Groups and Networks Flashcards
dyad
group of two
triad
group of three
mediator
member of a triad who attempts to resolve conflict between other two
tertius gaudens
member of a triad who benefits from conflict between other two
divide et impera
role of a member of a triad who intentionally drives wedge between other two
small group
a group characterized by face to face interaction, a unifocal perspective, lack of formal arrangements or roles, and a certain level of equality
party
similar to a small group but multifocal
large group
a group characterized by presence of formal structure which mediates interaction and status differentiation
primary group
group composed of enduring, intimate face-to-face relationships that strongly influence ideals and attitudes of those involved (family, friends)
secondary group
group marked by impersonal, instrumental relationships
in-group
another term for the powerful group, usually the majority
out-group
another term for stigmatized and/or less powerful groups, usually minority
reference group
group that helps us understand our position in society relative to other group(s)
social network
a set of relations held together by ties between individuals
tie
the connection between two people that varies in strength from one relationship to the next; think of as a story
narrative
sum of stories contained in a set of ties
embeddedness
the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths in a social network
strength of weak ties
the notion that relatively weak ties are often highly valuable because they yield new information
structural hole
a gap between network clusters if those clusters have complementary resources
social capital
the information and connections that help individuals enter, gain power in or otherwise leverage social networks
organization
a social network defined by a common purpose with a boundary between its members and the rest of the social world
organizational culture
the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group
organizational structure
the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization
isomorphism
a constraining process that forces one unit in a population to resemble other units that face the same set of environmental conditions
