4TH QUARTER MODULE

SOCIAL AGENTS
Socialization agents are a combination of social groups and social institutions that provide the first
experiences of socialization. Families, early education, peer groups, the workplace, religion,
government, and media all communicate expectations and reinforce norms. People first learn to
use the tangible objects of material culture in these settings, as well as being introduced to the
beliefs and values of society.
GROUPS
In sociology, a group refers to "any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations
who interact with one another on a regular basis." Sociologists recognize several differences
between various types of groups in society. There are primary, secondary, in-groups, out-groups,
and reference groups.
Primary Group

• refer to a small group that is characterized by close-knit cooperation and association

between members.
• Primary groups can be very impactful in a person's daily life. This is because they perform
an expressive, i.e. emotional, function for us. Both the process of socialization and the
formation of roles and statuses depend heavily on primary groups.
Example: The primary group is typically made up of significant others, people who have the
greatest influence on how we socialize. The family is therefore the most relevant example of
a primary group.

Secondary Group

• A 'secondary group', on the other hand, is a formal, impersonal group with little social
connection or understanding among its members.
• They serve an instrumental function, meaning that they tend to be goal-oriented.
Secondary groups tend to form in spaces where people have a shared understanding, but
minimal personal interaction.
Example: typically arise when people have a common understanding, but little
intimacy; classrooms or offices.
In-Group and Out-Group

• In-groups and Out-groups. Sometimes, a group's connections to other groups might give it
additional significance for its members. This is what forms the basis of in-groups and out-
groups.
 • Any group or category that people believe they belong to is considered an in-group. In
other words, it includes everyone who is referred to as "we" or "us."
• The presence of an in-group necessitates the existence of an out-group, which is a group
or category to which people believe they do not belong. Out-groups are perceived as "they"
or "them."
• In-groups are often marked by a sense of importance and superiority from those who are
not a part of the group, i.e. out-groups. Members of in-groups feel their behaviors, values,
attitudes, etc. are not only better than but also unsuitable for the out-group.
Examples: include sports teams, unions, and sororities; individuals might be a part of
any of these groups or consider themselves outsiders.

Reference Group

• A 'reference group' is any group people view as a benchmark for assessing themselves and
their behavior. By establishing and enforcing morals, norms, and codes of conduct,
reference groups serve a normative purpose.
• Reference groups also serve as a baseline by which individuals can judge each another,
serving as a tool for comparison.
Examples: Peer groups act as typical reference groups in American society. Children and
adults alike watch what their friends wear, like, watch/listen, and do in their free time. They
then compare themselves to what they observe.
IDENTITY FORMATION

• Successful formation of a positive group identity often grows from interconnected

relationships and exposure to individuals with shared lived experience as members of a
marginalized group.
• The relationships between the formation of a positive group identity, exposure to
individuals with shared experiences of marginalization, and the subsequent formation of a
positive group identity are so salient and longstanding that access to communities of
shared identity.

NORMS AND VALUES

• Values are the basic beliefs that guide the actions of individuals, while norms are the
expectations that society has for people’s behavior. In other words, values tell individuals
what is right or wrong, while norms tell individuals what is acceptable or not.
STATUS

• Status is a term that is used often in sociology. Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of
status, achieved status and ascribed status.
• Each can refer to one's position, or role within a social system. Child, parent, pupil,
playmate, etc. or to one's economic or social position within that status.
 ✓ An achieved status is one that is acquired on the basis of merit; it is a position that
is earned or chosen and reflects a person's skills, abilities, and efforts. Being a
professional athlete, for example, is an achieved status, as is being a lawyer, college
professor, or even a criminal.
✓ An ascribed status, on the other hand, is beyond an individual's control. It is not
earned, but rather is something people are either born with or had no control over.
Examples of ascribed status include sex, race, and age. Children usually have more
ascribed statuses than adults, since they do not usually have a choice in most
matters.
SOCIAL NETWORKING

• In sociology, a social network refers to a series of social connections that links one person
directly to another and, subsequently, to yet more people through them. Networking, in
this context, refers to communicating with these people.
• In everyday usage, social networking refers to the act of interacting with people and
organizations and sharing information online. In this case, a social network can refer to the
media and technology that facilitate these actions, i.e., online websites and applications.
• Sociologists also study how social networks operate in contemporary society - the digital
age. The emergence of the Internet and its various online social networks has altered the
nature of our connections with each other, dramatically extending our quantity and quality
of contacts and giving us access to a wealth of information, knowledge, and resources.
SOCIAL INSTITUTION
The Family
The family as a social institution plays an important role in the establishment of the
government. Sociologists and anthropologists maintain that the state arose through a process
of social change.
KINSHIP- The bond of blood or marriage which binds people together in a group.
KINSHIP BY BLOOD
There are two kinds of kin:

• Consanguineal kin are people who are biologically related to one another, such as
brothers and sisters or parents and their children.
• Affinal kin are people who are related to you by virtue of marriage bond, such as
husband and wife or parents in law.
Kinship by marriage
1. Monogamy- It is a form of marriage in which one man marries one woman. It is the most
common and acceptable form of marriage.
2.Polygamy- It is a form of marriage in which one is entitled to marry many partners.
 2.a Polygyny- It is a form of marriage in which one man marries more than one woman at a
given time.
2.b Polyandry- It is the marriage of one woman to more than one man. It is less common
than polygyny.
Endogamy - It is a rule of marriage in which the life-partners are to be selected within the
group.
Exogamy- It is a rule of marriage in which an individual has to marry outside his own group. It
prohibits marrying within the group.
Types of Family on the Basis of Marriage:

• Polygamous or Polygynous Family - It is a family wherein there are either two fathers
to one mother or two mothers to one father.
• Polyandrous Family - It is a family where one woman has more than one husband.
• Monogamous Family - It is a family with one husband and one wife, exclusive to one
another.
Types of Family on the Basis of Size or Structure

• Nuclear Family - Single (monogamous couple along with their children only.
• Matrilocal Family - The dominant parent in such families is usually the mother.
• Extended Family - may consist of two or more monogamous parents, and members
that extend beyond the nuclear members.
Types of Family on the Basis of the Nature Relations

• Conjugal Family - It consists of adult members among whom exists a sexual

relationship.
• Consanguine Family - It consists of members among whom there exists blood
relationship brother and sister, father, and son, etc.

The Religion
The functionalist point of view on religion originates from the idea of Emile Durkheim that
emphasized the function of religion in encouraging social cohesion and social control to
maintain social solidarity.
The Major Religions of the World

• Judaism is a strictly monotheistic religion believing in only one God and practiced by
the Jewish people.
• Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered around the teachings of Jesus of
Nazareth.
• Islam is a religion whose teachings also believed in only one God.
• Hinduism, in so many considerations, is believed to be the oldest religion in the world
due to its origins in Vedic beliefs.
Education as a social institution, helps in the promotion of the existence of society.
Government is one of the major components of social institution where its activities are
entrusted with making and enforcing the rules of a society.

• Monarchy is a political system in which a representative from one family controls the
government and power.
• Democracy is a system in which the citizens choose officials to run their government
through popular or majority votes.
• Authoritarianism is a political system that does not allow citizens to participate in any
political activity.
• Totalitarianism is a political system under which the government maintains control all
aspects of its citizens’ lives.
Economy is an institution that deals with the distribution, production, and consumption of
goods and services.

• Capitalism is an economic system where the production of goods and services rely
mainly on private ownership.
• Socialism is the economic system in which the means of production are collectively
owned by the government and its goal is the promotion of work for the collective good.
KINSHIP BY RITUAL
IN THE FORM OF GODPARENTHOOD OR COMPADRAZGO

• COMPADRAZGO - is best described as a system of fictive kinship, with its origins in the
medieval Catholic church in Europe.
• Parents selected godparents for a child at his or her baptism, confirmation, and
marriage.
• The godparents were then tied to the parents as co-parents. The tie between co-
parents and parents reinforced that of kinship.
• Co-parents with political and economic resources are sought by the biological parents
of a child in order to ensure political protection and economic support for the whole
family, or perhaps financial support for the child.

THE CHOICE OF GODPARENT ALSO VARIED BY SOCIAL CLASS.

KINSHIP BASED-POLITICS
Kinship forms important political groups, which change in size and relative inequality
with demographic shifts. Increases in the rate of population growth, increase the size of kin
groups but decrease their inequality.
• Each political actor is a member of a kin group. Each kin group can have from zero to some
number of additional persons. Any member can be thought of as the principal actor in the
group, or the group can be thought of as an entity.
• A political family or political dynasty is a family in which several members are involved in
politics, particularly electoral politics.
Members may be related by blood or marriage; often several generations or multiple siblings
may be involved.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
Political organization involves issues like allocation of political roles, levels of political
integration, concentrations of power and authority, mechanisms of social control and
resolving conflicts.
Types of Political Organizations
➢ Band- It is usually a very small, oftentimes nomadic group that is connected by family
ties and is politically independent.
➢ Tribe- It is a combination of smaller kin or non-kin groups, linked by a common culture,
that usually act as one.
➢ Chiefdom- A political unit headed by a chief, who holds power over more than one
community group.
➢ State- It is a political unit that has sovereignty - the legitimate and ultimate authority
of the state - over an area of territory and the people within it.
➢ Nation- It is consisting of a distinct population of people bound together by a common
culture, history, and tradition who are typically concentrated within a specific
geographic region.
Political Organizations and Leadership Configurations/Structures
Anthropologists define political organizations as entities that are involved in the political
processes. They include political institution, political parties, and political groups.
Political organizations are involved in political actions intended at attaining the definite
political goals. Political organization is beneficial to the welfare of its members.
Political Theories of State Function

• Anarchy – the state is fundamentally a mechanism of supremacy and suppression, by

whoever is in control.
It supported self-governed societies established on controlled institutions.
 • Classless Society – every member of the state has an equal opportunity to have an
access to everything. This is a society in which no one is born into a social class and
such differences.
• Pluralism – is a political philosophy that views society as a group of individuals
competing for political power.
Authority and Legitimacy of the Leaders
According to the concept of political science, an authority is a person or body that has the
power to control a political or administrative sphere.
Three Types of Authority According to Max Weber
1. Traditional Authority – comes from recognized customs, practices, and social
configurations. This is the passing of customary law from one generation to another.
2. Charismatic Authority – the charisma or personal qualities of an individual plays an
important role in establishing authority.
3. Rational Authority – has its legitimate power in accordance with the formal rules and
recognized laws of the government.