CHAPTER- 1 SOCIAL STRUCTURE, STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL PROCESSES IN SOCIETY
NOTES
1. One of the main objectives of the sociological perspective is to understand the dialectical relationship between the individual and society.2. Social Structure and Social Stratification-
- The term social structure reflects the fact that society is structured, meaning that it is orderly and patterned in its specific form.
- The way people behave and the nature of their relationships with one another exhibit an underlying regularity or pattern. The concept of social structure refers to these regularities.
- Social structure is formed by human actions and relationships.
- In the process of social analysis, social reproduction and social structure are interconnected.
- One of the main themes advanced by Émile Durkheim is that society places social constraints on the actions of its members. Durkheim argued that society holds dominance over the individual.
- Marx argued that humans make history, but they do not make it according to their own will or under conditions of their own choosing.
- Social stratification refers to the existence of structural inequalities between groups in society, particularly in terms of access to material or symbolic rewards.
- Social stratification is identified by definite patterns of inequality as a part of a broader social structure.
3. There are three basic types of rewards that are enjoyed by privileged groups:
a) Life chances– all the material benefits that improve the quality of life for the recipient. These include not only economic advantages such as property and income but also other amenities like healthcare, employment, security, and recreation.
b) Social status– prestige and a high standing in the eyes of other members of society.
c) Political power– the dominance of one group over another group or groups, having authoritative influence in decision-making, or deriving significant benefits from decisions.
4. Ways of Understanding Social Processes in Sociology-
- Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim both assume that humans need to cooperate to fulfill their basic needs and must engage in production and reproduction for themselves and their world.
- Functionalist Perspective– Its main concern is primarily with the need for order in society, which includes certain functional necessities, functional expectations, and preconditions.
- The interrelationship between cooperation, competition, and conflict is usually complex and cannot be easily separated.
5. Cooperation and Division of Labor-
- The idea of cooperation is based on certain assumptions about human behavior.
- Most of the time in sociology, the belief that human nature is vile and cruel has not been accepted.
- For Durkheim, unity is the moral force of society, and it is a fundamental element for understanding cooperation and the functions of society.
- Division of labor is, at the same time, a law of nature as well as a moral rule of human behavior.
- Durkheim distinguished between mechanical and organic solidarity, which respectively characterize pre-industrial and complex industrial societies.
- Organic solidarity is the form of social cohesion based on the division of labor, which results in interdependence among members of society.
- Karl Marx also distinguishes between human life and animal life. While Durkheim considers altruism and unity as distinctive features of the human world, Marx emphasizes consciousness.
- According to Marx, in a society where classes exist, cooperation is not voluntary.
- Marx used the term "alienation" in the context of the objectification of labor and the workers' lack of control over the products of their labor.
6. Competition– as a concept and as behavior-
- In contemporary times, this is a dominant idea, and it is often difficult to imagine a society where competition is not a guiding force.
- In the contemporary world, competition is a major criterion and pattern. Classical sociologists like Émile Durkheim and Karl Marx have observed the development of individualism and competition together in modern societies.
- The fundamental principles of capitalism are: a) Expansion of trade, b) Division of labor, c) Specialization, d) Increasing productivity.
- The ideology of competition is a powerful ideology of capitalism. Its argument is that the market operates in such a way as to ensure maximum efficiency.
- Competition flourished as a strong desire right from the birth of capitalism.
- Competition and the free trade economy of the nineteenth century under capitalism may be essential for promoting economic development.
7. Struggle and Cooperation-
- The word "struggle" means a clash of interests.
- The bases of struggle vary. They can occur among classes or castes, tribes or genders, ethnic groups, or religious communities.
- Sociologists have drawn attention to the fact that the nature and forms of conflict continuously change during different stages of social development.
- Social change and the assertion of democratic rights by marginalized and discriminated groups further intensify conflicts.
- Traditionally, the family and home have been viewed as harmonious units where cooperation was the primary process, and altruism was considered a motivating principle of human behavior.
