Chapter 6. Group: consists of at least 2 or more people who share one or more goals and think, feel & behave in similar ways -in regular contact -take.

GROUPS, NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS &

INTERACTION

Chapter 6

Primary & Secondary Groups

Group: consists of at least 2 or more people who share one or more goals and think, feel & behave in similar ways

-in regular contact

-take one another’s behavior into account

-groups play important roles in the lives of their members

-influence society around them

-small and formal to large and informal

Groups con’t-tend to “create” insiders and outsiders

*categories (ppl who share social characteristics) & aggregates (ppl who happen to be in the same place at the same time) are not groups, but could come together to form a group

Primary Groups

Ppl who are emotionally close, know one another well, and seek one another’s company

-primary relationships: intimate, personal, caring and fullfilling

-most important to learn socialization

-small, face-to-face, continous contact, social environment

Functions- emotional support, socialization, encourages conformity

Secondary Group

Ppl who share only part of their lives while focusing on a goal or task, impersonal & goal oriented

-exists to accomplish a specific purpose

-can include primary relationships

GROUPS AND NETWORKS

Chapter 6.2

Reference Groups

Group used for self-evaluation and the formation of attitudes, values, beliefs, norms and mores

-may include families, teachers, classmates, social organizations, rock groups, professional sports teams

-don’t need to be a member of a group to use them as a reference

-don’t need to be a positive models

In-Groups/Out-Groups

◦IG: Exclusive group demanding loyalty divided into “we” and “they”

◦OG: targeted by an in-group for opposition, antagonism or competition◦IG must have boundaries to tell who is not “in”◦Symbols (clothes, slang) , action (handshake), or may involve a place

◦New members often taught boundaries at initiation ceremonies

Social Networks

A web of social relationships that join a person to other people and groups, both primary and secondary

*includes groups but not a group itself

-provides a sense of belonging and purpose, provide support, help and advice

Your Turn….

◦ Stand up and find a group you identify with…on what basis do you identify?

◦ Could you join another group or form a completely new one? On what basis?

◦ Make a list of your groups:◦ Your primary group◦ Your secondary group◦ 3 In-Groups you belong to◦ 3 Out-Groups

◦ What do each of these groups provide for you?

TYPES OF SOCIAL

INTERACTIONSChapter 6.3

5 Types of Interaction

1. Cooperation

2. Conflict

3. Social Exchange

4. Coercion

5. Conformity

Cooperation

1.Individuals or groups combine their efforts to reach a goal; usually in a time of crisis (war, natural disaster)

Conflict

1.Interaction aimed at defeating an opponent; work against each other

Social Exchange

1.A voluntary action performed with the expectation of getting a reward in return; the benefit to be earned rather than the relationship is key1. You scratch my back and I’ll

scratch yours

Coercion

1.Interaction in which individuals or groups are forced to behave in a particular way; physical force, threats, torture, death, social pressure

Conformity

1.Behavior that matches group expectation; we adapt our behavior to fit those around us; a way to avoid conflict

Milgram Experiment/Asch Experiment◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTX42lVDwA4

◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyDDyT1lDhA

◦On your own piece of paper answer the following questions:

1.How might the findings by Stanley Milgram and Solomon Asch apply to social pressures young people face in school?

2.How do you think society would function without the tendency to conform? Explain.

FORMAL ORGANIZATION

SChapter 6.4

Formal organization

a group deliberately created to achieve one or more long-term goals

ex: education, businesses, govt, religion-most are bureaucracies (based on rationality and efficiency)

Characteristics of Formal Organizations1.Division of labor based on

specialization2.Hierarchy of authority3.System of rules and procedures4.Written records of work and

activities5.Promotion on the basis of merit and

qualifications

Informal Structures

Group within a formal organization in which personal relationships are guided by norms, rituals and sentiments that are not part of the formal organization

-exists to meet needs ignored by the formal organization

Iron Law of Oligarchy

Theory that power increasingly becomes concentrated in the hands of a few members of any organization

1. need a hierarchy to delegate decision making

2. allow those on top to consolidate their power

3. members tend to submit or defer to leaders