5.2 The Social Structure
Auguste Comte, a French engineer turned philosopher, is often credited for coining the term sociology and founding the positivist movement. Rather than studying individuals and individual influences on behavior, Comte and other early sociologists were interested in a broader understanding of our society and culture. They wanted to study the ways that societies formed and functioned, how social structures influenced behavior (especially at a group level), and how cultures came to attribute meaning to behavior. Deviance and crime—remember the difference from Chapter 1?—are significant parts of these topics, so this is where sociology meets criminology. Many criminological theories are rooted in sociological thinking, and many also incorporate elements from the other approaches we have already discussed in this book.
First, what does social structure actually mean? In sociology, social structure refers to the framework and relationship between institutions, groups, and norms in a society. This includes social class, politics, economy, religion, behaviors, values, and more. So essentially, social structure is all the things that make up a society. It is a key concept in the field of sociology. See the following Learn More section for a current example of social structural concerns. Social structural theories of crime emphasize differences between groups in society, such as class, education, gender, race, or ethnicity. Distinctions between groups can be created by both formal (e.g., laws) and informal means (e.g., peer interactions).
We must again consider the social position of these theorists as they examine social structures. Early sociology, like criminology, prioritized the work of white men almost exclusively. This means that the lens through which societies and cultures were initially assessed typically came from a privileged position at best. Social norms and expectations such as traditional gender roles were embedded in many early attempts at explaining society and culture. We know that social norms change as societies change and progress, so definitions of deviance have certainly changed since many of these theories were introduced. We need to always consider what people are deviating from and according to whom. This is not to say these theories are wholly wrong or without value. Rather, it is a reminder to keep the theorists’ personal perspectives or biases (and your own) in mind.
Learn More: Attacking the Capital
On January 6, 2021, the world watched as American citizens stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (figure 5.2). Tensions had been high for months. The country was still in the grips of COVID-19 and had just experienced a summer filled with protests against police brutality of the Black community. Following the nationwide presidential election in November of 2020, Trump supporters began talking about a coup.
On January 6th, a joint session of Congress was in the Capitol formalizing the electi