Question

do you understand by the term social structure? About 250 words​

Answer 1

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ESSAY ON TERM SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

A number of sciences deal with the phenomenon of ‘structure’ in their own way mainly to discover the characteristics of “structure” of their interest.

For example, atomic physics deals with the structure of atoms, chemistry with the structure of molecules, crystallography and colloidal chemistry with the structure of crystals and colloids, and anatomy and physiology with the structures of organisms.

In sociological and social anthropological studies also the term ‘social structure’ is relevant because, the main task here is to discover the general characteristics of those ‘social struc­tures’ the component parts of which are human beings:

‘Social Structure’ is one of the basic concepts of sociology. But it has not been used consis­tently or unambiguously. In the decade following the Second World War the concept ‘Social Struc­ture’ became extremely fashionable in social anthropological studies. It became so general that it could be applied to almost any ordered arrangement of social phenomena.

The word ‘structure’ in its original English meaning refers to “building construction” or “ar­rangement of parts”, or “manner of organisation”. But by the 16th century it was used to refer to the interrelations between the component parts of any whole.

It was in this sense widely used in anatomical studies. The term became relatively popular in sociological studies with the works of Herbert Spencer, that is, after 1850. Spencer who was very much fascinated by his biological analogies (organic structure and evolution) applied the term ‘structure’ to his analysis of society and spoke of ‘social structure. Even Durkheim, Morgan, Marx and others gave their own interpretations to it.


At modern times, George Murdoch in America, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown and his followers in Brit­ain and Claude Levi-Strauss in France used profusely this concept and popularised it. The usages of other writers are mostly the modified versions of these writers.

Murdock’s use of term ‘structure’ implies either a building analogy or a dead organic model dissected for demonstration. Radcliffe-Brown presumes that society may be compared to a living organism or a working mechanism. For Brown, society has a life of its own.

Society is not an object but it is very much like a creature. Hence, the study of structure, that is, the inter-dependence of the component parts of the system-is invariably linked with the study of function. It means one has to study how the component parts of the system ‘ work’ in relation to each other and to the whole.

Definitions of Social Structure:


The concept of social structure has been defined in different ways by different thinkers. We may consider some of these definitions:

1. Radcliffe-Brown defines social structure as “an arrangement of persons in institutionally controlled or defined relationships, (such as the relationship of King and subject, or that of husband and wife)”.

2. In the British social anthropological circles the term social structure is used to refer to “a body of principles underlying social relations, rather than their actual content”.

3. Morris Ginsberg regards social structure as “the complex of principal groups and institu­tions which constitute societies”.

4. In current sociological usage the concept of social structure is applied to small groups as well as larger associations, communities and societies. Thus, Ogburn and Knockoff are of the opinion that “In society, the organisation of a group of persons is the social structure. What the group does is the function.” They use the terms ‘social organisation’ and ‘social structure’ almost interchange­ably.
5. In a loose manner, the term ‘social structure’ is used to refer to any recurring pattern of social behaviour.

6. Many sociologists have used the term ‘social structure’ to refer to “the enduring, orderly and patterned relationships between elements of a society…” (But there is disagreement as to what would count as an “element”.

For example, according to A.R. Brown, general and regular kinds of relationships that exist between people constitute the elements. For S.F. Nadel, the elements are roles. For most of the sociologists who are called ‘functionalists’, the elements of social structures are ‘social institutions’. They consider these elements (that is, social institutions) as necessary be­cause they are “functional pre-requisites”. Without these institutions no society can survive


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