Social Groups & Organizations Flashcards
In-group favoritism - bias towards one’s in-group, feeling they are special; out-group derogation - believing out-groups are inferior; illustrated by a 1954 study by Muzafer & Carolyn Sherif.
In-group favoritism vs. out-group derogation
Avoiding working harder than other group members, which would make you a ‘sucker’.
Sucker effect
conformity because of desire to fit in.
Social conformity
Define rules; ask for full participation; divide into smaller groups; urge healthy debate; discuss all alternatives; ask outside experts; ask leaders to share at the end; have a devil’s advocate.
Ways to reduce groupthink
The idea that people will expend less effort in a group to achieve a goal because they believe other members of the group will take care of things.
Social loafing
Weber’s term for an overly-rationalized society; people in such a society are trapped by lack of freedom because everything is overly-organized and there is no way to stray from expectations
Iron cage
A system where the group discusses and comes to a consensus; the leader still has final say, but uses the group to help inform their choice; effective but slower
Democratic decision-making
The theoretical perspective that describes society as historically unequal between women and men and looks to obtain equality
Feminism in sociology
People use this to choose between right and wrong - morals and values play a strong role
Substantive rationality
Predictability (always get what you expect); calculability (quantity over quality); efficiency (fast, easy service); control (specific directions lead to specific results)
George Ritzer’s 4 principles of McDonaldization
Used when choosing whether something is right or wrong - based on formal rules and laws
Formal rationality
A system where leaders make the major decisions for a group themselves; can be helpful when timeliness or efficiency are important
Authoritarian decision-making
A type of formal organization which keeps control because its members share a commitment based in morality; members are voluntary and join because they think it is the right thing to do
Normative organization
A purposefully built group with specific goals; characteristics include: a division between power and labor; written rules for the organization; a process for replacing group members
Formal organizations
The theory that society is essentially a system of interconnected parts that affect each other and work together to function
Structural-functional theory
Logic used to go about daily tasks in a practical way
Practical rationality
Decrease in intimacy and loyalty; decrease in obligation and responsibility; fewer contributions to the group by each member; harder to reach agreement; increase in stability
Characteristics of groups larger than 3
A type of social group that can vary in size; they are more impersonal than primary groups, and usually last for a shorter period of time; often found at school or work
Secondary groups
Following orders (without question) in response to authority; differs from conformity, which occurs willingly in response to a group.
Obedience
An in-group is the group of people that you belong to; an out-group is a group that you do not belong to
In-group vs. out-group
A theory that believes society is composed of unequal groups, and this inherent inequality creates conflict and change.
Social-conflict theory
A type of formal organization which uses force to retain control over those who belong to the organization.
Coercive organizations
A type of social group that is close, usually small, and include long-standing intimate relationships; examples include nuclear families and close friends.
Primary groups
Conceptualizing abstract concepts in the world around us; requires deductive and inductive reasoning
Theoretical rationality
When a group values consensus over effective decision making for the sake of avoiding conflict.
Groupthink
A style where leaders allow groups to make decisions completely independently
Laissez-Faire decision-making
A type of formal organization which uses bartering to keep control - members can gain something by being a part of the group
Utilitarian organizations
A type of group that people look to for cues on behavior; thought of as role models or standards against which to measure yourself
Reference groups
Specifically about achieving goals and making sure tasks get done.
Instrumental leadership
Sees society as a reflection of the interactions between people; evaluates small interactions to make conclusions about larger society.
Symbolic interactionism theory
conformity because of wanting to be liked
normative conformity
conformity because of wanting to be right
informational conformity
giving less effort because you think your work won’t affect the outcome.
free-rider effect
Focus on group cohesion and positive atmosphere.
expressive leadership
