By Sally Raskoff
One of the hallmarks of sociological thinking is to recognize the existence and impact of structure. That society has structure is an elusive concept to many!
The ways that society is structured guides our behavior. It allows us to create and maintain order, to conform to norms, to signal innovation and change, and, inversely, to highlight when deviations from those norms and structures take place.
Consider public rapid transit – a subway station. While these may not exist in rural areas, they are quite common in urban and even suburban areas. (Yes, we do have them even in Los Angeles!) Train or bus stations in rural areas may have similar features.
Within the subway station, structures guide us to enter, pay our fees (if we don’t already have a pass), find our way to the trains, and exit the station once at our destination. Some of the structures that guide us through this path are physical and obvious, others less so.
The following photo essay includes images from the Los Angeles metro – important to know since this is a city with a relatively new system and with many people who don’t know how to navigate it. Whether this affects the way that the stations are structured, well, you can be the judge of that.
Starting as we walk into the station, you travel down a large staircase or escalator and find yourself channeled into the space, heading in one direction. Notice in the photograph the markings on the floor. They (and the walls) clearly tell you to walk in one direction – as those in the photo are doing. At the far end of the walkway, there is a more complex floor pattern and in that area one can go in multiple directions.
Once inside the station, the ticket buying area is well lit and gets your attention even if you already have a pass.
![clip_image002[5]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022800.jpg?resize=414%2C312)
Seen from the other direction (from past the card readers – the metal stands), the area is populated and illuminated. Note the floor patterns here as well. The photos above and below are in different stations but both patterns signify activity or detail near the ticket machines and maps. If no people are present, the location of the machines is signaled by the cacophony or direction of patterns on the floor.
![clip_image002[7]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022801.jpg?resize=428%2C320)
Once inside, there is usually waiting to do. Eating and drinking are prohibited, so if you have to wait for your train there is not much to keep you entertained. In LA’s stations, each stop is decorated differently using public art that pertains to the history and economy of that area. Tiled art and creative benches are included in each station.
The art keeps people from focusing on each other. In such a stuffy and somewhat dark enclosed area, it seems important not to encourage people to look or interact with others. The subway is a unique social space where people of different backgrounds and social classes find themselves—perhaps for the only time that day– in the same, small space. Also, most people who ride the subways or buses have come across a person whose mental state was altered and may be afraid of encountering people like that again. The art and signs serve to help people feel safe in subway stations and offer diversions from potentially uncomfortable encounters.
![clip_image002[9]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022803.jpg?resize=458%2C244)
The hardest part of getting to know a subway station is knowing which side of the platform you need to be on to going in your intended direction. While the signposts are there, they are not always readily apparent.
This next photo shows a hopeful scene – the train is approaching. Its direction is noted at the top of the image, next to the exit sign. Many people come down those stairs and look around multiple times to find which train they want – few actually look up! Once they do, typically after searching the wall alongside the train’s path, they relax and go to the correct side.
![clip_image002[11]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022804.jpg?resize=461%2C347)
If you gaze down to the floor on the platform, it is much plainer than upstairs. Yet I noticed this yellow patch (below).
![clip_image002[13]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022806.jpg?resize=460%2C344)
What might this yellow patch be? Most don’t notice it. People congregate all along the pathway, often ignoring these patches. They have raised bumps thus one might surmise that they have an important function.
Note that there are a few of them, spaced apart but not in sequential or even intervals.
![clip_image002[15]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022807.jpg?resize=463%2C400)
Once the next train came, I noticed their most important function!
![clip_image002[17]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022809.jpg?resize=468%2C352)
These yellow patches highlight where some of the trains’ doors will stop! Not all doors, but at least one per train car. The people who know this, gather around those patches while those unaccustomed to these subtle structural guides may have to run towards a door in fear of having the doors shut before they reach them.
Once on the train, the seating shows you clearly that the train may run one way or the other as the seats face both directions.
![clip_image002[19]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022810.jpg?resize=479%2C362)
There are rails everywhere to hold onto in case one is standing or getting while the train is in motion. What might be another function of those rails?
In the photo below, there is a vertical rail in the middle of the floor in front of the doors.
Do the rails adequately and effectively mark the personal space of the train riders?
Some of the problems that trains have is that of pickpockets and frotteurists (people who rub up against or bump into people for purposes of sexual gratification). Do these rails assist in protecting people against such practices?
The concepts of manifest and latent functions can be helpful here. While the intent and design of the rails are for stability during the ride (manifest or intended functions), the latent (or unintended) function is that they actually may encourage close physical proximity, which may explain why pickpockets and frotteurists find trains so inviting.
Take a good look at the previous photo and the next two photos of the train car.
![clip_image002[21]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022812.jpg?resize=493%2C373)
![clip_image002[23]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022813.jpg?resize=489%2C370)
What other subtle (or not so subtle) structures guide our behavior?
Notice the posters on the front of the seating area and on the walls.
These Metro posters include the messages:
“Safety begins with you” The image is a hand holding onto the rail.
“We’re watching. Are you?” The image is a shoulder patch of the LA County Sheriff.
“Which one is working undercover?” The image is of train riders in their seats, three men and a woman.
“Better safe than sorry” The image is of a purse under a seat
“Planee su viaje en cualquier momento” which translates to “Plan your trip at any time” The image is of the Metro Trip Planner.
The majority of messages are about safety and point out that one is not alone in that train. There are cameras installed in every car but these posters remind you that there is not just passive security through surveillance, there may be undercover officers and that everyone should be vigilant.
Interestingly, the one message in Spanish is not about safety, but about the convenience of the website trip planning feature.
What would be the effect of the safety posters for riders who speak only Spanish?
Some criminological theories state that people are more apt to commit crimes of opportunity – crimes that they would not be caught doing. Do these posters inhibit such crimes?
Once you leave your train and head out of the station, the same structures guide you out.
![clip_image002[25]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022815.jpg?resize=517%2C389)
People head for the lighted ticket area and up the stairs and escalators that brought them underground.
![clip_image002[27]](https://i0.wp.com/everydaysociologyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/mt_imported_image_1760022816.jpg?resize=376%2C500)
As one heads up those stairs, the world beckons with its more diffuse and diverse signals of where to go and what to do. Our behavior becomes much less controlled and guided outside the metro station. Do people feel different once they emerge into that space? What other examples of spaces reflecting social structure can you think of?
Reading this article has made me realized that there is a lot of different structures that guide our behavior. It is very interesting how the littlest things get our attention and how we get easily distracted. It taught me that there is a reason why the floors have different designs and why there’s all sorts of things on the wall. I enjoyed reading this article because it brought to my mind new information that can be helpful.
This is an interesting and fascinating article!!
This is the same example in the video of the social structure of the mall. How the structure is bulit to have the same similarities as a church. I have used the subway many times. I have noticed the art on the walls, the arrows on the ground, and the rails to help us stand and be safe. In this article this is my first time that I have realized that there is a purpose for every detail in the subway. For example, the lighting, the patterns on the ground and on the walls. Not only subways, but almost eevrywhere we go there is a some sort of social structure. As humans, we are intelligent mammals, but we too need social sturcture in our lives in order to not be out of control.
I found this article to be of interest because I have lived in the L.A. County my entire life and have therefore used the subway many times. I liked the notion presented in the conclusion of having more freedom outside of a subway station. In part, I feel that it is as if the dim lighting contributes to that sense of freedom. Without social structure our civilization would not exist. Social structure guides us in our everyday life and it is what stops us humans from taking our clothes off and running in circles. A place that came to mind right away to represent social structure is a museum. Particularly, I was thinking of The Getty Museum. When one first goes in, rails and attendants guide us to the trolley which then takes us uphill and drops us off at the stairs that then guide you into what is the information desk, gift shop, etc. We are also taught since grade school that one is quiet inside museums and one does not run inside museums and one does not touch. Without these social structures, we would be falling apart.
(Dr. Pih, Sociology 150)
To Professor Pih,
After reading this article I fell it has taught me to be come more aware of whats around me. This article is very detailed and shows what the metro and subway systems are like. You see different types of people and it can have a bit of a culture shock if you have never been to LA or its subway system. The bright lights and patterns serve to help you get to your destination safely. This way you know where to purchase your ticket and where to board for the subway.
Another space that reflects social structure would be a freeway. Freeways have solid lines that are intended to keep cars from switching lanes and the broken lines show that it is ok to switch lanes when possible. Freeways also have signs for how far your next exit is. Also speed limits, car pool signs and others.
What I really liked about this article was that it really got me thinking about the structures I see everyday but don’t really think about. One of the main ones that came to my mind was IKEA and how everything is so well organized. Even someone walking in there for the first time knows where to go because there are arrows on the floor every few feet that take you through the entire store. The smartest thing about their design is that even if someone goes in there looking for one item, they end up walking through the entire store, and seeing all those other products might remind you that you need something else, or one might just see a product they like, which they wouldn’t have looked for otherwise, and pick it up. These structures are used everyday, and people don’t really think about what a big part of our lives they are.
Social structures are really interesting to me in the way they work because without even thinking about it people perform and do many things. The article was a good example of how the subway systems works and most people don’t even know why certain things are the way the are. Well they do know, but they don’t pay attention to certain specifics that i never really aknowledged either before they were pointed out in this artcile. For example, the pictures being there to avoid interaction between people and make them feel safe from potentially uncomfortable encounter was something that i would never think as a reason why they would be there for. Now if im put in that kind of a place or some where similar and i catch that i will be thinking about another possible reasoning behind it. What i found a bit odd was that although almost all the rules were followed correctly without people really paying attention one wasn’t that i found ironic because it was the most obvious to me.That was the yellow patches. They are spaced out and brightly colored in comparison to the rest of floor, you would think someone would think it must mean to line up there or it must be there for a purpose. Social structure creates order and happens so much in everyday life. Another example that comes to mind where social structure occurs is inside of a class room everyday. Students know they have to follow a map to the building where their class is and then they come in and find a seat. Then they get out their supplies and wait for the professor to begin. Also when you go to the doctors or dentists office. There are usually pictures hung on the wall or brochures for patients waiting to look at or read. That reminds me of pictures at the subway station because they both avoid interaction between others there. Social structure occurs almost everywhere from churches to amusement parks guiding you where to go next and what to do.
Social structures are really interesting to me in the way they work because without even thinking about it people perform and do many things. The article was a good example of how the subway systems works and most people don’t even know why certain things are the way the are. Well they do know, but they don’t pay attention to certain specifics that i never really aknowledged either before they were pointed out in this artcile. For example, the pictures being there to avoid interaction between people and make them feel safe from potentially uncomfortable encounter was something that i would never think as a reason why they would be there for. Now if im put in that kind of a place or some where similar and i catch that i will be thinking about another possible reasoning behind it. What i found a bit odd was that although almost all the rules were followed correctly without people really paying attention one wasn’t that i found ironic because it was the most obvious to me.That was the yellow patches. They are spaced out and brightly colored in comparison to the rest of floor, you would think someone would think it must mean to line up there or it must be there for a purpose. Social structure creates order and happens so much in everyday life. Another example that comes to mind where social structure occurs is inside of a class room everyday. Students know they have to follow a map to the building where their class is and then they come in and find a seat. Then they get out their supplies and wait for the professor to begin. Also when you go to the doctors or dentists office. There are usually pictures hung on the wall or brochures for patients waiting to look at or read. That reminds me of pictures at the subway station because they both avoid interaction between others there. Social structure occurs almost everywhere from churches to amusement parks guiding you where to go next and what to do.
I never really thought about how a subway or a space of area can affect one’s behavior until reading this article. Thinking of other spaces, I think of a school, the mall or even a coffee shop. A school also effects your behavior because even classrooms the desks are usually structured facing the front. It is telling you where to look to pay attention to the professor or the teacher. Coffee shops usually have art of coffee all around and pictures of people enjoying coffee trying to bring an atmosphere of calm, relaxing and enjoyable. When you walk into an airport, it has signs everywhere telling you where to go and where to buy tickets. Also hospitals have signs telling you where to go and usually have art on the walls or posters of safety regulations or even of the doctors. It tries to bring a sense of safety and brings attention to health matters.
I never really thought about how a subway or a space of area can affect one’s behavior until reading this article. Thinking of other spaces, I think of a school, the mall or even a coffee shop. A school also effects your behavior because even classrooms the desks are usually structured facing the front. It is telling you where to look to pay attention to the professor or the teacher. Coffee shops usually have art of coffee all around and pictures of people enjoying coffee trying to bring an atmosphere of calm, relaxing and enjoyable. When you walk into an airport, it has signs everywhere telling you where to go and where to buy tickets. Also hospitals have signs telling you where to go and usually have art on the walls or posters of safety regulations or even of the doctors. It tries to bring a sense of safety and brings attention to health matters.
It’s really interesting the way social structures work and how naturally we analyze and respond to them. Another example of a space would be a place like Disneyland or any other theme park. Specifically, at Disneyland before you even enter the theme park you are guided to the parking structure by many signs and you are to remember where you parked by the number and Disney characters pictured on the conrete pillars. Then you follow the crowd and signs to the many trains that drive you to the entrance of the theme park. The ticket booths near the entrance are clear and in sight for people to walk over and purchase their tickets. Inside the park, the main streets guide you to the various Disney themed sections of the park. And when waiting in line there are ropes and lines that you have to stand behind and wait to go on a ride. Also, there are picnic areas where people can go and eat food they brought to the park or they can go to the restaurants and eat at their tables. An obvious social structure there and mostly any other public place are their restrooms for women and men. Overall, theme parks like Disneyland have all kinds of social structures people follow without even “thinking” about it.
(SOC 150, Dr. Pih)
This article was very informative overall. I’d been used public transformation for almost 5 years, but I’d never realized hoe social structure affected many people in terms for their behavior. It was very interesting article.
Very interesting article, I never noticed that even thought the bars on the subway train were meant for security it could also be bad for theft and sexual contact. Other examples of places with structures is the library where theres only one entrance and exit usually, and everything is labaled so you know where to go to look for a book. Its a place where its quiet because it was meant as a study and work place. There are also different sections in the library for adults, teens, and children.
After reading this article i noticed that social structure is everywhere. Another place that i noticed social structure is schools and universities.while at school student practice the same enduring patterns and everything is carefully layed out. There are signs and teachers to structure everything for students. Most of of my life has been very structured or normal.This article brought notice to that and i thought it was very interesting
This article was very interesting and I was able to relate to it because I have been in a train station alone trying to figure out my way around. In society I feel that everyone has that lost feeling at least one place they go where society will actually lead you in the right direction. When reading this article i was able to connect it to the airport because even though in an airport we all go through the same entrance that leads us to other areas but to find where you need to go, there is structure and signs that are very helpful.
Another type of space that guides the behavior of people who use it is Malls. They are designed as sacred places usually having some similarities to a church. For example the film “Malls r us” explains that water fountains in the shopping center helps persuade people to go with the flow of shopping. The water also symbolizes purification and eternal life. It gives the impression that humans need to visit the mall because it is a special place separate from the outside world. Most malls have plants and trees outside and within the vicinity to transcend and calm the shoppers. When one enters the mall you see walkways that allow you to walk around the whole structure leading you through the whole mall. Another example of social structure is the way lighting is used, at the center of most malls there are skylights that emits a bright light that makes people feel more awake and energized. In addition to skylights the malls are constructed to have high ceilings which evokes the experience of many churches.
Another type of space that guides the behavior of people who use it is Malls. They are designed as sacred places usually having some similarities to a church. For example the film “Malls r us” explains that water fountains in the shopping center helps persuade people to go with the flow of shopping. The water also symbolizes purification and eternal life. It gives the impression that humans need to visit the mall because it is a special place separate from the outside world. Most malls have plants and trees outside and within the vicinity to transcend and calm the shoppers. When one enters the mall you see walkways that allow you to walk around the whole structure leading you through the whole mall. Another example of social structure is the way lighting is used, at the center of most malls there are skylights that emits a bright light that makes people feel more awake and energized. In addition to skylights the malls are constructed to have high ceilings which evokes the experience of many churches.
To Professor Phi
I found this article to be very interesting. Another example of a space that tends to reflect on the social structure is church. People that attend church usually tend to be more conservative and concerned of there actions. They try to do good because they are otherwise sinning if they preform any type foul action. Some tend to be very narrow minded especially when it comes to religion. They all only believe in that one God. They are all there for the better of their self and the family. In some way or another people that attend church seem to be in search f the same interests and have pretty similar feelings and beliefs.
I think helps a lot of people arrive where they need to be because they are always in time and try make the stops try need to make. In the other hand I believe that some people who take the buses and te trains just go into them to vandalize them so that should be something that should be stop. There should also be more buses or trains avaliable to take people where they need to be.
Everything has its structure according to one of my professors in college. That is a basic of everything.
Airports are another example of a place that reflects a social structure. As you enter the airport it guides you to where you need to sign in, weigh your bags, pay, and what terminal your airplane will be arriving at. If there wasn’t any structure everyone would get lost. Then, this would lead to chaos. I believe people’s behavior is controlled when they are in a social structure.
It’s awesome to see how they are and how people act underground. Out here in Chicago they are so busy and dark. Then again we only have trains so we load outside and unload underground and back up the stairs. Once I get out I know I am happy because there really isn’t much to do when you’re on them.
I am reminded of a airport with signs pointing to all different directions. I see the entry to the subway as being closed in, restricted, and when she emerges from the subway a new beginning.
to Professor Banerjea,
A hospital would be a good example of another of a social structure.