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Soc 101 Chapter 5: Groups and Organizations Questions for You… Make a list of the various groups to which you belong. Which groups have had the greatest impact on your development? How have your group associations changed based on the different stages in your life? Groups, Aggregates, and Categories Social Group: A collection of two or more people who: interact frequently, share a sense of belonging, and have a feeling of interdependence. Aggregate: A collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time but share little else in common. Cooley’s Types of Groups Primary Group: small, less specialized group in which members engage in faceto-face, emotion-based interactions over an extended period of time Secondary Group: larger, more specialized group in which the members engage in more impersonal, goal-oriented relationships for a limited period of time Sumner’s Types of Groups Ingroup: group to which a person belongs and with which the person feels a sense of identity Outgroup: group to which a person does not belong and toward which the person may feel a sense of competitiveness or hostility Reference group: group that strongly influences a person’s behavior and social attitudes, regardless of whether that individual is an actual member Possible Interactions Based on Group Size Group Leadership Functions Instrumental leadership is most appropriate when the group’s purpose is to complete a task or reach a particular goal. Expressive leadership is most appropriate when the group is dealing with emotional issues, and harmony, solidarity, and high morale are needed. Group Leadership Styles Authoritarian leaders - often criticized for fostering intergroup hostility. Democratic leaders - praised for supportive behavior and blamed for being indecisive in a crisis. Laissez-faire leaders - do not provide active leadership. The Experiment: Studying Group Solidarity The Asch experiment • Used the method of experiment • Studied solidarity and conformity What was the hypothesis? • Group solidarity causes conformity What was the independent variable? • Group solidarity (the answers given by the group) What was the dependent variable? • Whether or not a subject conformed to the group Group 1 X Group 2 A B C Group 1 X Group 2 A B C Group 1 X Group 2 A B C Stanley Milgram: Obedience Important points: • Obedience to authority is learned from an early age • Obedience to authority is often unquestioned Things to think about: • People were more likely to obey authority when: Authority is present people can diffuse responsibility they are distanced from their victims Milgram’s Obedience Experiment: Results Milgram: Continued • What was the penalty for failing to obey? Answer: nothing serious • Why then, didn’t more disobey? We are taught that those in authority “know best” We are taught to obey authority from an early age Thus, socialization has encouraged conformity • Is conformity/obedience bad? Not always. A classroom cannot be run efficiently without the obedience/conformity of the class Can be. Sometimes people don’t question authority like they should (e.g. Nazi Germany) Group Think Irving Janis developed an influential theory of group decision making that he called groupthink. Groupthink involves an extreme form of group cohesiveness in which group members begin to think alike and do not question each other or consider alternative choices in making a decision. Groupthink Given the Asch and Milgram experiments, how might you explain groupthink? How does Janis explain groupthink? BUREAUCRACIES They are a type of formal organization Formal Organizations are highly structured groups formed for the purpose of completing specific tasks/goals Bureaucracies are special purpose groups formed for maximum efficiency They come in different shapes and sizes, but they share certain characteristics Bureaucracies: An Ideal Type 1. Division of Labor 2. Hierarchy of Authority 3. Written Rules/Regulations 4. Impersonal 5. Meritocracies Consider this… How do people use this informal “grapevine” to spread information? Is it faster than the organization’s official channels of communication? Is it more or less accurate than official channels? Bureaucracies and Their Limitations Inefficiency & Rigidity Resistance to Change Perpetuation of Race, Class and Gender Inequalities Leads to the “Iron Law of Oligarchy”