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Understanding Social Groups and Culture in Sociology

Explore the key concepts in sociology related to social groups, social institutions, types of societies, and group dynamics. Learn about different leadership styles, group conformity, group size effects, social diversity, and formal organizations.

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Understanding Social Groups and Culture in Sociology

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  1. Unit 2: Groups & Culture Unit II Sociology Notes

  2. Social Structure • Social group: 2 or more people who identify & interact with each other (couple, family, friends, churches, clubs, businesses, neighborhood, teams) • Social institution: major sphere of social life designed to meet human needs (economy, family, politics, religion) • Status: social position a person occupies • Role: behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status (student, teacher)

  3. Types of societies • Hunting & gathering: use simple tools to hunt animals & gather vegetation (Bushmen, Aborigines, Pygmies) • Horticultural & pastoral: use of hand tools to raise crops (Tuareg of N. Africa) • Agrarian: large scale cultivation using plows harnessed to animals/energy sources (Amish) • Industrial: production of goods using advanced sources of energy for large machinery • Postindustrial: technology supporting an information based economy

  4. Groups in Society • Primary: small social group whose members share personal & enduring relationships; spend a lot of time together, do a lot of things together, feel they know each other well • Secondary: large & impersonal social group whose members pursue a specific goal or activity; weak emotional ties, little personal knowledge of each other (people in a class with you, some people you work with)

  5. In groups: social group commanding a member’s esteem & loyalty • Out groups: social group toward which one feels competition or opposition • Examples: race vs race, jocks vs nerds, etc. • Reference groups: social group that serves as a point of reference when making evaluations and decisions (family, co-workers, peers) • Social networks: social structure made up of people/ organizations & the ties between them

  6. Group Leadership: 3 styles • Authoritarian: takes charge, makes decisions, expects strict compliance (good in crisis) • Democratic: include everyone, more creative; not as effective in a crisis • Laissez-faire (“to leave alone”): allows group to function on its own—least effective methods of leadership

  7. Group Conformity • Solomon Asch’s research: groups of students who looked at lines, chose which was longest. Chose wrong on purpose—others chose wrong answer, too! • Stanley Milgram’s research: shocking another person until the level reached fatal amounts • Janis’ “Groupthink”: tendency of group members to conform, resulting in a narrow view of an issue (Bay of Pigs, 1961)

  8. Group Size • More than 6 people leads to groups breaking up into smaller groups • 7 people result in 21 conversational “channels” • Dyad: social group with 2 members; most intense, but unstable– requires more work • Triad: social group with 3 members: more stable—have mediator, but can unbalance

  9. Social Diversity • Race, Class, Gender: play a part in group dynamics • Large groups turn inward—associate less with outsiders • Heterogeneous groups turn outward: more diverse, more interaction with outsiders • Social equality promotes contact: same social standing leads to more interaction • Physical boundaries create social boundaries: own building leads to less interaction with others

  10. Formal Organizations: Types • Utilitarian: paid for your efforts (job) • Normative: join to pursue a goal (Red Cross) • Coercive: involuntary membership—forced to join as punishment (prisons)

  11. Bureaucracies • Organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently • Strengths: specialization, hierarchy of personnel (pyramid), rules/regulations, technical competence, impersonality (all treated the same), formal written communications • Examples: internet, phone system, gov’t.

  12. Problems with bureaucracies • Dehumanize workers: alienate them—may not meet your personal needs as you’re all treated the same (the cubicle) • Inefficiency: failure to carry out a job (delays, “red tape”) • Ritualism: preoccupation with rules & regulations to the point that you thwart the organizations goals (US Post Office) • Inertia: tendency to perpetuate themselves—to protect their jobs • Oligarchy: use of available information by a few to benefit themselves at the cost of others

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