What is structure?

We explain what structure is in various disciplines. Structure in architecture, social sciences, geography, astronomy.

1. What is structure?

A structure is usually defined as the set of important elements of a body, a building or something else . It is usually related to the armor that serves as support for that particular body, building, among others. The term comes from the Latin  structūra.

The word structure is used in various subjects:

• Architecture and civil engineering.  It refers to the elements that fulfill the function of resisting loads. For this they meet the condition of stability and balance. The first condition is linked to the movements of the buildings. This avoids possible landslides due to external factors such as wind. The second condition, the balance, also guarantees immobility, but in turn does not allow the shape of the building to be altered.
• Social Sciences .  In Sociology we talk about social structure. This term refers to the organization orsocial system that determines the relationships between people in a given time and space. These structures are usually oriented by society’s own values ​​and norms, whether legal or not.
  This concept is widely used by other social sciences, such as anthropology or philosophy.. In turn it can be interpreted in different ways according to the current by which it is studied, be it functionalism, empiricism, dialectic, etc. Some of the factors that are taken into account when analyzing social structures are culture , institutions, values, the environment in which society exists and the technologies it applies to its development.
• Geography.  On the other hand, the term can be used with another meaning in the social sciences, for example the case of a demographic structure. This term, widely used in Geography, is used as a synonym for demography. In this case, we analyze how a certain population is formed , whether from a state, city or region. Normally these studies are usually represented by pyramids and are taken into account factors such as the distribution of resources, age, gender, deaths, births etc. Many times, analyzes that include migration- related movements are included .
• Marxism .  Within the Marxist Theory the structure is understood as the set of relations, social and technical, of production. In other words, economic ties are referenced. On the other hand they also define the superstructure as what relates to social institutions, religion , ideology and politics , determined by the structure.
• Astronomy .  In the field of astronomy, the structure of the universe and the stellar structureare discussed. The first refers to the deposition and galactic organization, studying the various concentrations that are formed. When talking about stellar structure, reference is made both to the form and internal and internal organization of the stars. They have three constituent elements, first the atmosphere , second the mantle and finally the core.