Studied by 33 people
Primary Groups
clusters of people where there is close, face-to-face intimate interaction (i.e. close friends)
Secondary Groups
members are rarely in contact with each other (i.e. trade union)
Planned Groups
specifically formed for a purpose- either by members or an external individual, group, or organization (i.e. city council)
Emergent Groups
form spontaneously where people find themselves together in the same place, or where the same group of people gradually get to know each other
Soloman Asch Experiment
a subject changed their answers to questions they were given along with 6 actors, and were asked to answer a question after the actors purposely give the wrong answer
Group Unanimity
groups that are in total agreement exert pressure to conform
Group Attractiveness
more attractive the group is to its members, the more likely the members are to conform
Public vs. Private Response
when members express views in front of others, they are more likely to conform
Nature of the Task
tasks or questions that are vague or subjective are easier for people to conform to
Groupthink
when group members have such a strong desire to reach an agreement they lose their ability to critically examine other alternatives
Illusion of Invulnerability
creating excessive optimism and encouraging members to take extreme risks
Collective Efforts to Rationalize
in order to discount warnings which might lead the members to reconsider their assumptions
Belief in the Group’s Inherent Morality
members ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions
Stereotyped Views of Enemy Leaders
as too evil to warrant genuine attempts to negotiate or as too weak and stupid to counter whatever risky attempts are made to defeat their purposes
Direct Pressure
any member who expresses strong arguments, illusions, or stereotypes
Self-Censorship
suppressing one’s contrasting views because the group “cannot” be wrong
Shared Illusion of Unanimity
concerning judgements conforming to majority view
Self-Appointed Mind Guards
members of the group that protect the rest from information that contradicts their overall beliefs
True Mobiles
people who access internet in public specifically to avoid social situations
Placemakers
people who access the internet in public to create social interactions
Social Shield
a device or object used to avoid interactions with others
Informal Justice System
a system of social pressure to control behaviour
Formal Justice System
includes things such as codified laws, courts, judges, lawyers, police, and formal punishment
Prejudice
a usually negative prejudgement about a specific group
Learned Theory
learned behaviours acquired through socialization
Competition Theory
key reason some people come to district other groups is because of economic competition
Aggression Theory
people are constantly looking to put the blame on others for their shortcomings
Ignorance Theory
when we refuse to learn about another cultural group or befriend someone of another culture, we remain unaware of how other cultures function
Discrimination
an action which is unfair treatment
Structural Functionalism
belief that a society is stable when social institutions meet needs of citizens
Conflict Theory
suggests competition between different groups for power
Feminist Sociology
sociologists examining gender inequality
Symbolic Interaction
studies human interaction at micro level
Social Institutions: Families
helps society members replace themselves, provides protection for next generation
Social Institutions: Families Current Issues
family violence/domestic abuse, primary socialization & prejudice
Economic Institutions
help societies members meet physical needs
Economic Institutions Current Issues
pandemic job loss, inflation
Political Institutions
assist society in decision making, empowers individuals
Political Institutions Current Issues
homelessness, police brutality
Education Institutions
organize the way society passes on its culture, knowledge and values from one education to another
Education Institutions Current Issues
impact of online schooling, impact of phone use
Religious Institutions
helps people find an ultimate purpose in life, aid in developing spiritual side of society
Religious Institutions Current Issues
are people losing faith/religion? pandemic impact on religion
Social Stratification
system by which society categorizes people and ranks them in a hierarchy
Types of Social Structures
ableism, ageism, sexism, classism, racism, homophobia/transphobia
