A
superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied both to physical structures like buildings, bridges or ships and to conceptual structures as well (e.g., in
social sciences). The word
superstructure is a combination of the word
super (
Latin for
above, in addition) with the word
structure (also from
Latin, meaning
to build or
to heap up).
In order to improve
seismic performance of buildings and bridges, a
superstructure may be separated from its basement or footing, called here a substructure, with a system of earthquake protective devices called
base isolation.
thumb||The RORO ferry
Mega Smeralda. This is a good example of a ship with superstructure. The blue-striped white-painted structure that houses the promenade decks stretches across the full breadth of the vessel is the
superstructure. The lower yellow-painted part of the ship is the
hull.
As stated above, superstructure is a part of the ship which projects above the main deck. This would not include masts or gun turrets. Superstructure can have many implications on ships, as it can greatly alter its structural rigidity and a vessel’s displacement, which can be detrimental to a ship’s performance if considered incorrectly. The superstructure on a vessel also affects the amount of
freeboard that a vessel requires. Very broadly, the more superstructure a ship has (as a fraction of length), the less
freeboard is needed.
In
mathematical logic, if a
structure A is a
substructure of a structure
B, then
B is sometimes called an extension or superstructure of
A.
Social sciences
In
social sciences, superstructure is the set of socio-psychological
feedback loops that maintain a coherent and meaningful
structure in a given
society, or part thereof. It can include the
culture, institutions, power structures,
roles, and
rituals of the society. It is that which, through
conditioned behaviors (both interpersonal and situational), enforces a set of constraints and guidelines on human activity in a stable and effective fashion, such that it engenders a society's characteristic organization, and it is that characteristic organization itself.
By most sociological schema, superstructure does not refer to the specific materials of an organization, such as a school or a store, but rather to the set of
psychological or
semantic configurations whereby that structure is rationalized and reproduced in human experience. That is, it is the "invisible force" behind or within the structure, or perhaps, it is the anthropocentric "reason" for the structure.
According to one sociological perspective, superstructure may be revealed by examining the direct interpersonal engagements that take place within canonical (typical) settings or situations, through the hermeneutic of
sociobiology.
Marxist concept
Within
Marxist social theory, superstructure is the particular form through which human subjectivity engages with the material substance of society.
See also
