Social Groups

Aggregates- a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time

Category- a number of people who may never have met one another but share similar characteristics

Charles Cooley- used the term primary group to describe a small, less specialized group in which members engage in face-to-face, emotion-based interactions over an extended period of time.

ingroup- a group to which a person belongs and with which the person feels a sense of identity.

outgroup- a group to which a person does not belong and toward which the person may feel a sense of competitiveness or hostility.

dyad- two members

triad- three members

Leadership - the ability to influence what goes on in a group or social system.

groupthink (Irving Janis)- the process by which members of a cohesive group arrive at a decision that many individual members privately believe is unwise.

Formal Organizations

normative organizations- when we want to pursue some common interest or gain personal satisfaction or prestige form being a members.

coercive organizations- associations that people are forced to join. boot camps, prisons, and some mental hospitals.

utilitarian organizations- when they can provide us with a material reward that we seek. (jobs)

bureaucracy- An organizational model characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules and procedures, and impersonality in personal matters.