SHAEFFER, CHAPTER 6: GROUPS AND ORGANIZATION ((NOTE: These are *rough* outline of my lecture notes and will be online on the class homepage periodically. If you are not subscribed to the class discussion list, DO SO ASAP or you will miss this type of material. A GROUP IS ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR VALUES EXPECTATIONS WHO REGULARLY AND CONSCIOUSLY INTERACT. 1. PRIMARY GROUPS: SMALL GROUPS CHARACTERIZED BY INTIMATE, FACE-TO-FACE ASSOCIATION AND COOPERATION (EXAMPLES: FAMILIES, STUDY GROUPS, FRIENDSHIP GROUPS. Cooley coined the term primary group. Primary groups play a pivotal role both of the socialization process, and in the development of roles and statuses. In fact, primary groups are critical in our day-to-day existence, because it's usually primary groups tht we idenify with. 2. SECONDARY GROUPS: FORMAL, IMPERSONAL GROUPS IN WHICH THERE IS LITTLE INTIMACY OR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. CLASS, (NIU). distinction between primary and secondary groups is not always clear-cut, and some social clubs may become so large and so impersonal that they no longer function is a primary group. 3. REFERENCE GROUPS-- THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING OURSELVES OR OUR OWN BEHAVIOR. (IE, BUSINESS MAJORS MAY HAVE IBM EXECUTIVERS AS A REFERENCE GROUP: PROFESSORS HAVE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS. Another example, by high school student who aspires to join a social Circle of hip-hop music devotes these will pattern his or her behavior to include dressing like these peers listening to the same tapes and CDs and hanging onto the same stores or clubs. Reference groups have two basic purposes. FIRST, they survey normative function by setting and enforcing standards of conduct and believe. For example the high school students who wants to have the approval of the hip-hop crowd will have to follow the groups dictates to at least some extent. SECOND reference groups also perform a comparison function by serving as a standard against which people can measure themselves and others. 4. IN-GROUPS-- ANY CATEGORY OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL THAT THEY BELONG." EG, STUDENTS, CLIQUES. simply put and in group comprises "we" oR "US." 5. OUT-GROUPS-- THOSE "OUTSIDE THE PALE"-PUNKS/ROCKERS. Out-groups are simply groups are categories to which we feel that we cannot belong. 6. COALITIONS--- THESE ARE A GROUP OF GROUPS GEARTED TOQARD A COMMON GOAL: EITHER SEMI-PERMANTLY OR TEMPORARILY WORKING TOWARD A COMMON END. (EG, GANGS, LABOR GROUPS, Jesse Jackon's "RAINBOW COALITION"C) NOTE: THERE IS NO CLEAR DEFINITION AT WHICH POINT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BECOMES TOOLARGE OR TOO SMALL TO BE "PRIMARY GROUP" ETC---DEFINED MORE BY FUNCTION! HOW DO GROUPS DIFFER FROM FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS? A FORMAL ORGANIZATION IS A LARGE-SCALE,SPECIAL-PURPOSE GROUP PURPOSELY DESIGNED AND STRUCTURED INTHE INTERESTS EFFICIENCY. TYPICAL EXAMPLES INCLUDE: A) GOVERNMENTS B) LARGE BUSINESSES C) SCHOOLS D) HOSPITALS THESE ARE ALL BUREAUCRACIES. Bureaucracy is a kind of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency. The concept was developed by Max Weber, who developed something called an IDEAL TYPE. Remember, and ideal type is simply a model that serves as a measuring rod against which other cases can be evaluated. some characteristics of a bureaucracy: A) COMMUNICATION FLOW FROM TOP DOWN B) CENTRALIZED POWER/LEADERSHIP C) SPECIALIZED TASKS/DIVISION OF LABOR D) FORMAL RECRUITMENT E) MERIT F) RULES FOR OPERATING G) EXPLICIT REWARD SYSTEM H) HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY I) IMPERSONALITY AN OLIGARCHY, BY CONTRAST, IS AN ORGANIZATION (OR SOCIETY RULED BY A FEW. the German sociologist Robert Michels 4 Ridge native the idea of THE IRON LAW OF oligarchy. This refers to Howard Democratic organization will develop into a bureaucracy ruled by the few that is by the oligarchy. Oligarchies emerge because people who achieve leadership roles usually have the skills and knowledge and the charismatic appeal to direct if not control others. WE ALSO HAVE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS---THIS REFERS TO ORGANIZATINS ESTABLISHED ON THE BASIS OF COMMON INTEREST, WHOSE MEMBER VOLUNTEER OR EVEN PAY TO PARTICIPATE (eg, Labor Unions, fraternities) THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING GROUPS: IT CAN TELL US MANY THINGS ABOUT SOCIETY AND ABOUT PEOPLE: 1. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT (VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS) HOW PEOPLE VOTE, WHAT THEIR ATTITUDES ARE 2. LOOKING AT ONE'S PRIMARY GROUPS MAY HELP US UNDERSTAND CRIME/DEVIANCE (NEXT CHAPTER) 3. LOOKING AT BUREAUCRACIES MAY PROVIDE A KEY WINDOW INTO DECISIONS ARE MADE, HOW MUCH INPUT PEOPLE PUT INTO GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY, OR HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED. REMEMBER:GROUPS ARE NOT SIMPLY TERMS, THEY ARE CONCEPTS USEFUL FOR ANALYSIS. WEBER, FOR EXAMPLE, USED BUREAUCRACIES TO EXAMINE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, AND HE FOUND THAT SOCIETY CAN BE MEASURED BY HOW "RATIONAL" (IE, BUREAUCRATIC) IT HAS BECOME. NOTE: THE FOLLOWING WILL APPEAR MUCH LATER IN THE TERM IN THE SECTION ON POLITICS. We are going to introduce these terms now because we will be talking about them throughout the semester. EG: For WEBER: Societies can be defined by how they are organized: A. CHARISMATIC B. TRADITIONAL C. RATIONAL/LEGAL 1. Formal Rationality 2. Substantive Rationality NOTE: THESE ARE IDEAL TYPES: An Ideal type is a construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which specific cases can be evaluated.
Page maintained by: Jim Thomas - jthomas@sun.soci.niu.edu