SOC 111 Exam # 3 Study Guide Benokraitis Chapters 6 & 7Chapter 6: Social Groups, Organizations, and Social Institutions.Recognize and understand key terms and ideas. FOCUS ON: Strain Theory, McDonaldization, and Bureaucratic Dysfunction.Social Group: a group of two or more people who interact with one another, and who share a common identity, a sense of belonging or “we-ness”. The most important social groups are primary, secondary, in-groups, and out-groups.- Primary group: a relatively small group of people who engage in intimate face-to-face interaction over an extended period.- Secondary group: A large, usually formal, impersonal, and temporary collection of people who pursue a specific goal or activity.- In-group: people who share a sense of identity and “we-ness” that typically excludes or devaluesoutsiders- Out-group: people who are viewed and treated negatively because they are seen as having values, beliefs, and other characteristics different from those of an in-group.- Ideal types: general traits that describe a social phenomenon rather than every case. Provide a picture rather than a specific description of reality.Ideal types of Primary and Secondary GroupsCHARACTERISTICS OF A PRIMARY GROUPCHARACTERISTICS OF A SECONDARY GROUPInteraction - Face to face- Usually a small group- Face to face or indirect- Usually a large groupCommunication - Communication is emotional, personal, and generally satisfying- Communication is emotionally neutral and impersonalRelationships - Intimate, warm, informal- Generally long-term- Valued for the sake of the individual (expressive)- Typically remote, cool, formal- Generally short-term- Goal-oriented (instrumental)Individual Conformity- Individuals are relatively free to stray from norms and rules- Individuals are expected to adhere to certain rules and regulationsmembership - Members are not easily replaced - Members are easily replacedExamples - Family, close friends, dating relationships, self-help groups, street gangs- College class, political parties, professional associations, religious organizations- Reference Group: a group of people who shape our behavior, values and attitudes. They influence who we are, what we do, and what we would like to be in the future, but they rarely provide personal support or face-to-face interaction over time.- Group conformity: a number of studies have shown that most Americans are profoundly influenced by group pressure.o Solomon Asch: told participants it was an experiment on visual judgment. They were told to match the line on card one to the same line on card two. Only one member of the group told an answer to choose before-hand. When all other members chose the same wrong answer, the one left would also choose that wrong answer 37% of the time, but when asked alone, away from group influence, only 1% chose the wrong answer.o Stanley Milgram: 40 volunteers were asked to administer electric shocks to other participants. The majority of the volunteers, although very distressed, would still administer the shocks when told by the authoritative figure, even when those being “shocked” appeared to lose consciousness.o Philip Zimbardo: The Stanford Prison Experiment: Advertised in a newspaper for volunteers for and experiment on prison life. Chose 24 young men, most in college. 9 were “arrested”, searched, and dressed as prisoners. Those assigned as “guards” were given attire and accessories of guards. Their job was to maintain control of the prisoners but not to use violence. Quickly roles of obedient and docile prisoners, or autocratic and controlling guards were assumed. This study ended extremely early because of the increasingly aggressive and humiliation of the guards to the prisoners. The experiment showed that people exercise authority, even to the point of hurting others or themselves, or submit to authority if there is group pressure to conform.o Irving Janis: the dangers of groupthink Groupthink: a tendency of in-group members to conform without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas, which results in a narrow view of an issue United States Senate Study: concluded that U.S. leaders’ decision to invade Iraq in 2003 was based on a groupthink dynamic relying on inaccurate assumptions, inadequate or misleading sources, and dismissal of conflicting information. If group members are aware of the negative characteristics of groupthink, they can avoid some of the pitfalls by setting up and following democratic discussion and voting processes, hammering out disagreements, and seeking advice from informed and objective people outside the group.- Groups exist within larger social units called: Social network: a web of social ties that link an individual to others.Formal Organizations: a complex and structured secondary group that has been deliberately created to achieve specific goals in an efficient manner.- Characteristics: 1. Social statuses and roles are organized around shared expectations and goals.2. Norms governing social relationships among members specify rights, duties, and sanctions3. A formal hierarchy includes leaders or individuals who are in charge- Types of Formal Organizations:1. Voluntary Association: created by people who share a common set of interests and whoare not paid for participation. Vary widely in organizational structure.2. Bureaucracy: designed to accomplish goals and tasks through the efforts of a large number of people in the most efficient and rational way possible. Have existed for thousands of years.Ideal Characteristics: (Max Weber) Hierarchy of authority: each person is supervised by someone in a higher position, and individuals each perform specific tasks. Salary Structure: individuals are employed using objective criteria. Written Rules: everything is detailed for what must or must not be done in any given situation. Impersonality: no place for personal likes, dislikes, or tantrums to minimize conflict and favoritism and increase efficiency.Bureaucratic Dysfunctions: (Max Weber) Weak reward system reduces motivation to do a good job, creating inefficiency and lack of innovation from workers. Rigid Rules discourage creativity Bureaucratic Ritualism: where rules and regulations are upheld instead of the organization’s actual objectives even when there might be a better solution Alienation: a feeling of isolation, meaninglessness, and powerlessness that comes from a person being treated more as a