilities. Examples include race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.
• Achieved Status: A position earned through effort and actions.

Intersectionality

• A concept describing how various forms of inequality (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism) are interconnected and should not be examined in isolation.

Elements of Structure: Roles

• Social Roles: Sets of expectations for individuals occupying a specific status.
• Role Strain: Difficulty meeting the responsibilities of a particular role.
• Imposter Syndrome: Doubting one's abilities and believing they are a fraud, often experienced by high-achievers.
• Role Conflict: When expectations of two or more roles demand contradictory behaviors.

Identity Theory (Stryker, 1980)

• Identity: The collection of roles and their associated meanings within one's self-concept.
• Roles are hierarchically organized, with the most salient (important) identities at the top, greatly influencing thoughts, actions, feelings, and beliefs.
• Commitment: The cost of abandoning a particular identity.
  • Interactional Commitment: Relationships that would be lost by leaving a role.
  • Affective Commitment: Emotional costs associated with leaving a role.
• High commitment leads to increased role salience, leading people to spend more time in that role, seek opportunities to play it, and see neutral situations as suitable for the role.
• Identity hierarchy is relatively stable and changes only with significant life events.

Roles and Dramaturgy (Goffman)

• Dramaturgy: Viewing social behavior as a theatrical performance.
• Impression Management: Attempting to present the most favorable image of oneself to achieve a particular outcome.
• Roles are more fluid and situational, adopted to create a good impression for the current audience.
• Self-concept is constantly changing and adapted to the context.
• We constantly manage impressions in social interaction.

Summary: Goffman vs. Stryker

• Goffman: Self-concept is fluid and determined by the situation and audience.
• Stryker: Self-concept is stable and only changes with significant life events.

Explore the key concepts of social structure and the social construction of reality in this quiz. Delve into theories such as Racial Formation and the implications of social behavior on identities. Understand how culture and history shape our perceptions and realities.