Lecture Nine: Groups and Social Networks

Group

A collection of people who share some attribute, identify with one another, and interact with each other

Crowd

A temporary gathering of people in a public place; members might interact but do not identify with one another and will not remain in contact

Aggregate

A collection of people who share one or more attributes but lack a sense of common identity or belonging 

Dyad 

A group of two 

• the most intimate form of social life because two members are mutually dependent on each other 

• inherent symmetry, even when the power relationships in the dyad are unequal 

• if one leaves, the group fails to exist 

Triad

Group of three or more

• supra-indivual power (the group can be maintained even if a member leaves)

• the group is not dependent on any one individual member

• secrets

• politics: multiple points of views exist that must somehow be balanced

• allows for power politics among group members

Small Group

A group characterized by face-to-face interaction, a unifocal perspective, lack of formal arrangements, and a certain level of quality

Parties

Small groups that are multifocal

Large Group 

A group characterized by the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently, status differentiation 

Primary Group

Social groups, such as family or friends, composed of intimate face-to-face relationships that strongly influence the attitudes and ideals of those involved

Secondary Groups

Groups marked by interpersonal and instrumental relationships (those existing as a means to an end)

Groupthink

The tendency to enforce a high degree of conformity among members, creating a demand for unanimous agreement

Reference Group 

A group that helps us understand or make sense of our position in society relative to other groups 

Social Networks

A set of relations - essentially a set of dyads - held together by ties between individuals

Tie

A set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of a network

Narrative

The sum of stories contained within a set of ties

Embeddedness

The degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network 

Highly Embedded Networks

Networks with strong ties

• less diverse

• Contemporaneously associated with lower-income communities

Social Capital

The information, knowledge of people, and connections that help individuals enter, gain power in, or otherwise leverage social networks

Structural Holes

A gap between network clusters, or even two individuals, if those individuals (or clusters) have complementary resources