Social Interaction, Social Structure, and Groups (Chapter 5)

Social Interaction & Reality

• Social interaction: people act/react toward others
• Social construction of reality: reality shaped through interaction
  • Thomas\ Theorem: situations defined as real → real consequences
• Reality varies by culture; power to define reality = power to shape society

Social Structure Elements

• Social structure: organized, predictable relationships
• Core elements (total 5):
  • Statuses
  • Social roles
  • Groups
  • Social networks
  • Social institutions

Status & Roles

• Status set: all positions held at one time
  • Ascribed status: given by society
  • Achieved status: earned/chosen
  • Master status: dominant for identity
• Role: expected behavior for a status
  • Role conflict: clashes between \ge 2 statuses
  • Role strain: tensions within one status

Solidarity & Community Forms

• Durkheim
  • Mechanical solidarity: shared tasks & beliefs
  • Organic solidarity: interdependence via specialization
• Tönnies
  • Gemeinschaft: small, similar, intimate
  • Gesellschaft: large, impersonal, diverse

Sociocultural Evolution (Lenski)

• Technology drives societal change
• Preindustrial
  • Hunting-gathering
  • Horticultural
  • Agrarian
• Industrial: mechanized production, new energy sources
• Postindustrial: information processing dominates
• Postmodern: high technology, consumer focus

Groups

• Group: people with shared norms/values who interact regularly
  • Primary group: small, intimate, long-term
  • Secondary group: large, impersonal, goal-oriented
• In-group vs. Out-group: belonging vs. non-belonging; can fuel conflict
• Reference group: standard for self-evaluation

Formal Organizations & Bureaucracy

• Formal organization: large secondary group for efficient goal achievement
  • Utilitarian: income focus
  • Normative: pursue worthwhile goal
  • Coercive: involuntary membership
• Bureaucracy (Weber)
  • Specialization (division of labor)
  • Hierarchy of authority
  • Explicit rules
  • Performance-based rewards
  • Written records
• Corporation: legally separate entity with limited liability

Groupthink

• Strong pressure to conform → suppress critical thinking
• Demonstrated by Asch: individuals distort judgment to align with group