Socio Lecture 5 (1)

8/2/2019 Socio Lecture 5 (1)

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Principles ofSociology

Lecture 5

Chapter 6


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Groups and Organizations

Relationship between information and social

organization.

Aggregate: collection of people who happen

to be in the same place and situation but

share little in common

Eg. Passengers at a bus stop


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Groups and Org.

Category: People who share a similar

characteristic such as education, race,

ethnicity but might not be connected at all.

The distinction between an aggregate and a

category is a weak one; they can both

transform into each other.


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Types of Groups

Groups differ at the levels of solidarity,

flexibility in inclusion, size and nature

W. Graham Sumner (1959) Ingroup: a group to which an individual

belongs and feels a sense of identity either

with the motto or with the people.

Outgroup: no belonging and feelings of

competition and hostility.


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Group types

Ideas of ethnocentrism and Merton s ideas of

personal beliefs.

Reference Groups; a group which greatly

influences a persons ideas and actions

regardless of group participation

Klu klux Klan


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Group Types

Networks; a web of social relations that links

one person to other people and through them

other people.

Their purpose varies greatly (class

discussion)

Insurance against uncertainty

Political behaviour etc etc


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Group and Organizational

dynamics

Functionalists believe that groups are essential for

the fulfilment ofInstrumental and Expressive needs

Marxists view such groups as exploitative and notserving members equally

Symbolic Interactionist look at the size of the groupand how its interaction and group think varies.


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Dynamics

Post-modern thinkers say that societies and its

ensuing groups are characterized by

fragmentation and superficiality.

Eg. Fast food employees


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Group Size

Group size is an important factor for

sociologists since they look at how behaviour

varies with the numbers.

Small groups have more personalized

interactions and all members interact

simultaneously


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Group size

Geroge Simmel pointed out that small group

serve the purpose of providing a sense of

unity and an intense bond.

Dyad; a two member group which ceases to

exist without participation of a single member

Triad; a three member group


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Group size

Coalition; is an alliance formed to attain a

specific goal or shared objective.

These can exists as separate entities in formalorganizations.

The relationships within a group also depend

on itsAbsolute and relative size


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Group size

Absolute size is the actual members of a

group

Relative size is the number of potentialmembers.

Larger groups need a more formalized

leadership to handle both the internal and

external relationships of a group.


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Leadership in Groups

Instrumental and Expressive leadership. Some basic leadership styles are;

1. Authoritarian: leaders make all decisionsand assign tasks

2. Democratic: decision making throughconsensus and dialogue

3. Laissez- Faire: minimal decision making bythe leaders, group members encouraged tomake their own decisions


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Groups

Conformity: the process of maintaining or

adapting behaviour in compliance with the

norms of the group or society

Group think: the process by which a cohesive

group arrives at a decision that many

members believe to be unwise.


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Theories, Rationality and

Bureaucratic control.

Read from pg 186- 192 and contribute to

class discussion.

Socio Lecture 5 (1)

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