Chapter Four:
Social
Social and
Structure Informal
Groups
Groups are
the
foundation
of social
structure.
Size can
vary from as
little as 2
people up to
groups in
the millions,
as long as
there is
some kind
of regular
interaction.
All groups
have a
perceived
sense of
identity, and
members of
the group
perceive
outsiders as
being
different in
some way.
Ingroups
are ones
that
members
feel a strong
sense of
loyalty and
attachment
to.
Within a
group, there
is a
common
sense of
who
belongs and
The
Individual
and Society
Formal
Individual
behavior is
shaped by
two
components:
Social status
and roles.
When one
speaks of an
individual's
status they
are making
references to
how much
money,
power, or
prestige they
have.
Sociologist
status refers
to the position
that one
occupies in a
group or
organization.
An example,
in this class
your status is
that of a
student. After
school you go
to your job
where your
status is an
employee. In
studying
status,
sociologists
have noted
the difference
between
ascribed
status and
achieved
status.
Ascribed
status is ones
sex, race,
As work was
taken out of the
home and
division of labor
established,
organizations
formed direct
economic
activity.
Another reason
for the rise of
formal
organization
was the
dramatic
transformation
of society to
rationality.
Amatai Etzioni
(1975) broke
formal
organization
into categories:
Utilitarian,
Normative, and
Coercive.
Examples of
Utilitarian
would be such
as attending
college.
Normative
describes such
as attending
church, while
Coercive are
non voluntary,
such as prison.
Organizations
Group
Dynamics
Groups Leadership
Group
Conformity
Group
Dynamics:
is the number
of operational
characteristics
that all groups
display.
Group size:
Dyad- is a two
person group,
the most basic
and intimate
bond between
individuals.
.Triadis a three
person group, a
third person
changes the
dynamic of the
group and
raises the
possibility of
coalition
formation.
-once a group
reaches twelve
people,
personal
interaction is
difficult to
maintain and
cliques within
the larger
group begin to
develop.
-the critical
factor is
weather
members in the
group are
allowed to
interact
informally and
on an individual
basis, as
opposed to
having to
Leader:
someone who exercises
formal or informal
influence over those within
the group.
Often we
unknowingly
follow the
lead of the
group. This
speaks to our
need to “fit in”
by
conforming to
expected
behavior.
Two classic
studies
demonstrate
the power of
group
conformity
(Asch) and
obedience to
authority
(Milgram).
Solom Asch
(1952)
brought
together
group of
people to
view a series
of lines and
compare
them to a
stimus line.
The
respondents
were asked
identify which
of the three
lines
matched.
And to make
twelve sets of
judgments.
Only one
person was
really being
studied and
he rest were
all
3 basic styles of
leadership:
authoritative, democratic,
and laissez-faire.
Authoritative
Leadership:
top to bottom flow of
power and
communication.
Advantage-lies in the
efficiency and goal
completion.
Democratic Leadership:
power flows from the
bottom-up.
advantage is group
members have a strong
commitment to
organizational goals
because they set the
goals.
Laissez-faire
Leadership:
“laid-back” leadership
style. leader encourages
the group to clarify its
goals and then volunteer
for leadership positions.
examples are consultants
paid by companies to
resolve problems. least
commonly exercised.
Drift Toward Oligarchy:
Political sociologist,
Robert Michl (1967) “the
iron w of oligarchy”
while organizations
publicly identify
themselves as democratic,
who
doesn’t.
Outgroups
are ones
that show
resentment
or hatred
towards
other
groups.
Group
membership
provides a
sense of
identity and
security.
According
to
Durkheim’s
study which
showed a
correlation
between
lack of
social
interaction
and suicide
- people feel
the need to
belong to
groups. It
provides
meaning to
our
existence.
class,
religion, and
nationality. It
came to us by
birth or
through some
condition we
have no
control over.
Achieved
status is what
we gain
through our
own efforts.
Achieved
status might
be student,
professional,
father,
carpenter,
president.
Another type
of status is a
master
status. Race
in the US
qualifies as a
master
status. Black
professionals
often
complain of
being treated
differently
both inside
and outside
their
organizations
due to their
race. On the
other hand,
for white
females,
master status
would be of
gender not
race.
Unfortunately,
since in many
cases it is not
possible to
change a
master
status, many
in society find
conform to
group
standards.
Group
Cohesion:
there are a
number of
factors that
affect group
cohesion.
- first is the
frequency of
interaction.
-second is how
the group
perceives other
members.
- finally, new
members can
affect the
cohesion.
Group Thinkis the process
where by a
group arrives at
a decision that
they privately
know is wrong,
but feel that
they cannot, as
individuals
cannot
challenge.
Group
Polarization- a
group moves to
an extreme
position, one
arrived at in a
group situation,
that few
individuals
would favor
apart from the
group.
a few if any, practice
democracy. natural
tendency for leadership to
conl and almost all
aspects of the
organization.
organization=oligarchies
3 reasons why
organizations start out
as being ommd to
democracy drift into
oligarchy:
1:leadership is in charge
of day-t-day running of
the organization’s
business.
2: organizations do not
have time to keep k of
organizational affairs -life
is complex; we belong to
many organizations; often
there are not enough
hours e day to take care of
things we are responsible
for.
3: natural tendency for
leadership to want to
entrench itself in power.
accomplices
of the
researcher
with
instructions
on how to
answer.
The First six
rounds all the
respondents
answered
correctly. The
following six
rounds the
accomplices
all choose
incorrect
answers.
The point of
the
experiment
was to
determine
what effect
this would
have on the
subject. Asch
assumed that
since the
correct
answer was
so obvious,
subject would
not conform
to the group
by giving
incorrect
answers.
Asch was
wrong, over
75% of
subjects
studied
agreed with
incorrect
answer at
least once.
About one
third of all the
answers from
all subjects
were
incorrect
even though
the correct
themselves
unable to
escape unjust
treatment.
Attached to
each status is
a role, or a
set of
expected
behaviors. an
example, you
are a student
are expected
to go to class,
take your
seat and wait
for for the
professor to
arrive. When
she arrives
you are
expected to
listen, take
notes, and
ask questions
when
appropriate.
The professor
as well has a
role. She is
expected to
be to class on
time, give out
assignments
and grades.
Finally, we all
bring to a role
our different
personalities.
Some of us
are outgoing,
and others
are more
reserved.
Some of us
approach life
with a grand
sense of
humor, whole
others are
more serious
about life.
These are the
things that
make us all
answer was
obvious.
Stanley
Milgram
(1963) tested
subjects on
obedience to
authority. The
researcher
explained to
two
individuals
the purpose
of he study
was to
determined
punishment
was an
effective tool
in learning.
The
individual
who was to
be the
teacher was
the one being
studied on.
The other
individual
was the
student, who
was a
accomplice of
the
researcher.
The teacher
would ask the
student
questions. If
the students
answered
wrong then
the teacher
would shock
the student
with volts
from 15 to
450 volts. Of
course the
experiment
was rigged.
The student
never feels
an shocks,
he is just
individual.
acting as if
he was being
shocked.
The central
question of
the study was
how much
was the
teacher
willing to
administer
before
refusing to
continue?
At first the
student
responded
correctly.
Soon after he
continues to
answer
wrong. The
teacher
shocks the
student even
when the
student has
not been
responding
since 330
volts. At
some point
teachers
asked to stop
but, the
researchers
convince and
tell them they
have to finish
no matter
what. 65% of
the
participants
(20 of 40)
continued to
administer
shocks all the
way to the en
of the shock
series. The
importance of
above
studies is at
they
demonstrate
how powerful
the group is
in shaping
our opinions
and behavior,
and how
strong our
allegiance is
to authority.