Intro to Sociology Chapter Five Social Groups and Formal Organizations small face to face interactions intimate large impersonal I Types of Interaction Primary groups Secondary groups II Size the effects of size George Simmel 1858 19180 Dyads Intimacy and conflict Easiest threatened One person leaves Triads Intimacy lessens Conflict easier As groups increase in size intensity decreases Two is Company Three is a Crowd Reference groups provide standards by which we make self evaluations In Groups Loyalty and respect we Sense of Belonging and Out Groups Antagonism and contempt they Bureaucracies formal organizations Max Weber the ideal type of bureaucracy 1 Division of Labor 2 Hierarchy of Authority From cradle to grave bureaucracy is here Ideal Type is a prototype Characteristics Specialization Hierarchy of Offices Rules and Regulations Technical Competence Impersonality Record Keeping Bureaucracies large secondary groups organized to achieve goals efficiently Perpetuation of Bureaucracies Intro to Sociology Goal Displacement change of goal March of Dimes 1930 raise money for premature babies The original goal was to raise the money to fight infantile paralysis Dysfunctions of Bureaucracy 1 Inefficiency in unusual cases Veblen trained incapacity trained to be unable to deal with cases 2 Bureaucratic Enlargement Parkinson s Law 1954 work expands to fill time available for its completion pretend to work to fill time Create more jobs to fill time McDonaldization of Society standardization of everyday life prepackaged stuff Happy meal Travel Adventures etc Group Dynamics Types of Leadership 1 Instrumental Leadership group goals cut chit chat and get to work 2 Expressive Leadership group harmony stop group from fighting Styles of Leadership 1 Authoritarian gives orders 2 Democratic most say this is best gets group together and get how to do it 3 Laissez Fair you know what to do go to it different situations have the best style for them No one best style Groups and Conformity If Hitler asked you to execute a stranger would you NO Asch 1952 research Milgram Experiment 1952 teachers and learners Intro to Sociology mild shock 15 volts intense shock 350 volts danger severe shock 450 volts Learners were not shocked and participants Teachers did not know learners were not being shocked Teachers kept going Two Minds are Better than One Janis research Groupthink a narrowing of thought by a group of leading to the perception that there is only one correct answer within highly cohesive groups To prevent groupthink encourage diversity of opinions and ideas encourage leader s impartiality at least initially
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