Social Groups

1. Social Groups Today Technology continued Group Influence Group Interaction-prepare to share Assignment 4 with others Types of groups Take out blue video note taking guide for Digital Nation for start of class (from last class) Turn in asn#4 at the end of class “Never doubt that a small group of committed humans can change the world. It’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead, Anthroplogist

2. A group. Two or more individuals who:1. Interact2. Share goals and/or norms3. Have an awareness of “we”

3. Social Networks An individual’s total set of relationships

4. Power and Influence of GroupsAre you influenced? On a scale 1-5 rate how susceptible you think you are to group influence 1- almost always influenced by others 2- often 3- sometimes 4- rarely 5-almost never influenced by others

5. Power and Influence of Groups • Most of us believe we do not confirm • Psychologist Philip Zimbardo Not me syndrome: the response that people give saying “some people might conform in that situation, but not me” • Many people do indeed conform *Warning: some may be disturbing

6. Asch’s conformity experiment 1 2 3 4 • Soloman Asch showed that even obvious objective facts cannot withstand influence, pressure, or the desire to conform(1955) • About 1/3 of participants make a judgment contrary to what their senses tell them

7. Asch’s conformity experiment 1 2 3 4 View experiment Informational conformity: follow because believe the group Normative conformity: follow to avoid standing out

8. Stanley MilgramMilgram Obedience Studies(1974) Participants continued in an experiment where they believed they were inflicting pain on another person “Please continue” “The experiment requires that you continue”“It is absolutely essential that you continue”“You have no other choice, you must go on” Illustrates the power of authority figures View study reenactment

9. Power and influence of social groups • Millions of people who were Jewish, mentally or physically challenged murdered between 1939 and 1945 by the Nazi party • In the Spring of 2004 it was revealed that military guards in Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib engaged in severe torture of prisoners of war

10. Power and influence of social groups In both Nazi Germany in the 1940’s as well as Iraq in 2004 the soldiers responded similarly when asked why they engaged in these acts… …they were only following following orders

11. Power and influence of social groups View Stanford Prison Experiment • 1973 experiment simulating a prison environment • After only 3 days the “guards”, on their own began to act brutally towards the other students: having them strip, simulate sex, clean toilet bowls with their bare hands • After 6 days the researchers had to terminate the study • What does this experiment illustrate? 0:49-15:56

12. Group behavior in the workplace

13. Does the average college education prepare students to excel in the workplace? • Interviews • Creating a resume • Writing a cover letter • Requesting letters of reference • Negotiate a salary/raise • Social Networking

14. NetworkingAssignment # 4 Smile -Stand up with your assignment, pen -Move to a different part of the room to find at least 3 other people who selected a different vocabulary than you: 1. Introduce yourselves, write down their name 2. Ask them what they wrote about 3. Write down notes from their example 4. Share your example 5. Thank them and speak with the next person Walk Around

15. Chapter 5 Key Vocabulary Examples • Relative deprivation • Competition • Conflict • Group think • Exchange • Organizational culture • Cooperation • Bureaucracy • Norm of reciprocity • Reference Groups • McDonaldization • Primary Group • Secondary Group

16. Social Influence in Groups Group think:tendency for a members to reach a consensus at all costs Risky shift:the tendency to engage in riskier behavior in a group than one would individually Deindividuation:the feeling that one’s self has merged with the group. Results in decrease or loss of individual responsibility for an action

17. Organizational Culture Pattern of norms and values that structures how business is carried out in an organization Friendly customer service Quality

18. Organizational Culture • Pattern of norms and values that structures how business is carried out in an organization

19. Organizational Culture • Pattern of norms and values that structures how business is carried out in an organization Working at Google

20. McDonaldization Sociologist George Ritzer: how principles of fast food industry apply to other areas: • Efficiency. Tasks are completed quickly. • Calculability. Size, cost, and time are more important than quality. • Predictability. Products are standardized • Control through technology. Automation replaces human labor.

21. Problems of McDonaldization Employees are unable to use their full capabilities Unable to be creative Human interaction is limited Not paid to think, just follow procedures Job/Life dissatisfaction due to alienation and working as an extension of a machine

22. Types of groups

23. Primary group • Intimate, small, personal Family Friends Co-workers • Serve expressive needs -provide emotional support, sense of belonging

24. Secondary Groups • Formal, large, impersonal classmates teachers employees • Serve instrumental needs, accomplish a specific task

25. Reference Groups Pussycat Dolls“When I Grow Up” Groups that individuals compare themselves to regularly Can have positive or negative effects influence self-esteem

26. In group vs. Out groupUs vs. Them W.I. Thomas Attribution Theory: seeing someone as part of our in or out groups can distort our perceptions of their motives, capabilities, and actions Attributions errors: wrong assumptions we make about a group

27. Types of groups:George Simmel interested in the effects of size on groups. Dyad:group of exactly 2 people Triad:group of exactly 3 people (less stable than a dyad)

28. Triadic Segregation: • Tendency in a group of 3 for 2 people to form a coalition

29. Turn in before leaving: • Be A Sociologist Assignment #4 • Turn in today’s in-class activity sheet (networking) • For next class: Crime Read Ch 6: p 127-140

30. Review Experiments View experiment Asch’s Conformity Experiment View study reenactment Milgram Obedience Study Standford Prison Experiment View