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SOCI201-012

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Social Groups and Organizations

Social Groups

· A group of people who interact with one another and whose members share common elements with the rest of the group

· Acknowledge a shared identity

· Provide a sense of belonging

Primary vs. Secondary Groups

· Primary

· Term coined by Charles Cooley (looking-glass self)

· Groups that provide intimate, face-to-face interaction; help you develop a sense of self and an identity

· Secondary

· Larger, more anonymous groups of people

· More formal and impersonal

· Group membership is based on shared interests or activities

· Voluntary Associations

In-Groups and Out-Groups

· In-Groups: Groups toward which we feel belonging or loyalty

· Out-Groups: Groups toward which we feel antagonism

· Your relationship with in and out groups can help you feel a sense of purpose, identity, and belonging

Reference Groups and Social Networks

· Reference groups: groups whose standards we refer to as we evaluate ourselves

· Contradictions: we can experience inner turmoil when our reference groups (especially ones that we had in childhood) start to shift as we are exposed to a more socially diverse world

· Social Network: the social ties that radiate out from an individual that link people together

· Social networks allow for different social groups to be tied together

Mean Girls [00:00-18:00]

· What are the in-groups and out-groups of the high school?

· What are Cady’s primary and secondary groups?

· What are the reference groups?

· Contradictions?

· Who is in Cady’s social network?

Cady’s Social Network

Group Dynamics

· The ways in which individuals affect groups and the ways in which groups affect individuals

· Group Size:

· Dyads (2 people, 1 relationship)

· Triads (3 people, 3 relationships)

· Coalitions: 2 vs. 1

· 4 people = 6 relationships

· 5 people = 10 relationships

Effects of Group Size

· Group size and Stability and Intimacy

· Smaller groups have more intimacy (more interaction between members) but less stability (if 1 person leaves, the groups collapses)

· Larger groups have less intimacy but more stability- more relationships, also tend to have more formality

· Group size and Attitudes and Behavior

· Larger groups tend to break into smaller, more intimate subgroups

Mean Girls [29:00-35:00]

· What happens to the different groups as Cady joins them?

· How do Cady, Janis, and Damian conspire to destroy Regina George?

Leadership

· Who becomes a leader?

· Sociologists: people become leaders because they are most closely aligned with the group’s values or purpose

· There are also certain traits that we have identified as being indicative of a strong leader: smart, outgoing, organized, persuasive, confident

Leadership

· Types of Leaders

· Instrumental leader (task-oriented): an individual who tries to keep the group moving toward its goals

· Easy to spot by the members of the group

· Expressive leader (socioemotional): an individual who increases harmony and minimizes conflict in a group

· Usually not recognized as a leader

Leadership

· Leadership styles

· Authoritarian- leads by giving orders

· group members become dependent on and hostile towards leader

· Democratic- leads by trying to reach a consensus amongst the group members

· groups continue to function without direct contact with the leader

· Laissez-faire- leads by letting the group do what it wants

· often does not result in an efficient group

Groupthink

· When the thoughts of a group’s members narrow into one collective thought, and any variation from that thought is considered disloyalty to the group

· The degree to which a group suffers from groupthink depends on the leadership style and the susceptibility of the group members

Mean Girls [40:15-46:39]

· How did Regina George become the leader of the Plastics?

· Which leadership style does Regina use to control the Plastics/the school?

· What are some examples of groupthink from the movie?