Chapter 6: Social Groups

Nota:

• Two or more people who interact with one another, and who share a common identity and a sense of belonging or "we-ness."

1. Primary Group (Expressive-emotional)

   Nota:

   • A relatively small group of people who engage in intimate face-to-face interaction over an extended period.  Family, children play groups, etc. -Mom, Melissa, Micaela
2. Secondary Group (Instrumental-task oriented)

   Nota:

   • A large, usually formal, impersonal, and temporary collection of people who pursue a specific goal or activity. E.g. Sociology class, high school grad class, other missionaries in mission, other employees, etc. 
3. Ideal Type

   Nota:

   • General traits that describe a social phenomenon rather than every case. 
4. In-groups

   Nota:

   • People who share a sense of identity and "we-ness" that typically excludes and devalues outsiders. 
5. Out-groups

   Nota:

   • People who are viewed and treated negatively because they are seen as having values, beliefs, and other characteristics different from those of an in-group.
6. Reference Group

   Nota:

   • A group of people who shape our behavior, values, and attitudes

1. Asch

   Nota:

   • Did the study with the cards and 37% of the people were swayed with which lines matched up on them. 
2. Milgram

   Nota:

   • The administering of shocks. -Video
3. Zimbardo

   Nota:

   • Prisoners submission to authority to have group approval. 
4. Janis
   1. Group Think

      Nota:

      • A tendency of in-group members to conform without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas, which results in a narrow view of an issue.  -Opposite of me

Nota:

• A web of social ties that links an individual to others. 

Nota:

• A complex and structured secondary group that has been deliberately created to achieve specific goals in an efficient manner. 

1. Statuses
2. Norms
3. Hiearchy
4. Voluntary Associations

   Nota:

   • A formal organization created by people who share a common set of interests and who are not paid for their participation. 
5. Bureaucracy

   Nota:

   • A formal organization that is designed to accomplish goals and tasks through the efforts o a large number of people in the most efficient and rational way possible. 
   1. Ideal Characteristics (Max Weber)
      1. 1. High degree of division of labor an specialization
      2. 2. Hiearchy of authority

         Nota:

         • Pyramid Structure
      3. 3. Explicit written rules and regulations
      4. 4. Impersonality

         Nota:

         • Follow rules, get work done. 
      5. 5. Qualification-based Employment

         Nota:

         • Move up the ladder through good performance.
      6. 6. Separation of Work and Ownership
   2. Shortcomings of Bureaucracies (Max Weber)
      1. 1. Weak Reward Systems

         Nota:

         • Lack of health benefits, etc. 
      2. 2. Rigid Rules

         Nota:

         • Discourage creativity
      3. 3. Bureaucratic Ritualism

         Nota:

         • A preoccupation with rules and regulations instead of the bureaucracies goals. 
      4. 4. Alienation

         Nota:

         • A feeling of isolation, meaninglessness, and powerlessness that may affect workers in a bureaucracy.  Results in a high turnover, tardiness, absence, etc. 
      5. 5. Communication Problems

         Nota:

         • Top down rather than bottom up. 
      6. 6. Parkinson's Law

         Nota:

         • The idea that work expands to fill the available time for its completion. 
      7. 7. Bureaucratic Incompetence (Peter Principle)

         Nota:

         • Workers are promoted until they reach the point of incompetence. 
      8. 8. Iron Law of Oligarchy

         Nota:

         • The tendency of a bureaucracy to become increasingly dominated by a small group of people. Political groups-GOP speaker of house CEO's, board of directors, etc. 
      9. 10. Dehumanization

         Nota:

         • McDonaldization- Everyday life is becoming more automated, rigid, and impersonal.