Page 45 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Social Stratification

Notes Social Systems and Institutions : Social controls can best be observed when such measures which
are against these systems are fully well checked. This will help in maintaining equilibrium for this
it is essential that certain institutional priorities should be fixed—an institution being, understood
as a well established norm of behaviour. The institutions can be Rational, Regulative, Cultural
and Rational Regulative. Rational institutions come to stay when because of certain situations and
inter-actions certain relations emerge, which give birth to certain institutions. In such institutions
there are certain offices and situations which also divide the actors. Regulative institutions regulate
and guide the actions of individuals. In case there is no proper regulation, there is every possibility
that social structure might come under heavy strains and interests of weaker sections of society
might be ignored. Thus institutions which regulate social behaviour are called regulative
institutions.
There are certain institutions which are responsible for our cultural pattern and help promoting as
well as accelerating our cultural behaviour. These help in maintaining our values and behaviour
and are called cultural institutions. Relational-Regulative institutions are those which perform the
functions of establishing relationship and regulating behaviours.
Structural Components of Social System : According to Parsons structural components of social
system are kinship, stratification, power system, religion and value integration. Every social system
recognises blood relationship because relationship, even assumed once keeps the people together.
In the social system role of kinship assumes significance because it makes the task of socialisation
easy, keeps sex relationship under control and introduces many taboos. It also regulates some of
our social behaviours and puts certain institutions like marriage, family system etc. on sound
footing. In addition it helps us in knowing the relationship of one individual with the other and
also the status which every one occupies in the family and society.
Then comes stratification which is also useful. As we know that there is no society in which there
is no heirarchy. It is with the help of stratification that one gets the idea as to what is the place of
each individual in the social heirarchy, which in turn helps in knowing the job of each and every
individual in the society. It is again with the help of stratification that we come to know who is
performing what quality of job and to what extent the job needs rewards and incentives. The
rewards can be economic, aesthetic i.e., which can provide one recreation and also satisfy one’s
ego.
In the study of social system then comes the role of power system. Such a system becomes essential
for checking and controlling the behaviour of both the individuals as well as groups. This system
also helps checking social disorganisation, which otherwise would create many social problems.
This however dose not include physical power. In social system, religion plays a big role. It is
religion which helps preserving social values and norms and upholds such moral values which
keep the people closer and together. Religion and social values also bring the people closer and
nearer to each-other. Religion and values even govern internal attitudes and make the whole
system dynamic. It also helps in ensuring that norms and values do not get disintegrated.
From the ideas of Parsons, it appears that he was an original thinker. His ideas about social
system and social control were quite unique and new. These provided a sort of mechanism by
which society could remain organised and disorganisation which otherwise would have come in
it would have been checked. He drew the attention of the sociologists that each society was always
under heavy strains and if it was desired that there should be smooth working, these strains
should be checked. Similarly his views about social action were also quite original. In fact by his
views and ideas he very much made society think in new direction. His views were thus very
useful in the field of social thought.

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