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.
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