- •1.1 Lead-in
- •1.2 Language input
- •1.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •1.3 Background information Politology and Political Science
- •1.4 Comprehension
- •1.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •1.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •1.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •1.5 Practice
- •1.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •1.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •1.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •1.5.6 Do it in English:
- •1.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •1.6 Dialogue
- •Can the study of politics be scientific?
- •Politics as public affairs
- •History and development of political science
- •Indian Sub-Continent
- •1.7 Role play Studying politics
- •1.8 Grammar back up practice with nouns & their determiners Practice with Nouns
- •What kind of noun is it? Is it a countable or uncountable noun?
- •Is the form of a noun correct?
- •Practice with Articles, Demonstratives and other Determiners
- •When and where do we use determiners?
- •If the underlined word or words are used incorrectly, make correction.
- •2. Should the definite article “the” be used?
- •3. Which article should be used?
- •4. Are the demonstratives (“this”, ”that”, ”these”, ”those”) used correctly?
- •2.1 Lead-in
- •2.2 Language input
- •2.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own:
- •2.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •2.3 Background information Sociology and Social Science
- •2.4 Comprehension
- •2.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •2.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •2.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •2.5 Practice
- •2.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •2.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •2.5.5 Scan the three texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •2.5.6 Do it in English:
- •2.5.7 Use the plan and helpful phrases given in Appendix 1 to profile the subject of sociology, methods and techniques. Surf the Internet, find extra information and base your presentation on it.
- •2.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •2.6 Dialogue
- •What is scientific method?
- •Areas of sociology
- •British society
- •2.7 Role play Social groups
- •2.8 Grammar back up practice with verbs (I) Practice with the Present Simple and the Present Continuous
- •1. What does the Present Simple denote?
- •2. What does the Present Continuous denote?
- •Practice with the Past Simple and the Past Continuous
- •1. Is the past simple used correctly?
- •2. Is the past continuous used correctly?
- •3.1 Lead-in
- •3.2 Language input
- •Developing vocabulary
- •3.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own.
- •3.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column.
- •3.3 Background information Political Power and Governance Systems
- •3.4 Comprehension
- •3.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers.
- •3.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •3.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •3.5 Practice
- •Economic Power versus Political Power
- •3.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts.
- •Figure 1: Characteristics of good governance
- •3.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-g and fit them in the gaps.
- •3.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •3.5.6 Do it in English:
- •3.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •3.6 Dialogue
- •What is social order?
- •Government Creates Social Order?
- •The British Class System
- •3.7 Role play Political System, State and Government
- •3.8 Grammar back up practice with verbs (II) Practice with the Present Perfect
- •1. What kind of action does the Present Perfect form denote?
- •2. Do we use any particular words to modify the Present Perfect?
- •3. What words help us denote the period of action under consideration?
- •4. Should we use the Present Perfect or the Past Simple?
- •Complete the sentences using the Present Perfect of the verbs in brackets.
- •Give a short summary of what each of the speakers has said.
- •Practice with the Present Perfect Continuous
- •5. Should the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous be used?
- •Practice with the Past Perfect
- •1. What kind of action does the Past Perfect denote?
- •2. Are any words used to underline the meaning of the Past Perfect?
- •Practice with the Past Perfect Continuous
- •1. What kind of action does the Past Perfect Continuous denote?
- •2. Which tense is usually used with the verbs not admitting of the continuous form?
- •3. Which tense do we usually use with non-terminative verbs?
- •Practice with adjectives
- •1. What is the place of an adjective in English?
- •2. What is the order of adjectives when we use two or more adjectives together?
- •Practice with Comparatives and Superlatives
- •1. Is the comparative or superlative form correct?
- •2. Is the comparative or superlative used correctly?
- •3. Is the parallel comparison used correctly?
- •4.1 Lead-in
- •4.2 Language input
- •Developing vocabulary
- •4.2.1 Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the text or submit the examples of your own:
- •4.2.2 Match the English word combinations in the left-hand column with the Russian equivalents in the right-hand column:
- •4.3 Background information Social Structure and Social System
- •4.4 Comprehension
- •4.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:
- •4.4.2 Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (t) or false (f). With a partner, discuss why.
- •4.4.3 Write a paragraph on:
- •4.5 Practice
- •Living in a Social Class System – Upward Social Mobility
- •4.5.3 Read the text, ignoring the missing parts. Ascription and Achievement: England
- •4.5.4 Look at the missing parts a-l and fit them in the gaps. There is one extra you don't need.
- •4.5.5 Scan the above texts and find the English equivalents for the following.
- •4.5.6 Do it in English:
- •4.5.7 Use the plan and helpful phrases given in Appendix 1 to profile the social structure and social system. Surf the Internet, find extra information and base your presentation on it.
- •4.5.8 Comment on the presentation given by your colleague. Make use of the points and helpful phrases given in Appendix 2.
- •4.6 Dialogue
- •The Process of Social Stratification
- •Questions on Social Stratification
- •Social Stratification in India
- •4.7 Role play What are Socio-economic Issues?
- •4.8 Grammar back up practice with future: will, going to and the present continuous for the future
- •1. When do we use will to talk about the future in English?
- •2. What is the difference between will and to be going to when used in predictions about the future?
- •3. When do we use the present continuous and to be going to to express future in English?
- •Practice with the Present Simple for the Future
- •1. What kind of events do we mean when we use the present simple for the future?
- •Practice with the Future Continuous
- •1. In what cases do we use future continuous?
- •Practice with the Future Perfect
- •1. In what cases do we usually use the future perfect?
- •Practice with the Future in the Past:
- •1. What occasions do we mean using the future in the past?
- •Appendix 1
- •Appendix 2
- •Contents
4.3 Background information Social Structure and Social System
It is common knowledge that human development deals with much more than just the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive and creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have in order to lead lives that they value.
Among the features implying successful human development the most important seem to be
a stable political, social and economic environment, associated with political, social and economic freedom;
the ability to make free and informed choices that are not coerced;
having the opportunity to be part of a democratic environment with the ability to have a say in one’s own future.
As a matter of fact, the notion of social structure plays the key role in discussing the issue under consideration. Social structure is a term frequently used in sociology and social theory. It can refer to either entities and groups in definite relations to each other or social institutions and norms becoming embedded into social systems in such a way that they shape the behaviour of actors within those social systems. The concept of social structure emphasizes the idea that society is divided into structurally related groups or sets of roles, with different functions, meanings or purposes. One example of social structure is the idea of "social stratification", which refers to the point that society is separated into different strata, guided by the underlying structures in the social system. Social treatment of persons within various social structures can be understood as related to their placement within the different social strata.
Some believe that social structure is naturally developed. It may be caused by larger system needs, such as the need for labour, management, professional and military classes, or by conflicts between groups, such as competition among political parties or among elites and masses. Others suggest that this structuring is not a result of natural processes but is socially constructed. It may be created by the power of elites who seek to retain their power, or by economic systems that place emphasis upon competition or cooperation.
Social structure can also be divided into microstructure and macrostructure. Microstructure is the pattern of relations between most basic elements of social life, that cannot be further divided and have no social structure of their own (for example, a pattern of relations between individuals in a group composed of individuals - where individuals have no social structure). Macrostructure is thus a kind of 'second level' structure, a pattern of relations between objects that have their own structure (say, a political social structure between political parties, as political parties have their own social structure). Some special types of social structures that modern sociologists differentiate are "relation structures" (in family or larger family-like clan structures), "communication structures" (how information is passed in organizations) and "sociometric structures" (structures of sympathy, antipathy and indifference in organisations).
Social structure may be seen to underlay important social systems including the economic system, legal system, political system, cultural system, and others. Family, religion, law, economy and class all represent social structures. The social system, as a result, is the parent system of those various structures that are embedded in it.