8C. Social Interaction Flashcards
group
collection of any number of people (as few as two) who regularly interact and identify with each other, sharing similar norms, values, and expectations; help clearly define social roles and statuses; within a social structure, they are often the setting for social interaction and influence
aggregate
people who exist in the same space but do not interact or share a common sense of identity
category
people who share similar characteristics but are not otherwise tied together
primary group
play a more important role in an individual’s life; usually smaller and include those with whom the individual engages with a person, in long-term, emotional ways; example – family
secondary group
larger and more impersonal, and may interact for specific reasons for shorter periods of time; example – MCAT study group
expressive functions
primary groups serve as these (meeting emotional needs)
instrumental functions
secondary groups serve as these (meeting pragmatic needs)
in-group
subcategory for primary/secondary groups; a group that an individual belongs to and believes to be an integral part of who they are; tend to have favorable impressions because bolster our social identities and self-esteem; people tend to have positive stereotypes about their own in-groups
out-group
subcategory for primary/secondary groups; a group that an individual does not belong to; have more negative impressions and negative stereotypes of members of our out-groups
social identity theory
when we categorize other people, we identify with some of them, who we consider our in-group, and see differences with others, who we consider our out-groups
reference group
standard measure that people compare ourselves to
group size
number of people present within the group has consequences for group relations
dyad
smallest social group; contains 2 members; often more intimate and intense because there is no outside competition; requires active cooperation and participation from both members to be stable; single relationship
triad
contains 3 members; 3 relationships, one between each pair of members; can be more or less stable
bureacracy
an administrative body and the processes by which this body accomplishes work tasks; rise form an advanced division of labor in which worker does his or her small task, which are coordinated by managers; efficient way to complete complicated tasks because each member of the organization has a specific role
Max Weber
a major theory of bureaucracy was developed by him; considered bureaucracy to be a necessary aspect of modern society
1) covers a fixed area of activity
2) hierarchically organized
3) workers have expert training in an area of specialty
4) organizational rank is impersonal, and advancement depends on technical qualification rather than favoritism
5) workers follow set procedures to increase predictability and efficiency
rationalization
process by which tasks are broken down into component parts to be efficiently accomplished by workers within the organization
McDonaldization
rationalization of fast food production; 4 components that reflect principles of bureaucracy
1) efficiency
2) calculability - assessing performance through quantity and/or speed of output
3) predictability
4) control - automating work where possible in order to make results more predictable
oligarchy
rule be an elite few; come about through the very organization of the bureaucracy itself
Iron Law of Oligarchy
when revolutionary organizations inevitably become less revolutionary as their organizational structures develop and become entrenched
social structures
5 elements –statuses, social roles, groups, social networks, and organizations; 5 elements developed through the process of socialization
status
socially defined positioned within a society; one person can hold multiple statuses at the same time; some may place someone in a higher social position while other may imply a lower position
master status
one that dominates the others and determines that individual’s general position in society; sometimes individual does not prefer it
ascribed status
assigned to a person by society regardless of the person’s own efforts; example –gender/race
achieved status
due largely to an individual’s efforts; example –“doctor” or “parent”
social roles
expectations for people of a given social status
role conflict
conflict in society’s expectations for multiple statuses held by the same person
role strain
when a single status results in conflicting expectations;
