W11.1 Introduction to Sociology/Social Structure

1. Summarization
    Social structure refers to the relationships between individuals or groups. It can be seen as the way people and groups are connected, how they behave in society, and the rules and norms that guide their actions. Social stratification is an example of social structure, where society is divided into different levels based on factors like race, class, or gender. The concept of embeddedness highlights that our actions are influenced by the personal relationships we have. Over time, sociologists like Marx, Durkheim and Weber have worked on our understanding of social structure. They explored how economic factors, cultural norms and institutions shape society. Different perspectives such as structuralism, feminism and practice theory have expanded the concept. The relationship between social structure and individual agency is a major factor of social science. Researchers use various methods, including multivariate analysis, to examine social structures and their impact on individuals.

2. What was interesting/what did you learn?
   We always try to put something in a box for it to make sense to us. The moment we do not know it, it becomes strange and at times obsolete. The point is, people try to structurize everything. I find it therefore interesting to read about how this has been embedded into the societal concept. Where it derives from, and how it differs per system and structure.

3. Discussion points
    Is social stratification a byproduct, perhaps a failure, of the way our own collective societal brain works? By structuring society based on certain differences, we inherently create groups. Whereas in most situations these groups are separated by class. In this way, we create or enhance inequality. Therefore the question is, is social stratification a bad thing for equality?

Jasper Toonen - 12 June 2023
Introduction to Information Sociology

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