Write an essay on the Levels of Social Structure.
1. The Micro-Level and the Macro-Level of Social Structure.
(a) Social structure of any society can be discerned at the micro-level and also at the macro-level.
(b) The study of any specific community, or a village will be considered as the micro-level, whereas the study of social structure of any society as a whole (e.g., Indian society) will be considered as the macro-level study.
2. Spencer's Role in Development of Use of the term Social Structure.
Herbert Spencer was a British scholar. He was most probably the first person to use the term social structure in Sociology. He saw analogy between society and living organism. During course of his study he found the following similarities between society and organism :
(i) Both society and organism grow and develop.
(ii) Both (society and organism) increase in size, complexity and differentiation.
(iii) Differentiation in structure is accompanied by differentiation in function.
(iv) Parts of the whole (society and its structure) and inter-dependent and change in any part affects other parts of social structure.
(v) In both society and organism, the life of the whole can be destructed but the parts will live on for a while.
3. Brown's Role in Exponent of Structural Approach.
(a) A.R. Radeliffe Brown, was a British Social Anthropologist. He was the chief exponent of structural-functional approach. According to him, human beings are the components of social structure who are connected by a complex network of social relations. He used the term social structure to devote the network of actually existing relation.
(b) A.R. Radeliffe Brown urged that society is a reality and an end in itself. He said that social and cultural phenomenon could be explained in social terms.
Conclusion : The levels of social structural analysis are chiefly based on the following assumptions :
(i) For continuity and survival of a society, it is essential that these must be some minimal integration of its parts.
(ii) To maintain integration or solidarity, the parts must perform some functions; and
(iii) Each society has some structural features which contribute to the maintenance of essential solidarity.
