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A social group is defined as two or more people who identify and interact with one another.
Categories, aggregates and crowds
A category is a temporary collection of people who may or may not interact. An aggregate consists of people who are in the same place at the same time but who interact little if at all and have no sense of belonging together. A crowd consists of a large number of people in proximity to one another who interact to a greater or lesser extent.
Secondary groups are large and impersonal social groups devoted to some specific interest or activity. They are, in most regards, the opposite of primary groups. They are commonly short-term. They are goal oriented. They are typically impersonal.
Primary groups dominate social life in preindustrial societies; secondary groups are more common in modern industrial society. They are, in most regards, the opposite of primary groups.
Group leadership Instrumental leadership emphasizes the completion of tasks; expressive leadership emphasizes collective well-being.
There are three styles of decision making in groups:
Group Conformity
Aschs research into group conformity. Milgrams research into obedience
Janis research into groupthink, the tendency of group members to conform by adopting a narrow view of some issue A reference group is a social group that serves as a point of reference for people making evaluations or decisions. Stouffers research into reference group dynamics. An ingroup is a social group commanding a members esteem and loyalty; an outgroup is a social group toward which one feels competition or opposition.
Normative organizations or
voluntary associations, in which people pursue goals they consider morally worthwhile.
Coercive organizations,
distinguished by involuntary membership.
Max Weber identified six key characteristics of bureaucracy: Specialization; an elaborate division of labor. Hierarchy of offices. Rules and regulations. Technical competence as the key criterion for hiring and promotion. Impersonality. Formal, written communication.
Robert Michels developed the idea that bureaucracy fosters oligarchy, the rule of the many by the few. Parkinsons Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. The Peter Principle holds that bureaucrats will be promoted to their level of incompetence.
The McDonaldization of society. Four principles of McDonaldization: Efficiency. Calculability. Uniformity and predictability. Control through automation. Rationality, although efficient, may be highly dehumanizing.