Chapter 5 & 6

Social Group

Social Group

Clusters of people with whom we interact in everyday life. People with shared experiences, loyalties, and interests. "We" with a sense of belonging.

Crowd

Temporary clusters of people, a group can have temporal status

Deindividuation

The tendency of people in a crowd to do things that violate norms because they feel anonymous in the crowd.

Primary Groups

Personal orientation, long-term, broad and involve many activities, end in themselves, families and circles of friends. (Small, personal orientation, enduring, first group, irreplaceable, emotional and financial support)

Secondary Groups

Goal orientation, variable and short term, narrow, involves few activities, means to an end, coworkers and political organizations (Large membership, goal orientation, formal and polite, weak emotional ties, short term, no "we")

What are the three leadership styles?

Authoritarian, Laissez-Faire, Democratic

Authoritarian Leadership

Leader makes decisions; compliance from members (Theory X Leader)

Democratic Leadership

Member involvement creates more involvement and expects people will work because it is their job to do so (Theory Y Leader)

Laissez-Faire Leadership

Let group function on its own, not usually effective

Solomon Asch

Line experiment. Willingness to compromise our own judgements to avoid the discomfort of being seen as different.

Milgram

Punishment experiment with shocks. Authority figure and groups of ordinary individuals influenced willingness to harm other people.

Groupthink

Tendency of group members to conform, resulting in a narrow view of some issues.

What are some negatives of Groupthink and how can this be avoided?

• Number of US Foreign policy errors

• Space shuttle disasters Set up purposeful "red team" to be critical of decisions made by the group

In-Group

• Display loyalty and respect to group members

• Exist in relation to out-groups

• Generally hold overly positive views of themselves

Out-Group

• Opposition to in-groups

• May be defined by in-groups as lower status

• May be socially, politically, and economically subordinated by the in-group

What are the three types of formal organizations?

Utilitarian, Normative, Coercive

Utilitarian Organizations

Material rewards for members

Normative Organizations

Voluntary organizations; ties to personal morality

Coercive Organizations

Punishment or treatment; total institutions

What are the three problems of bureaucracies?

Bureaucratic alienation, inefficiency/ritualism, and inertia

Bureaucratic Alienation

Potential to dehumanize individuals

Bureaucratic Inefficiency/ritualism

Inefficiency often known as "red tape". Preoccupation with rules, interferes with meeting goals

Bureaucratic Inertia

Perpetuation of the organization - USDA; Turnpike commission

Research of Michels

"Iron Law Oligarchy". Bureaucracy pyramid shape, fewer leaders in charge of many. Use power for resources and personal gain. Distance created between officials and public.

Scientific Management

Scientific principles applied to the operation of a business or large organization. Perform tasks efficiently, incentives for efficiency. Power in hands of owners/executives that pay little attention to workers

Japanese Work Organizations

Emphasize collectivism and shares responsibility. Hired in groups for life, quality circles, provide mortgages and social events. "Lost decades" lost millions in profits so benefits do not work as they once did in the 1970s-80s

What are two opposing trends in workplace organizations today?

• Movement toward more creative freedom for highly skilled workers

• Movement toward increased supervision and discipline for less skilled service workers

Sex

Biological distinction between males and females (X and Y chromosomes)

Gender

Decision to conform to certain gender roles set by society as to what is "for" men and women

Primary Sex Characteristics

Organs used for reproduction

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Bodily development that distinguishes mature males and females

Transsexual

Feeling emotionally linked to one sex while biologically the other. Often have gender reassignment surgery

Transgender

People who behave in ways that challenge cultural norms of male and female in terms of how they look and act, but may not have the sense of being in the wrong body

Intersexual

Possessing some combination of male and female genitalia

Incest Taboo

Found in every society. Forbidding sexual relations between relatives, rooted in biology, necessary

Homophobia

Bias against homosexuals, rooted in society

What are the effect of exposure to prenatal testosterone and other hormones?

People that experience more hormones associated with the opposite sex during prenatal development are more likely to be homosexual

Sexual Orientation

A person's romantic and emotional attraction to another person

Timeline of the Sexual Revolution

1920s - roaring 20s !948 - Alfred Kinsey's research on sexual attitudes 1960s - New openness, birth control, double standard challenged, change from sexually repressed to ambivalent.

Sexual Counterrevolution

1980s. Return to family values. Partially because of AIDS crisis and STDs, move towards limited partners.

What is the importance of Alfred Kinsey's research?

• Found that men and women cheat at the same rate (1 in 4)

• Men prone to "one night stand" while women involved in full relationships

• Biased samples (1948) influence people's thinking even today

How often do people engage in extramarital affairs?

• 17% report being sexually unfaithful

• 19% of men and 12% of women

• More common among young, low social position, no religious affiliation, and low marriage happiness

What environmental factors play a role in teen pregnancy in the US?

• Those who do not live with biologial parents are 3 times as likely

• Liberal vs. Conservative

• More common in the Bible Belt

What do most American Adults think about the issue of prostitution?

• See it as degrading work

• "victimless crime" efforts to control but not strictly enforced

• "Live and let live" people can do as they please as long as they cause no harm

Structural-Functional Theory

"regulate activity" all of society agrees and it brings us together. Regulates what can and can't be done due to societal pressure in order to keep things functioning smoothly.

Conflict Theory

Means power and strong exploiting the weak

Symbolic Interaction

Individual group's perception of what it means to them