collection people happen place time share common Social aggregate

What is a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time but share little else in common?

SOC-101-300-173

Chapter 5 Outline

Dashboard

2017 Summer I

KENDALL, CHAPTER 6: GROUPS AND ORGANIZATION (INCOMPLETE - MORE COMING) An AGGREGATE is a collection of peple who happen to be in the same place at the same time but share little else in common. A CATEGORY is a number of people who may never have met on another, but share one or more characteristics (eg, education, age) A GROUP IS ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR VALUES EXPECTATIONS WHO REGULARLY AND CONSCIOUSLY INTERACT. 1. PRIMARY GROUPS: SMALL GROUPS CHARACTERIZEC BY INTIMATE, FACE-TO-FACE ASSOCIATION AND COOPERATION (EXAMPLES: FAMILIES, STUDY GROUPS, FRIENDSHIP GROUPS) 2. SECONDARY GROUPS: FORMAL, IMPERSONAL GROUPS IN WHICH THERE IS LITTLE INTIMACY OR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. CLASS, NIUC). 3. REFERENCE GROUPS-- THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING OURSELVES OR OUR OWN BEHAVIOR. (IE, BUSINESS MAJORS MAY HAVE IBM EXECUTIVERS AS A REFERENCE GROUP: PROFESSORS HAVE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS 4. IN-GROUPS-- ANY CATEGORY OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL THAT THEY BELONG." EG, STUDENTS, CLIQUESC 5. OUT-GROUPS-- THOSE "OUTSIDE THE PALE"-PUNKS/ROCKERS 6. COALITIONS--- THESE ARE A GROUP OF GROUPS GEARTED TOQARD A COMMON GOAL: EITHER SEMI-PERMANTLY OR TEMPORARILY WORKING TOWARD A COMMON END. (EG, GANGS, LABOR GROUPS, Jesse Jackon's "RAINBOW COALITION"C) 7. NETWORKS: "A web ofsocial relationships that link us with others, and through them, the people they know We can look at group connections as a type of SOCIAL CAPITAL NOTE: While the size of a group is important: THERE IS NO CLEAR DEFINITION AT WHICH POINT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BECOMES TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL TO BE A GROUP, WHETHER "PRIMARY GROUP or SECONDARY GROUP: Groups tend to be defined by function. However, size can shape dynamics of a group: 1) Dyads (two members 2) Triads (three members) - adding the third changes things (See the ASCH experiment on: >----> HOW DO GROUPS DIFFER FROM FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS? A FORMAL ORGANIZATION IS A LARGE-SCALE,SPECIAL-PURPOSE GROUP PURPOSELY DESIGNED AND STRUCTURED INTHE INTERESTS EFFICIENCY. TYPICAL EXAMPLES INCLUDE: SOME TYPES: a) Normative organizations (we join these voluntarily for a common interest b) Coercive organizations (prisons) c) Utilitarian organizations (they provide a material reward (schools) SOME OTHER EXAMPLES: A) GOVERNMENTS B) LARGE BUSINESSES C) SCHOOLS D) HOSPITALS THESE ARE ALL BUREAUCRACIES, CHARACTERIZED BY: A) COMMUNICATION FLOW FROM TOP DOWN B) CENTRALIZED POWER/LEADERSHIP C) SPECIALIZED TASKS/DIVISION OF LABOR D) FORMAL RECRUITMENT E) MERIT F) RULES FOR OPERATING G) EXPLICIT REWARD SYSTEM H) HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY I) IMPERSONALITY AN OLIGARCHY, BY CONTRAST, IS AN ORGANIZATION (OR SOCIETY RULED BY A FEW. WE ALSO HAVE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS---THIS REFERS TO ORGANIZATINS ESTABLISHED ON THE BASIS OF COMMON INTEREST, WHOSE MEMBER VOLUNTEER OR EVEN PAY TO PARTICIPATE (eg, Labor Unions, fraternities) THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING GROUPS: IT CAN TELL US MANY THINGS ABOUT SOCIETY AND ABOUT PEOPLE: 1. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT (VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS) HOW PEOPLE VOTE, WHAT THEIR ATTITUDES ARE 2. LOOKING AT ONE'S PRIMARY GROUPS MAY HELP US UNDERSTAND CRIME/DEVIANCE (NEXT CHAPTER) 3. LOOKING AT BUREAUCRACIES MAY PROVIDE A KEY WINDOW INTO DECISIONS ARE MADE, HOW MUCH INPUT PEOPLE PUT INTO GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY, OR HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED. REMEMBER:GROUPS ARE NOT SIMPLY TERMS, THEY ARE CONCEPTS USEFUL FOR ANALYSIS. WEBER, FOR EXAMPLE, USED BUREAUCRACIES TO EXAMINE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, AND HE FOUND THAT SOCIETY CAN BE MEASURED BY HOW "RATIONAL" (IE, BUREAUCRATIC) IT HAS BECOME. EG: For WEBER: Societies can be defined by how they are organized: A. CHARISMATIC B. TRADITIONAL C. RATIONAL/LEGAL 1. Formal Rationality 2. Substantive Rationality NOTE: THESE ARE IDEAL TYPES: An Ideal type is a construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which specific cases can be evaluated.