To better understand human behavior, we need to understand social structure. Social structure refers to a society's framework, which forms boundaries around us and sets limits on our behavior. The individual's location in the social structure affects his or her perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Culture, social class, social status, roles, groups, and institutions are the major components of the social structure. We can see social structure at the micro level (for example, in the structure of talk), the meso level (for example, in organizational structure), or the macro level (for example, in the structure of work).
In order for a society to function and benefit the people, social control is essential. According to Peter Berger, there are eight sources of social control, "1. violence, 2.Economic rewards and punishments, 3. Ridicule and gossip and fear of being belittled, 4. Ostracism or threat of being removed, 5. Fraud and deception and actions to manipulate others to conform, 6. belief systems and the use of ideology to induce individuals to conform, 7. pressures from close friends, peers, and relatives to conform and 8. the contract, actions controlled by the stipulations of a formal agreement."
In my opinion, the most influential social institution in the United States is the media. Virtually impossible to avoid, media in the United States is fed to the people via internet, billboards, smartphones, television, magazines, and more. The media is consistently adapting to America's attitudes towards convenience over quality. If the media is interpreted correctly, it can be used as a tool to improve society, but more often then not the media can create harmful results.
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