done: Social Structure and the Development of Modern Society

Vocabulary flashcards covering the components of social structure, types of statuses and roles, social institutions, and the chronological development of modern societies.

Social structure

The social patterns through which a society is organized, which can be horizontal or vertical.

Horizontal social structure

The social relationships and the social and physical characteristics of communities to which individuals belong.

Social inequality

The vertical social structure representing the ways in which a society or group ranks people in a hierarchy.

Status

The position that someone occupies in society, which conveys nothing about the prestige of the position.

Ascribed status

The status that someone is born with and has no control over, or takes on involuntarily.

Achieved status

A status achieved at some point after birth, sometimes through one's own efforts and sometimes because of good or bad luck.

Status set

All the positions an individual occupies at any one time.

Master status

A status that is so important that it overrides other statuses a person may hold.

Status symbols

An object that signifies a particular status that a person holds.

Role

The behavior expected of someone with a certain status.

Social group

Two or more people who regularly interact on the basis of mutual expectations and who share a common identity.

Formal organization

A large group that follows explicit rules and procedures to achieve specific goals and tasks.

Social institution

Patterns of beliefs and behavior that help a society meet its basic needs.

Social networks

The totality of relationships that link us to other people and groups and through them to still other people and groups.

Society

A group of people who live within a defined territory and who share a culture.

Gemeinschaft

A human community, particularly a small society with a strong sense of community and strong group ties, as characterized by Ferdinand Tönnies.

Gesellschaft

A large society characterized by weak and impersonal social ties, as characterized by Ferdinand Tönnies.

Hunting-and-gathering societies

Small, nomadic societies of a few dozen members beginning about 250,000 years ago whose food is obtained from hunting animals and gathering plants and vegetation, characterized by a fairly egalitarian structure.

Horticultural societies

Societies developed about 10,000–12,000 years ago that use hoes and other simple tools to raise small amounts of crops.

Pastoral societies

Societies developed about 10,000–12,000 years ago that raise livestock as their primary source of food and tend to be at least somewhat nomadic.

Agricultural societies

Societies developed some 5,000 years ago in the Middle East that cultivate large amounts of crops with plows, oxen, and other relatively advanced tools and equipment.

Peasants

People who work on the land of rich landowners, first appearing in agricultural societies.

Industrial societies

Societies featuring factories and machines that are wealthier than agricultural societies and possess a greater sense of individualism.

Postindustrial societies

Societies featuring information technology and service jobs, where higher education is especially important for economic success.