Separate and Together: Life in Groups Chapter 5 Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Overview Social Groups Social Influence Group Leadership Bureaucracy Social Networks Group Dynamics In-Class Exercise Social Influence Video Presentation Group Leadership Teamwork Bureaucracy The McDonaldization of Society

What is a Group? Mid-level between macro and micro Groups Large or small Groups Aggregates—Crowds Temporarily share physical location No common identity No lasting social relations Social Groups Share some attribute Identify with one another Interact with each other Groups have a powerful influence

Primary Groups Family, friends, gangs Intimate face-to-face contact Most important to our sense of self High level of cooperation Intense sense of belonging

Secondary Groups Co-workers, neighbors, classmates Larger and less intimate Organized around specific goal Often temporary May break into primary groups

In-Groups and Out-Groups Members identify with and feel loyalty Out-Groups To whom we feel opposition, rivalry or hostility Divided into “us” and “them” Can produce prejudice and discrimination Same qualities viewed as positive in us, negative in them

Reference Groups and Social Networks Provides standard of comparison Against which we evaluate ourselves Social Networks Web of direct and indirect ties connecting to others Video clip: History of Social Networking Others may affect us Jobs, gender and networks Contagion and STDs

Group Dynamics The pattern of interaction between groups and individuals Smaller groups Fewer ties More intimate As groups grow larger: More stable Less personal interaction More formal structure

space shuttle disaster Group Dynamics Group cohesion Solidarity, loyalty, or team spirit Feeling strongly tied to membership Factors that enhance cohesion Shared values Same demographic traits Attraction to group Groupthink Highly cohesive groups Demand conformity Punish violations Anomie State of “normlessness” Alienation and loss of purpose Results from weaker social bonds The Challenger space shuttle disaster Bowling Alone

The Twenty Statements Test In-Class Exercise: The Twenty Statements Test

Social Influence (Peer Pressure) Influence of group on our attitudes and behaviors What is conformity? Attitudes and behavior that result from real or imagined social pressure Types of conformity Compliance Identification Internalization Why do we conform? Norms (pre- and pro-scriptions) Positive and negative sanctions Is conformity good or bad? Critical for social order May depend upon context Problems of “over-conformity”

Case Studies in Conformity Historical Cases: “Crimes of Obedience” Nazi Germany and the Holocaust

Social Scientific Experiments in Conformity: The Asch Experiment

Social Scientific Experiments in Conformity: The Milgram Experiment

“Basic Instincts: Milgram Revisited” Video Presentation: “Basic Instincts: Milgram Revisited”

Qualities of Leadership Power The ability to control others Coercive—backed by threat of force Influential—supported by persuasion Authority The legitimate right to power Traditional—based on custom, birth, or divine right Legal-rational—based on laws, rules and procedures Charismatic—based on perception of remarkable personal qualities Leadership Styles Instrumental Task or goal oriented Expressive Emotional and relational

Bureaucracies A secondary group Examples: Organizational Traits Designed for maximum efficiency Examples: Government agencies, Armed Forces, U.S. Post Office, DMV, banks, fast food restaurants, hospitals, courts, ministries, schools, corporations, etc. Organizational Traits Specialization Technical competence Hierarchy Rules and regulations Impersonality Formal written communication Bureaucracies increasingly dominate our lives

Bureaucracies Max Weber -- “The Iron Cage” Rationalization Implementing formal rules and regulations Disregards subjective or individual concerns Characteristics Functions: Standardization Efficiency Dependability Predictability Dysfunctions: “Red tape” Dehumanization (alienation) The McDonaldization of Society (George Ritzer) Trickle-down of rationalization into everyday lives

Responding to Bureaucratic Constraints How to get benefits but not be controlled Resisting alienation Interpersonal interactions to humanize “Enlightened bureaucracies” Responding to needs of both individuals and organization Life outside bureaucracy Example: Burning Man

In-Class Exercise: College Bureaucracy