SOCIOLOGY Semester 1 Ivanka Sabolich 9 28 08 CHAPTER 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction Social Structure patterns of groups 1 Typical patterns of groups 2 Pattern repeating behaviors Macrosociological perspective The framework of society Social Class social location based on income education and occupation Social Status position location a Ascribed status inherited at birth and involuntary b Achieved status acquired through persons own efforts voluntary status symbols items used to identify a status Master status usually ascribed the most obvious status role s the behaviors obligations and privileges attached to a status Groups at least 2 people who regularly and consciously interact with one another Role Conflict occurs when two or more statuses held at the same time place contradictory role demands on a person Role Strain occurs when incompatible role demands are placed on a person in a single status Social Institutions organized usual or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs Societies What holds a society together Mechanical Solidarity same interests Organic Solidarity interdependence Simple society complex modernized society Social Changes Macro Perspective mechanical solidarity common values shared experiences organic solidarity interdependence as a result division of labor Micro Perspective gemeinschaft intimate community Amish 80 deaths occur at home gesellschaft impersonal community us 80 of deaths in hospitals The Microsociological Perspective face face interaction based on stereotypes E Goffman Dramaturgy The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life impression management peoples efforts to control the impressions that others receive of them ex An interview Front stage embarrassment and tack ignoring an embarrassing event and Backstage Ethnomethodology the study of how people construck and share their definitions of reality in their everday interactions Harold and Garfinkel 1967 Background assumptions your ideas about how the way of lige is and the way thinks ought to work facing the back of an elevator The Social Construction of Reality Interaction with others reality The Thomas Theorem if people define situations as real they are real in their consequences germs are bad and harmful If we didn t no this we wouldn t care CHAPTER 5 Social Groups and Formal Organizations March 1997 a bunch of people in a successful company committed suicide Heavens Gate group Believed that they were shedding their physical bodies to become closer to heavens gate Types of Groups I Type of Interaction i Primary groups usually small face to face interaction ii Secondary groups usually large impersonal ex Tax intimate ex Families close friends emotional warmth spontaneity informality smaller size total personal involvement accountant clients emotional coolness patterning formality larger size segmented personal involvement Size the effects of size George Simmel 1858 1918 Dyads intimacy and conflict ex best friends triads three people in the group as group increases in size intensity decreases Reference groups provide standards by which we make self evaluations In Groups and Out Groups Loyalty and respect we antagonism and contempt they The sense of belonging Bureaucracies formal organizations Max Weber the ideal type of bureaucracy prototype 1 Division of labor must be qualified for job 2 Hierarchy of authority 3 Regulations Impersonality 4 5 Record Keeping The Perpetuation of Bureaucracies Goal displacement March of Dimes 1930 Originally to raise money for infantile paralysis 1950 s vaccine invented so no longer a problem invented another goal to keep bureaucracy going new goal Dysfunctions of Bureaucracy 1 inefficiency in unusual cases Veblen trained incapacity 2 Bureaucratic enlargement Parkinson s Law 1954 work expands to fill time available for its completion The McDonaldization of Society the standardization of everyday life everything is packaged Instrumental Leadership group goals get shit done usually male 1 2 Expressive Leadership group harmony work together usually female Group Dynamics Two types of leadership Styles of Leadership 1 Authoritarian one leader 2 Democratic voting 3 Laissez faire hands off Groups and Conformity Asch s Research No one is better than another they all are useful in different situations A B Which line matches Even if people disagree they will change their answer to fit the group majority If Hitler asked you to execute a stranger would you Probably not but if a huge group of people were than you might teachers and learners Groupthink a narrowing of thought by a group of people leading to a perception that there is only one correct answer within highly cohesive groups Two minds are better than one Janis research groupthink To prevent groupthink 1 encourage diversity of opinions and ideas 2 encourage leader s impartiality at least initially CHAPTER 6 Deviance and Social Control Deviance behavior that violates significant social norms and is disapproved by a large number of people Disapproval of deviance negative sanctions punishment Approval of conformity positive sanctions rewards Relativity of deviance Types of Crime Crime the violation of norms written into law 1 Interpersonal violence murder rape assault 2 Property crimes robbery burglary larceny 3 Victimless crimes drugs gambling prostitution 4 White collar crimes tax evasion price fixing corruption of public officials cost 200 billion Crime Clock 1 violent crime every 22 sec 1 murder every 34 minutes 1 rape every 6 minutes 1 robbery every 1 minute 1 aggravated assault every 34 sec 1 property crime every 3 4 sec 1 burglary every 15 sec 1 larceny theft every 5 sec 1 motor vehicle theft every 27 sec How do we compare to other developed countries Zimring and Hawkins 1993 Similar violent and nonviolent crime rates Australia Canada New Zealand the only difference the murder rate U S is higher than others geographical differences of murder rate in the U S Wash D C is highest Then Louisiana Then New Hampshire and Iowa Why do people violate laws and norms Competing Explanations of Deviance I Biological Explanations Focus on genetic predispositions 1911 Cesare Lombroso inborn criminal Charles Goring 3000 convicts no difference in characteristics 1940 s William Sheldon the body type 1960 s genetic abnormality extra y chromosome 1985 Hernstein and Wilson inborn factors predispose street crime 3000 law abiding citizens II Psychological Explanations Freud arrested development Berkowitz fragile
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