SOC exam 2 CH 6

Social networks

Created through interaction; they link individuals together and connect to the larger society.

Social capital

The information, knowledge, and connections that help us gain access to social networks and/or gain power in networks

Weak ties

tend to be more formal, less frequent interaction (acquaintances)

Bridges

Weak ties that provide a link between two cluster EX A friend’s parent could provide a bridge between your strong tie and a company where you would like an internship

Mcdonaldization process

Focus on efficiency, or finding the best means to a given end
Effort is directed to ensuring Predictability, or assuring that things operate in the same way across time or place
Emphasizes calculability, or directing action toward something that can be counted and quantified
Increased control, over employees and customers

Primary group

groups with close contacts between members; face to face contact; long lasting personal relationships (family, close friends). Have a strong influence.

Secondary group

groups with impersonal relationships between members (sports team; class). The roles are more important than the individuals who fill them

reference groups

Provides a standard of measurement (comparison). Helps us make sense of our position in society relative to other (reference) groups. EX: peer groups; we pay attention to “what’s in”

Alienation

an individual is isolated and divorced from his or her society, work, or the sense of self.

Bureaucracies

Specific types of large formal organizations. Purpose: They were considered extremely efficient and far superior to existing organizational systems. With the emergence of large organizations the need arose for efficient management; Efficient refers to rules & procedures for maximizing goals

Characteristics of a Bureaucracy

Clear lines of hierarchical authority
A “chain of command”
Crucial for the efficient coordination of various divisions within a large
organization
Clarifies who has authority to give employees “orders” and who (management) is
responsible for what
Power is associated with the position, not the individual
Clear division of labor, based on technical competence
Work is broken down into specialized tasks
Each worker is assigned one or more tasks
Management work is also specialized
Management: coordinating the work of others
Work is often broken down into specialized divisions
Decision making is based on rules that relate to the goals of the organization
Written rules and communication
Impersonal Relationships
Emphasis on rationality and efficiency to achieve goals
This one is significant and deserves an explanation