1. Explain the meaning of social structure in terms of relationships, patterns, and social formations. There has been a lot of definitions and descriptions of social structure over the years which has led to many disagreements about how social structure can be defined and described. In this essay the concept will be explained using relationships, patterns, and social formations. Durkheim, Marx, and Weber have all suggested that social structure influences an individual’s actions, which suggests that it is a very important topic in sociology (Elder-Vass, 2010:1-8). Social structure are the social factors or patterns of human relationships that affect our behaviors (Elder-Vass, 2010:1-8) and it is also concerned with the principals’ forms of …show more content…
Education, communities and other organisations are found in the type of meso-level that involves labor in pursuit of goals while status and roles are covered in the categorization of individuals. Education is where individuals Learn be to goal-oriented. It affects individuals because it usually their first experience of a structured group and individuals learn how to act as a collective rather than just an individual. Communities and other organisations have a similar affect however not as strong as education. Individuals also discover that their actions matter and are important in order to be successful in life (Kendall, 2013: 75-118).Status also affects social behavior as status is a socially defined rank in society. This affects how a person behaves in certain situations because the expectations, rights, and duties allocated to that person. All people have a status set which is all the statuses that a person is allocated at a particular time. For example a person can be a doctor at a particular time and a student at another and this will all be included in his status set. There are types of statuses which are ascribed and achieved status. Ascribed status is the status that you are born with or given to you later on. This also affects the way in which you behave for example as has teenager, you act in a certain way compared to how you will act as adult. Achieved status is a position created by effort such as the status of doctor which also affects your behavior as a doctor you would be less willing to do things that you know are unhealthy to you. Status affects the way you talk and act because feel you act in this way in particular situation (Kendall, 2013: 75-118).A role is a dynamic aspect of status which is the behavioral expectations of status. For example mother are expected to act caring and kind way towards their child that is considered their role