Sociology 545Sociology 545Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Fall 2005Fall 2005

TopicsTopics

Social GroupsSocial Groups

Social InstitutionsSocial Institutions

Collective Behavior / Social Collective Behavior / Social MovementsMovements

Social GroupsSocial Groups

DefinitionDefinition

TypesTypes

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Social Groups Social Groups DefinitionDefinition

“ “The emergence of three or more The emergence of three or more individuals into a pattern of goal individuals into a pattern of goal orientation, characterized by an orientation, characterized by an interrelationship of statuses and interrelationship of statuses and awareness of membership.”awareness of membership.”

Social Groups - TypesSocial Groups - Types

Primary vs. SecondaryPrimary vs. Secondary

Interpersonal vs. InstrumentalInterpersonal vs. Instrumental

Small vs. LargeSmall vs. Large

Interaction vs. ReferenceInteraction vs. Reference

Social Groups - TypesSocial Groups - Types

primary

secondary

small

large

Family, gang or fraternity

work groupssuch as a jury

Bureaucracies such as Ford or Apple

Reference groups (NOW, NAACP, AARP)

Social GroupsSocial Groups - - CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Structure Structure

StatusStatus

Conformity / ConsensusConformity / Consensus

Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure

Structure as Networks in Primary GroupsStructure as Networks in Primary Groups

Transitive Intransitive

Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure

Structure as Spans of Control in Secondary Groups

Span of Control

Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure

1

2 3

54

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2 3

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2 3

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Friendship Structure

Authority Structure

F x S Structure

Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure

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Authority Structure

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Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure

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Friendship Structure

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Social Groups - Social Groups - StructureStructure Structure as Complex Networks Structure as Complex Networks

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Authority Structure

Friendship Structure

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Reciprocity Structure

Social Groups - StatusSocial Groups - Status

Gamson - Coalition formation Gamson - Coalition formation Authority vs. InfluenceAuthority vs. Influence

C1(5/4) C2(5/3) C1(5/4) C2(5/3) C3(4/3)C3(4/3)

Person 5 .55 .625 .00Person 5 .55 .625 .00

Person 4 .45 .000 .57 Person 4 .45 .000 .57

Person 3 .00 .375 .43Person 3 .00 .375 .43

C4(4/3) .00 .45 .55

Social Groups - StatusSocial Groups - Status

Berger – Expectation StatesBerger – Expectation States

LD

UD

56%

10%

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity

Asch – Social ConformityAsch – Social Conformity

Milgram – Obedience to AuthorityMilgram – Obedience to Authority

Zimbardo – Role Person MergerZimbardo – Role Person Merger

Janis – Group ThinkJanis – Group Think

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity Asch – Social Conformity Asch – Social Conformity

A B C

33%

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity Milgram – Obedience to AuthorityMilgram – Obedience to Authority

450VXXXXX

15V

51%

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity Zimbardo – Stanford Prison Zimbardo – Stanford Prison

ExperimentExperiment14 students randomly assigned to Prisoner and Guard StatusOne nervous breakdown, a minister, parents, parole hearings and guard abuse Had to stop after only six days due to extreme role person merger

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity

Illusion of InvulnerabilityIllusion of Invulnerability: : Members ignore Members ignore obvious danger, take extreme risk, and are overly optimistic.obvious danger, take extreme risk, and are overly optimistic.

Collective RationalizationCollective Rationalization: : Members discredit Members discredit and explain away warning contrary to group thinking.and explain away warning contrary to group thinking.

Illusion of MoralityIllusion of Morality: : Members believe their decisions Members believe their decisions are morally correct, ignoring the ethical consequences of are morally correct, ignoring the ethical consequences of their decisions.their decisions.

Excessive StereotypingExcessive Stereotyping: : The group constructs The group constructs negative stereotypes of rivals outside the group.negative stereotypes of rivals outside the group.

Janis - GroupthinkJanis - Groupthink

Social Groups - Social Groups - ConformityConformity Illusion of UnanimityIllusion of Unanimity: : Members perceive falsely that Members perceive falsely that

everyone agrees with group's decision; silence is seen as everyone agrees with group's decision; silence is seen as consent.consent.

Pressure for ConformityPressure for Conformity: : Members pressure any in Members pressure any in group who argue against the group's stereotypes as group who argue against the group's stereotypes as disloyalty.disloyalty.

Self-CensorshipSelf-Censorship: : Members withhold their dissenting views Members withhold their dissenting views and counter-arguments.and counter-arguments.

MindguardsMindguards: : Some members appoint themselves to Some members appoint themselves to protect the group from adverse information that might protect the group from adverse information that might threaten group complacency. threaten group complacency.