Social Structure – Concept and Theories

Social structure is one of the important concepts of sociology. The concept of social structure in sociology was first used by Herbert Spencer in his book “Principles of Sociology”. Durkheim used it in ‘The Rules of Sociological Methods’. But unfortunately they could not explain it clearly. Lewis Henry Morgan’s book ‘Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family’ is considered the first anthropological study of social structure. It should be noted that the word structure was first used in the context of the structure of the house. After that, the form of body structure was used in biology and from biology itself was taken in sociology.

Just as a body or a material thing is structured, so is the structure of society. The structure of society is also made up of many units like family, institutions, associations, patterned relationships, values and positions etc. All these units are related to each other systematically and are relatively stable in their respective places. By the combination of all these, an external form of society appears which we call social structure. Society is not a monolithic system. It has different parts. These different parts are systematically combined to form a structure. This structure is called social structure. In the words of Talcott Parsons, “Social structure refers to the specific hierarchy of interrelated institutions, agents and social patterns and statuses and roles performed by each individual in the group.” It is clear from this definition that –

-. Formation of social structure Social institutions, agencies. social norms and the statuses and roles of the individual.

-. In this form the social structure is abstract, because the units of its construction are intangible.

These units are related to each other.

A certain hierarchy is found in the social structure.

In the view of Karl Manheim, ‘Social structure is a network of interacting social forces from which various methods of observation and thinking have emerged. “This statement shows that—

Social structure is a web of social forces.

Here social forces mean the means of social control.

-. These social forces keep on interacting with each other.

At the same time, these forces give rise to the methods of observation and thinking.

According to H. M. Johnson, “The structure of an object is formed by the relatively permanent interrelationships existing in its parts. A certain amount of permanence is found in the word itself. Since a social order is made up of unrelated activities of people, its structure must be traced to the degree of regularity or repetition of these actions. It is clear from this definition that social mobility is related to social change. This definition shows that –

There are many units of construction of social structure.

Interrelationships are found in these units.

These relations have the quality of stability and the interaction between individuals contributes to the formation of social structure.

RK Merton has given the basis of social structure to the status and role of the individuals of the society. He says that in society the individual enjoys many statuses and each status has roles related to it. The social structure is formed by these statuses and roles. In the light of the above definitions, it can be said that social structure is made up of many units (social groups, institutions, status and role of individuals etc.). These units are interrelated with each other. It is considered relatively more stable.

Characteristics of Social Structure

Particular Arrangement: Social structure is a specific order. Any social structure is not formed by the mere sum of units, but they have to be combined in a specific order. Without order, a structure cannot be formed. In the same way, if brick, stone, cement, iron, sand etc. are kept mixed in one place, then the building is not made. Only when these things are systematically combined, the structure of the building is formed properly.

– Lack of Local Characteristics (Effect of LocalCharacteristics): Local characteristics are felt in the social structure. This is the reason that the structure of one society is different from the other. In fact, the society is influenced by the geographical, economic, cultural and political conditions of that place. Naturally, there is an impression of locality in the structure of the society.

– Interrelated: The property of interrelation is found in the units of social structure. Each tickard is related to other units. family, school. Colleges, hospitals, police stations, courts, etc. are the units of social structure. They have their own special function in the society, which makes their importance clear, but all these units are not independent, but are related to each other in some way or the other. This is the characteristic of social structure. these above characteristics

The concept of social structure becomes more clear from the students. In this form it can be said to be the result of the interactions of the lines.

Abstract Concept: Social structure is an abstract concept. Parsons and MacIver. And the page has mentioned this feature. Parsons has mentioned institutions, agencies, patterns, situations and roles as units of social structure. None of these units is tangible, but intangible, so the social structure is also intangible. Wright believes that social structure refers to a condition or condition or relationship, hence it is an abstract concept.

Relatively Stable: Social structure is a relatively stable concept. Johnson says that the units out of which the social structure is made up are relatively more stable. Therefore, social structures made up of relatively stable units are relatively stable. In fact, the structure is a model of the permanent elements or organs and therefore the highly variable elements cannot be included in them.

Social Processes: Social processes contribute to the formation of social structure. Co-operation, adjustment, assimilation, competition and conflict are some of the processes without which social structure cannot be formed. As the nature of these processes, a particular social structure is formed accordingly. M. B. Olsen (M. B. Olsen) considered social structure to be the external component of processes.

– Sub-structures: There are many sub-structures of social structure. That is to say that the units from which the social structure is made have their own separate structure. For example, social structure is formed by family, school, college, hospital, caste etc. In this way social structure is made up of many sub structures.

– Outer Form: The social structure gives a sense of the outer form of the society. It is made up of various units (groups, institutions, committees, status and role of individuals etc.). These units are related to each other to form a structure. In the same way as the body structure is formed from different parts of the body (hands, feet, ears, eyes etc.).

Elements of Social Structure

There is a lack of consensus among social scientists regarding the elements of social structure. H. M. Johnson has considered various groups, sub-groups and the social relations found among them as the elements of social structure. RM MacIver (R. M. Maclver) has seen family, community, caste, class, town, village etc. as elements. The basic elements of social structure can be understood as follows:

Statuses and Roles: The basic elements of social structure are the statuses and roles of individuals. Social structure is formed by the systematic combination of these two. In the social structure every person gets a fixed position, that is called his status. A person suited to the situation is expected to complete the work, that is his role. The harmony between status and role maintains the structure.

Social Interactions: Social interactions are an important element of social structure. In every society, individuals interact with each other to satisfy their various needs. does. In the course of this interaction, the division of labor is associated with maximum profit and satisfaction of the individual. The structure of society rests on this

Social Institutions: Institutions are important elements of social structure. Institutions mean those rules and procedures which contribute to the maintenance of social relations. The development of such institutions takes place after a long process. They have properties of relatively durability. Institutions determine fair and unfair practices. Through these social relations are established. The system of control is maintained. Thus social structure is made up of multiple elements. These elements are closer to the sociological perspectives.

Person: The first element of the social structure is called the individual. R. Brown (R. Brown) has written, “Humans are part of the social structure.” Individuals continue to develop social relations among themselves. This creates a complex web of relationships. These relationships become defined and regularized by social institutions. It organizes people in a certain way. This systematic form of individuals is the social structure.

Values and Values: The basic element of social structure is social values and norms. R. K. Merton (R. K. Merton) says that the orderliness of the social structure is maintained as long as the individuals of the group continue to behave according to the values and norms. When the balance and orderliness of these rules get disturbed, the condition of Anomie develops.

Social System

Social order is formed through social interactions and interrelationships. human soul

The concept of social structure becomes more clear from the students. In this form it can be said to be the result of the interactions of the lines.

Elements of Social Structure

Social System

Social order is formed through social interactions and interrelationships. human soul

As a result of the interactions and interrelationships between the people, various customs, procedures, committees, institutions, means of control etc. develop. These different elements remain functionally combined. This is the social system. The most detailed analysis of systems analysis in modern sociology has been done by T. Parsons. He has given a detailed explanation of this in his famous book ‘The Social System’ 1951. Parsons defines social system as, “A social system consists of a multiplicity of individual actors interacting with each other in a condition which has at least one physical or environmental aspect, such actors who are are motivated by a tendency to contentment and whose relationship to each other and to their situations is defined and judged by cultural structures and common cooperating symbols. From this definition the following basic facts are known –

(1) There has to be more than one actor for a social system.

(2) The process of interaction is found between these actors.

(3) The condition is necessary for the interaction. In this situation both physical and social environment is involved.

(4) have a definite goal and

(5) which shall have a cultural structure.

Loomis believes that (1) social order is formed by the interaction of multiple individual acts; (2) These actors have the quality of interdependence. (3) The doer has a goal. In the desire to achieve that goal, the actors are related to each other and interact.

M – E. According to Jones (M. E. Jones), “Social system is a situation or condition in which the various functional units that make up a society are related in a meaningful way with each other and with the society as a whole.” It turns out that social order is formed as a result of the interaction of many people in a recognized way. Thus, on the basis of the above description, it can be said that social order is formed as a result of the interaction of individuals. These individuals interact with each other with a goal in mind. Also, there must be a place and situation for the interaction.

Characteristics of Social System

Meaningful Interaction: A social system is a system of meaningful interactions. Meaningless or purposeless interactions do not constitute a social order. The origin and development of customs, modes of work, groups, institutions, means of control, methods etc. found in the society are the result of meaningful interactions.

Functional Relation: Functional relations are found between the units of social order. Each of its units has a specific function. It is on the basis of this function that each unit is connected to each other, due to which a related similarity is formed. This is called social system.

Dynamic: The social system is dynamic. Its basis is interactional relationship. Interactional relationships keep on changing. Therefore, change in the social system is natural. This does not mean that it does not have stability. Mobility is observed in its stability itself.

Related with Cultural System: Parsons has mentioned cultural background in the formation of social system. According to him, the basis of social system is interactional relationship. This relationship is determined by religion, custom, law, customs etc. All these are the units of the cultural system, in this form it is natural for the social system to be related to the cultural system.

Fulfillment of Human Needs: A major feature of a social system is said to be related to the fulfillment of human needs. This system has a definite goal which is human. The basic basis of interactions between two or more actors is the fulfillment of needs. Human needs are the foundation of interdependence. That is why Parsons has also mentioned all the needs of the social system. These are biological pre-requisites. Cultural pre-requisites across functional pre-needs.

Adaptable: The social system has the quality of adaptability. One, society is changing. In this sequence, the system also keeps on adapting to the changing circumstances. Second, human needs keep on changing. In this sequence the social system also changes and adapts to the changed circumstances.

Social Interaction: Social system is based on the process of interaction. Parsons wrote, “Social system is essentially a network of interacting relationships. In this, when there are interactional relations between two or more actors, then social order is formed. Parsons called action the building stone for the system. Where is it?

Equilibrium: The system of social system balance

Is . This is not a monolithic system. It has many units and sub-units. These units do not work in isolation, but all the units work together. it keeps the balance

Sociology, which studies ‘society’ as a whole, has two basic concepts – ‘social structure’ and ‘social system’. Early and broadly, it can be said that social structure refers to the structure of the society, whereas social system refers to the functional side of that society. Society is not a monolithic system, it has different parts. These different parts are systematically combined to form a framework or framework, this is called social structure. On the contrary, these constituent parts of the society, elements or units, on the basis of their respective functions, generate the balance, while being related to each other, it is called social system. In this sense, ‘social structure’ refers to the pattern of the external framework of society, while ‘social order’ refers to the internal processes of society.

Some scholars are of the opinion that social structure is a more dynamic or dynamic concept because of its relation to the constructive or paradigmatic side. For example, take an organism only – a special type of body composition or structure is formed by a special combination of different parts of the body. This is what we call the zoological structure or organic structure. But if the skeleton of a dog and the skeleton of a human are placed side by side, it will be clear that they are not the same as they differ in their anatomical structure. Structure presents a specific pattern on the basis of which one can be distinguished from the other. From each other’s point of view, different parts of the animal have certain functions, on the basis of those functions, these organs, while related to each other, give their cooperation in keeping the whole organism active, due to which the existence of the organism would have been possible. Is . This side of the organic is called organic system.

The structure of society may not actually be a real object or a tangible concept because society itself is intangible.

Wright wrote, “In essence it refers to a state or condition, a relation, so it is therefore essentially an abstraction.

“Karl Mannheim considered the social structure to be a web of interacting social forces. Many sociologists consider society to be a web of social relations. Mannheim has called the structure of the same society a network of social forces.

According to him the word ‘net’ itself is indicative of a systematic pattern. In general, there are many wires in a net, these wires are the units of ‘net’, but the mere aggregation of these wires does not make ‘net’ unless they have a sequence, warp or sequence. In the same way, social structure also refers to a sequence, fabric or hierarchy. This fabric of social structure is the social forces. Social forces refer to those regulatory and controlling means which provide stability to social life. These forces do not work separately, but they interact with each other. The ‘web’ that this fabric of interacting social forces creates is what Mannheim called social structure. Mannheim says that the methods of observation and thinking found in society are born only as a result of the interactions of these social forces. From this discussion it is clear that the definition of Mannheim is vague and incomplete. Come

From the definition there is no clear indication of the elements or organs that make up or make up the social structure. In the modern sense, it is not possible to build a structure on the basis of mere ‘powers’ whatever kind they may be. The structure, formative composition or pattern which is understood by the word ‘structure’, cannot be imagined on the basis of power. Ginsberg’s definition is clearer than Mannheim’s. Ginsberg has considered the entire socio-founding structure as social structure and at the same time has not mentioned any clear distinction in social organization and structure. In the main forms of social organization, you have included different types of groups, committees and institutions. Society is formed and social organization flourishes only with these groups, committees and institutions. Social structure is the expression or form of social organization itself. “Group means any collection of human beings

Talcott Parsons
(Social System)

Before Parsons, many scholars had been presenting the concept of social system in their own way. In this regard, Loomis said that social order is an internal condition of society. Somewhat different from this Jones’ statement was that a social system is a situation in which different parts of society function in a meaningful way with each other. Rejecting all such ideas, Talcott Parsons defined the social system in his book ‘The Social System’ published in 1951.

Defining that “Social system is an organized system of social actions which includes the actions performed by many actors.” 1 These activities are influenced by the social norms and cultural values. From this point of view the individual actors, the system of interaction of actors and a cultural system are the three important elements of a social system.

On the basis of these three elements, the concept of social system presented by Parsons can be understood through two aspects: structural aspect and functional aspect. Under the structural side, we mainly study that system of interactions related to the actors which is affected by a particular cultural system, whereas from the functional side Parsons has clarified the characteristic of self-adjustment by the social system. This aspect was presented by Parsons through the ‘Agil Model’.

Structural Aspect of Social System

the view that social system is made up of interrelated actions of individuals, so its structure can be traced only in the level of regularity of those actions and their repetition. Thus Parsons gave an important place in the structure of social system to the regularity and repetition of the actions performed by the individuals. It is necessary to note that along with giving importance to the individual in the structure of social system, Parsons also clarified that their roles are more important than the individuals in this structure. This is because the roles of the individual are more permanent than the roles themselves.

In fact, the roles of individuals or actors, their regularity and repetition get perpetuated only by various social norms or norms. Clarifying this, Johnson wrote, “Different roles and sub-groups are different parts of the structure of a social system and the stability, regularity and repetition of social interactions are influenced by those social norms.” Which determine the roles and responsibilities of different sub-groups.” 3 It is clear that the structure of social system is not only formed by the actors or sub-groups but also social norms or social norms have an important place in it. . Persins clarified that in the structure of any social system certain social norms are necessarily found and on the basis of these the members of a sub-group perform their respective roles. In this regard, Parsons mentioned two types of social patterns:

(1) Relational Social Norms and

(2) Regulatory Social Norms.

Relational social patterns determine the nature of relationships to be established between role-holders and their groups. These patterns are positive. From this point of view, the social norms which give the responsibility of establishing a particular type of relationship with the individual to his family, those patterns are not found in any business organization or other groups. This model separates the role of the father from the role of his son, the regulatory social model is permissive. It gives instructions to the role holders and sub-groups as to what should and should not be done within the social system. For example, it is a normative social norm that one should not disrespect the father in the role of son. Similarly for political groups in our society it is a normative social norm that no movement should be carried out by violence.

It thus becomes clear that while relational social patterns guide the actions of actors, regulatory social patterns influence the roles of subgroups and their members. Along with relational and regulatory norms, social values also have an important place in the structure of social system. Defining value Parsons wrote, “Value can be defined as a concept or standard which may be cultural or merely personal and through which things can be compared or can be accepted or rejected. Thus a value, whether of an individual or of a group, is accepted as an emotionally important criterion. Yet it is true that in some, particular situations, social values and There may also be conflicts or conflicts between individual desires. For example, even after acknowledging the value of honesty, if one wishes to become wealthy very quickly, this situation explains such conflict. Told that some activities of a person are sometimes disvalued activities also because they involve spiteful values. Attraction towards adulterous activities is an example of this. This condition is not limited to the individual only. is rather different groups

This conflict of values is often seen even at the level of education. Even after this, it is necessary to keep in mind that the structure of the social system keeps on resolving the situations of conflict of values through its cultural values. This is the reason that stability remains in the structure of the social system. Parsons pointed out that there is such a close relationship between social norms and values. The relationship is that it is often difficult to differentiate between them. In fact, “values are the general norms of society and can be considered as the higher-order models. From this point of view, social norms and social values are the ones that form the structure of the social system on the basis of the above ideas in perpetuating the structure of the social system.” The major units or elements can be understood as follows:

Kinship System – The kinship system is the basis which determines the status of the individual in the family and various sub-groups. This is how it is determined. that family or

What will be the status of the person in the family based groups like gotra lineage and caste etc. and what roles he will be expected to fulfill in the group. Thus, kinship is that important factor in the structure of social system which determines the social status and roles of individuals.

Social Stratification – This is the second major structural element of the social system. Social stratification is the system by which different members of a group are divided into several categories on the basis of their status. All these categories are higher or lower than each other. Parsons clarified that on the basis of this high or low, the interrelationships of various actors in the social system are determined. This social stratification is also based on certain rules. For example, caste is the main basis of social stratification in our social system whereas in many other societies different social categories are formed on the basis of income, sex, wealth or social status. According to the rules on which social stratification is based, the social structure assumes a special form. According to Parsons, this stratification is also useful from the point of view that on the one hand it creates stability in the social system and on the other hand it becomes easier to distribute rewards among different members on its basis.

Power system – Power system is the third structural element of the social system, whose function is to maintain balance in the social system and to establish control over the behavior of different actors and groups. According to the power-system, a society is divided into different power-groups in such a way that each group can control the arbitrary behavior of the other. For example, whenever the ruling group wants to conduct arbitrary behavior due to the power-system getting some power to different political groups, the opposition groups use their power to prevent anarchy from taking place.

Integration of Values - According to Passson, the integration of values in the structure of social system is that important element which binds different actors to each other on moral grounds. Values are the social criterion on the basis of which the attitudes and behaviors of the characters are determined in every social system. Uniformity in the behavior of the members of a society arises due to living in common values.

Functional Aspect of Social System : Agil Model

While the structural side of a social system explains the stability of another social system, the functional side is concerned with the characteristics that explain the dynamic side of the social system. In other words it can be said that those units which contribute in making the structure of social system dynamic, we call them as functional units of social system. Before elucidating Parsons’s ideas about functions, it is necessary to understand the views expressed by Thomas Hans (T. Hobbes) in the book ‘Labiathan’.

Hobbes said that all individuals want to establish their authority over the rare and limited things found around them. In a natural state (in which there are no social norms) there may be bitter struggle between individuals to establish their superiority over each other. In this stage the life of man will become conflicting, animalistic and short-lived. Parsons says that if the above statement of Thomas Hobbes is accepted as true, then it becomes our social need to end the struggle for power in human society. Clarifying his statement, he told that although the power system has a major role in providing stability to the social system, but the struggles arising out of power also give rise to many problems. When conflicts over power or ownership of property increase in society, the members and various sub-groups of the society

Conditions of tension arise between them. With the increase of conflicts, some such unfavorable conditions also arise which break the unity of the society and generate disruptive tendencies. Any such process of tension, adversity or disintegration can destroy the social order. Therefore, every social system tries to achieve its goal that such situations do not arise. Parsons in his book ‘The Social System’ mentioned four such functions, only by fulfilling which the social system can fulfill this need. These are the functions:

Adaptation,

2 . Goal Attainment,

Integration,
Latency

These four functions described by Parsons are known as ‘Agil Model’, so we will mention these functions in the context of social system under this name. Describing the social system, Parsons said that “the origin and development of social system is the result of the interactions of individuals. then a particular social order is formed.It means that for the maintenance of any social order it is necessary that the desires of the individuals should be fulfilled according to the social norms. According to Parsons maintaining the social order It is in the interest of the individual because by this only those needs of the persons which he desires can be fulfilled.

Parsons clarified that while some mediums and goals are external to the maintenance of any social order, there are many goals and their mediums, medium goals ( Goal ) External adaptation ( Adaptation ) Goal Attainment ( Latency integration is internal by its nature. The format by which Parsons presented this condition is known as ‘Azil format’. Under this, the functional side of the social system, through which the four main elements were presented, can be understood as follows:

(1) External Medium – Every system must have some external medium. For example, if we take the arrangement of a table, then the external medium of the table will be the things from which the table is made. For this arrangement of the table to work smoothly, it is necessary that the adaptation between the different parts of the table should be maintained. This means that if the legs of the table are thin, then very heavy wood should not be placed on it, nor should very thick screws or nails be used in it. Parsons is of the opinion that in the same way for the development of social system, it is necessary to have a process of adaptation among individuals. Thus, according to you, the process of adaptation is the external medium of the social system. Parsons has mentioned three systems under the process of adaptation as follows: (a) Main Values of Society – In every society some values are of central importance and all the activities performed by individuals are based on these values. are affected by. These values reduce the conflict between the different sub-systems of the society and make them adapt to each other. In this sense the central values act as a mechanism of the process of adaptation. (b) Rationalization – Parsons states that if any contradiction arises in the various values of the society, then on the basis of logic and reason, it is also decided that which value will be more prudent to accept by the society. Similarly, when a person behaves contrary to social values, then other people try to adapt to that person through conscience without giving rise to conflict. (c) Symbolic Isolation In a social system, symbolic separation is used as a method by which conflicting behaviors can also be recognized. For example, in modern societies secular practices are also recognized along with religious practices. In this situation, due to the symbolic separation between different behaviors in each other, adaptation remains within the social system and the situation of conflict does not arise.

(2) External Goal – According to Parsons, the second functional requirement of a social system is to achieve some external goal. It consists of goals which are concerned with keeping the external structure of the social system in order and keeping it functionally useful. Is . In the social system every person wants to achieve his goals. In this situation it is possible that some contradiction may arise between him and the goals of the society. The social system in this condition provides opportunities to each person to achieve the goal through adaptation by eliminating the opposition. Johnson has now clarified the idea of Passens, considering the system as a sub-system of the social system.

has done. According to you, the economy of the society is that sub-system which produces goods and services for a variety of purposes. In this way, in order to achieve the goal in the social system, the work of economic production is done in different ways. In other words, it can be said that the economy, through its functions, remains the means of achieving the goals of the society.

(3) Internal Goal – According to Parsons, the third function of a social system is to achieve the goals related to its internal structure. This goal is mainly to integrate the persons belonging to the social system or to encourage the process of integration among them. Such integration is done through institutional groups. Clarifying this, Johnson has written that “mental force is needed to achieve the internal goal of the social system. In his daily activities, the person’s thinking is not related to the interest of the whole society, but he pays more attention to the interests of the groups (sub-groups) related to himself. In this situation, many institutional groups help to link the behavior of the individual with the whole social system. It is clear that the internal goal of the social system is to increase the process of integration as much as possible.

(4) Internal Medium – The medium which is used to increase integration as the internal goal of the social system, is called Latency by Parsons. This means that when a situation of tension arises in various units related to the social system, then there is a need to either reduce that tension or eliminate it. This is possible only when the units of the social system, whether they are actors or sub-groups, have respect for their social norms and behave according to them. Through this statement Parsons made it clear that the process of socialization is an internal means of the social system towards the goal of integration. Socialization is the process by which the cultural patterns of the society are incorporated in the personality of the members belonging to a social system. Some confusion and mistrust also arise in many situations within the social system. It is necessary to remove such delusions and mistrusts because without it the social order can be broken. For example, family is a sub-system and it makes its members worry-free through many functions, praises the members for good deeds and tries to minimize the possibility of stress by solving their problems. . This is the means by which the process of integration within a system becomes more important. It is clear from this model presented by Rail Parsons that Parsons not only tried to give a new direction to the concept of function but also made it clear that social system performs many functions related to external and internal goals and mediums. Because of this, dynamics remains in the social system.

Views of Radcliffe – Brown on Social Structure

Radcliffe-Brown has clearly written, “The components of a social structure are human beings and the structure itself is an orderly form or arrangement of individuals within defined and regular relations as founding. You have also written that by direct observation we know that human beings are related to each other by a complex web of social relations. – Brown experiment has been done. But remember that man himself is the creator of this network of relationships and the fabric of relationships is between the same human beings. During social interactions, these relationships become more clear and regular, or rather, That these relations are defined and regulated by social institutions. Thus defined and regular relations organize the members of society in a certain way. This systematic form of individuals or members of society is the social structure. It can also be presented in this way. An institutionally defined and regular relationship unites a person with other people in a certain way. As a result of this union, the members of the society are in a certain way within their social system. They get dressed.

Social structure is the pattern formed by the members of the society in such a decorated manner or systematically. To explain this view more clearly, Brown has given the example of tribal societies of Australia and Africa. The kinship system in these societies is the expression of institutional relations. These relations unite the relatives with each other in a particular way and also provide them with certain fixed status. The model on which these relatives collectively form these positions is called kinship structure. The same pattern or order can be seen in other areas of social life as well.

She is Take, for example, marriage. The Thonga and Bantu tribes of South Africa have a custom of giving a dhor called ‘Labola’ as a bride-price. This custom related to marriage unites many people with each other and it is in such a way that not only the members of a person’s own family, but also his close relatives help in gathering ‘Labola’. The same Labola is given for the marriage of the bride’s brother or any other close relative – in the form of assistance in the marriage of relatives. In this way, through the institution of marriage, the members of two families not only become related to each other, but a kind of financial cooperation also develops in them. In this form, the institutionally defined and regular marriage-relationship becomes that link which connects the members of two families in the socio-economic sphere.

Views of S.F. Nadel on Social Structure

According to Nadel’s view, the term ‘structure’ denotes a defined aggregation of organs, a systematic ordering. Since ‘structure’ is related to articulation or arrangement, it has nothing to do with ‘function’, content, content or qualitative nature. While describing the structure, we exclude from ‘whole’ all those things which are not ‘order’ or order. For example , we can make a wooden or tin box , without mentioning it ( ie without associating ourselves with the contents of S.E. Nadel ) can present a description of its structure . The content or function is not included in the description of the structure.

On the basis of this it can be concluded that without the tangible material expressing the structure, the relocation of the structure can take place. This can be said differently in such a way that even though there is no change in the singularity in the form of a structure, the explanation of a society is also necessary to understand the making of the structure. Society is understood to be such a group of human beings who are related to each other on the basis of some such institutional or general social rules which direct, regulate and control their actions i.e. three interrelated elements are notable in the concept of a society. They are – first, human beings themselves, second, the actions taking place between these human beings and third, the various social relations and their manifestations arising out of these interactions. It is also noteworthy in this regard that there is neither excessive irregularity in the relationships found in human beings nor are the interacting individuals abruptly changeable. The main reason for this is that there are some institutional rules of action which generate regularity in the action. These rules also determine what type of work will be done by which person.

That is why we call the action of the individual in relation to the society as social work. Although functions and relationships organize and regulate human beings that make up society, there must be order and regularity in the collection of existing relationships, if the systematic order found in human beings is really integrated into the society as a whole. Prot is a composite sequence. Therefore, it is clear that a mere collection of existing social relations cannot be formed unless there is a systematic order in it. At the same time, it should also be remembered that only by connecting and arranging human beings on the one hand and arranging and arranging the relations found in them on the other hand, social structure does not form. In fact, it can be possible only by arranging the majority of the people through relationships. ‘

Thus, according to Nadel, social structure can be defined as- “the pattern, network or pattern of relations found between the actors in a situation of working in relation to other persons apart from the concrete population and its behavior”. The system is called the structure of a society.

” S.F. Nadel — The Problems of Role Analysis

Seligman and Malinowski have had a special influence on Nadel’s structural thinking. Nadel considered social structure to be separate from culture. He is of the opinion that all the scholars of social structure agree that the study of structure is essentially the study of the whole object or the interrelationship of the parts within the whole or their orderliness. Nadel has described the social structure as a web of interactions of social forces that lead to the emergence of observation and thought. Nadel has considered the concept of role to be central to the theory of social structure. The role acts as an intermediary between the individual and the society. The meaning of role is taken from behavior. Possible only in the case of interactions in the role. The role is objective. It happens continuously i.e. over and over again. Social structure is a system of roles. Categories of Roles Nadel has given the following categories of roles 1. Assigned Roles 2. Acquired Roles 3. Professional Roles (Service Roles) 4. Overt Roles (Speech, Art etc.) 5. Self

Contribution of Role in Social Structure 10. Leadership Roles Structure) SF Nadel has shown the contribution of roles by analyzing the roles of the individual in the social structure, which is as follows

Social Structure – Concept and Theory 83 The more roles a person performs, the more his relationships expand and his roles also increase accordingly. The more roles he fulfills, the more he gets attached to the society. Where roles are performed under pressure, those roles put unnecessary stress on the performer, both on his personality and on the society. But apart from this disadvantage there are other benefits from roles such as social integration and social control. There is a punishment system for not fulfilling the roles. In answer to the question of why roles are performed, Nadel has told that first they are provided to the individual by the society or else it becomes necessary to do them for the performance of economic activities. Deviant roles are negative variables that infringe on rights. Nadel is of the opinion that role has an important role in terms of organizing human beings. Nevertheless, the collection of existing relations should also be systematic and orderly because the systematic order of human beings is actually a complete sequence which covers the whole society.

In this way, Nadel has defined social structure as the pattern or system of relations existing between actors in a role-playing situation while relating to the concrete population of a society and other individuals fine-tuned by its behaviour.

Postulates of functionalism

The form in which functionalism was developed by anthropologists prior to Merton was based on several assumptions. These beliefs were mainly three : (1) all the units that make up a social structure must perform some function within the social system, (2) these functions of social units itself. sustain the existence of a social and cultural order, and (3) functions are the inevitable result of each element or unit. On the basis of his study, Merton pointed out that these assumptions presented by anthropologists are not only very controversial but have also proved to be useless in functional studies. On this basis, Merton, while criticizing these assumptions, considered the format of functional analysis presented by him to be more appropriate. Mutton’s views in this regard can be understood as follows:

(1) Postulate of the Functional Unity of Society – Prior to Merton, Radcliffe Brown and Malinowski had given special importance to the belief that all units that make up a social structure are social. Some work must be done for the arrangement. Radcliffe Brown wrote that “the function of a particular social practice or behavior is its contribution to the whole social life and social system by which that system becomes functional. It is clear from this that a certain kind of unity is found in every social system. And this unity is possible only by the functions of the units that make up the social structure.In this regard, Merton wrote that on the basis of this assumption, the functional unity of the society mentioned by the anthropologists, its reality can be known through examination. It is necessary to do

It is true that some unity must exist in every society, but this level of integration may be different in Vamana societies. This means that the ‘practices’ or ‘behaviors’ which are functional in a society may also be non-functional in another society or group. From this point of view it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the functions of different units while doing functional analysis. With the help of this, it can be understood that how and how much the functions of different units contribute in producing social integration in a particular society.

(2) Postulate of Universal Functionalism. A traditional belief of functionalism was also that the functions of different units maintain the existence of a social and cultural system. Explaining this, Malonsky wrote, “Every type of civilization, custom, material element, thought and belief, etc., fulfills certain social functions.” On the basis of this belief, Kluckhohn also said that “any A culture cannot protect its existence unless it performs certain functions in which the quality of adjustment or adaptation is inherent. Merton rejected this belief, saying that it is not necessary that every tradition as an established element of culture must necessarily contribute to the maintenance of society. In other words, it can be said that many traditions They continue to provide stability to the society for generations, they sometimes or in a particular period either prove to be useless or create a condition of change in the society (for example, the traditional functions of the caste system in India in its present times. Instead of providing stability to the social system, Merton does not accept that the nature of the functions of any unit is universal. He states that culture or social structure Any element of the universe can be functional, but it is not proper to assume that every such element must perform some function.

(3) Postulate of Indispensability – According to Merton, it is also not proper to accept the functionalism presented by anthropologists that ‘functions are the inevitable result of every cultural element or unit. “He does not agree with Malinowski’s statement that ‘every type of civilization, custom, material element, thought and belief, etc., performs certain social functions. By this I want to clarify the inevitability of Lenosky function or the meaning of the inevitability of cultural elements. The reality is that the recognition of the inevitability of a function can be understood only on the basis of two interrelated conditions. The first is that because some functions

It is inevitable that if they do not do their work, the society cannot maintain its existence.

It means that in every society there are certain functions which produce the pre-conditions that make up the society. Merton called these ‘Functional Prerequisites’ of the society and on the basis of these he introduced the concept of ‘Functional Pre-necessities’. Talking about the second condition, Merton pointed out that every society has certain social and cultural forms which help in fulfilling these functions. Putting this assumption simply, Merton said that just as elements of the same nature have many functions of different nature from each other, similarly the same kind of function can also be related to many units.

This means that Merton presented the immutability of the function in its modified form as Functional Alternatives. It is clear from the full discussion that Merton’s functionalism is quite different from the earlier functionalism presented by anthropologists. While Merton, on the one hand, accepted that the ordering of various elements of a social structure is possible only because of its functions, on the other hand he also clarified that no element of culture is always functionalism but sometimes it is also non-functional. It is possible .

Secondly, whether an element of culture will function or not function in a particular period or situation, it depends on how the culture is influencing that element. For the functional analysis of various elements, it is also necessary to keep in mind whether the functions of a particular element are direct or implicit (Latent). It is only by doing this that the true nature of functions and their social effects can be understood. In functional analysis, Merton also discussed many such situations in which the functioning of a social unit neither increases adaptation in the social system nor does it lead to any disruptive condition. Merton named such a function as non-function. Thus Merton has accepted functionalism only as a method of analysis of social sciences. While mentioning the limitations of this method and the precautions to use it, he said that functionalism is not concerned with calming down any ideal condition but with a positivist elegance.

functionalist theory

The word ‘FUNCTION’ was first discussed in the works of Herbert Spencer, but the credit for the use of the word FUNCTION as a scientific concept is given by the French thinker Emile Durkheim in his book The Rules of Sociological Method (1895). According to him, that contribution of any unit of a system, which helps in fulfilling the need of the system, is called ‘function’.] In this the function is divided into two parts-

1.Positive function

2.Negative Function

In religion, where he has discussed many positive functions – discipline, organization etc., while he has discussed negative types of suicide. After mile Durkheim, we find a detailed analysis of the word function in the works of Radcliffe Bran and Moulinowski. Radcliffe Bray has divided the word typology into two parts-

1.Eunomia

2.Dysnomia

By eunomia, they mean the arrangement of the entity, the nature effect and by dysnomia means the harmful effect.

Moulinoskini in his book A Scientific Study of Culture and Argonoutes of the Western Pacific made a detailed analysis of functionalism. Both Brun and Moulinsky scholars have discussed three fundamental beliefs of Typism-

Universal Functionalism

2.Functional Unity and

3.Functional Indespensability

Every unit of a social system according to the assumption of universal type. contributes in some way or the other. Therefore, there is no entity which is not cooperative in some way or the other. Therefore all units are functional. This principle is called universal functionalism.

Functional unity means that when all the units of the system are functional, then unity is established in all these units. In this way each unit is cooperative. Therefore, all the units maintain functional unity while performing their functions. Functional inevitability means that when all the units function simultaneously and have established functional unity, then none of them can be removed from the system of the unit. . So each unit has its own importance and hence cannot be excluded from any unit system.

A comprehensive analysis of functionalism in the modern sociological world was done by American sociologist RK Merton. In his book The Social Theory and Social Structure, he not only brought functionalism back to the sociological world, but also its

Why interpretation?

The main proponent of functionalist theory is Tolgut Parsons, who has tried to establish functionalism in his book The Structure of Social Action (1837) and The Social System (1851). According to them, there are three pre-requisties of any social system.

1.Biological Pre-requisites

2.Cultural Pre-requisites and,

3.Functional Pre-requisites

Parsons has given the most emphasis on the functional pre-necessities of these three pre-necessities and has told that any social system has four functional pre-needs, which are fulfilled by the four sub-systems of that system. These are the four pre-requisites-

1.Latency and Latency

Goal Attainment

3.Adaptation and

4.Integration

It is also called AGIL for short. There are also four earlier sub-arrangements-

1.Value System

Political System

3.Economic System and

4.Social System

While the value system fulfills the need of latency, the political system fulfills the needs related to goal attainment; Economy is related to adaptation and integration is related to social system. In this way Parsons says that these four sub-systems respectively fulfill four types of needs. It can be seen in brief here-

Sub – System Pre – prerequisites

Value- Latency

Political – Goal

Economic – Adaptation

Social – Integration

Apart from this, Parsons has discussed five pairs of Pattern Variables. In this he has told that if a doer wants to do any action, then he has two options in front of him, out of which he chooses one and does social action. The following is the five addition Pattern Variable.

Discipline vs indiscipline
self-interest vs. social-interest
Exclusiveism Vs Universalism

4.Part vs Whole &

Paid vs Earned

So it is clear that Parsons has done a fine analysis to understand social change

Social Structure – Concept and Theories

Characteristics of Social Structure

Elements of Social Structure

Social System

Elements of Social Structure

Social System

Characteristics of Social System

Talcott Parsons (Social System)

Structural Aspect of Social System

Functional Aspect of Social System : Agil Model

Views of Radcliffe – Brown on Social Structure

Views of S.F. Nadel on Social Structure

” S.F. Nadel — The Problems of Role Analysis

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Talcott Parsons
(Social System)