Groups Flashcards
group
any collection of at least 2 people who interact with some frequency and share a sense of identity
aggregate/crowd
people who are in the same place at the same time, but don’t interact or share an identity (ex. people in a line at Starbucks)
category
people who share similar characteristics but aren’t tied to each other in another way (ex. Millennials)
2 types of groups
primary and secondary
primary groups
- most critical
- fairly small
- made up of people who engage face-to-face in long-term emotional ways (ie. significant others, family)
- serves emotional needs
secondary groups
- larger, impersonal
- task-focused and time-limited
- serve an instrumental function
- ex. classroom, office
core discussion group
- close social contacts
- people you choose to spend free time with, people you discuss important personal matters with
in-group vs. out-group
- in-group: group you feel you belong to; an integral part of who you are
- out-group: a group you don’t belong to; may feel disdain or competition towards
reference group
group people compare themselves to (ex. peer groups, family, etc.)
dyad vs. triad
- dyad: 2-member group; if one withdraws group ceases to exist (ex. divorce); closer but more unstable
- triad: 3-member group; if one withdraws group lives on; 2-against-1 dynamics may happen, not as close (third wheel)
social network
collection of people tied together by configuration of connections (ex. number of people involved, who is connected to whom, etc.)
large groups
- too many people to join in simultaneous discussion, or when the group unites with another group
- larger groups garner more attention, but also have higher risk of lack of cohesion
leadership in small vs. large groups
- small (primary groups): informal
- large (secondary groups): overt
2 leadership functions
- instrumental: goal-oriented, concerned with accomplishing tasks (ie. CEOs)
- expressive: promote emotional strengths, health, and support (ie. social and religious leaders)
3 leadership styles
- democratic: encourage group participation and consensus in decision-making
- laissez-faire: hands-off, allows group members to make own decisions
- authoritarian: issues orders and assigns tasks to meet goals
glass ceiling
invisible barrier that prevents women from achieving positions of leadership
conformity
extent to which an individual complies with group norms or expectations (ie. Milgram study, Soloman Asch study)
formal organization
- large, impersonal secondary group deliberately organized to achieve its goals efficiently (ex. businesses, government)
- often bureaucratic
buraucracy
- ideal type of formal organization
- uses hierarchy of authority and clear division of labour
- impersonal
- meritocracies -> hiring and promotion are based on skills rather than nepotism or random choice
- oligarchies -> ruled by a few elites
3 types of formal organizations
- normative/voluntary: based on shared interests; membership is rewarding (ie. ski club)
- coercive: people are pushed to join (ie. rehab) -> usually total institutions
- utilitarian: join for specific material reward (ex. work, school -> money, diploma)
total institution
living a controlled lifestyle; total resocialization takes place (ie. prison)
hierarchy of authority
aspect of bureaucracy; places one individual in charge of another, who in turn must answer to their own superirors
clear division of labour
within a bureaucracy, each person has a specialized task to perform
McDonaldization of society
- increasing presence of the fast-food business model in social institutions
- model includes efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control/monitoring
