Social Structure: Groups and Organizations PDF

Social structure- Macro elements Groups and group organization  Elements of structure Groups- Any number of people with similar norms, values and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.  Dyads vs. triads (Simmel 1908) Social categories are pe...

Social structure- Macro elements Groups and group organization  Elements of structure Groups- Any number of people with similar norms, values and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.  Dyads vs. triads (Simmel 1908) Social categories are people who share a common characteristic. Social aggregates are people who happen to be at the same place, at the same time.  Neither of these should be considered groups.  Primary/secondary groups (Cooley 1923) Tobe a group the members must have some sense of belonging to and identification with the group. Primarygroups are small, consistent groups which are characterized by intimate interactions and emotional attachments. Secondarygroups are larger, relatively temporary groups usually convened to achieve some goal.  Reference groups; In-groups and out- groups Reference groups are groups to which people compare themselves when evaluating their own qualities, attitudes, and behaviors. In-groups are groups to which you belong, out- groups are groups to which you do not belong (Sumner 1906).  By creating an in-group, you always create an out- group In-group heterogeneity refers to the tendency to recognize subtle differences among individual, in-group members  Out-group homogeneity refers to tendency to believe all out-group members are the same (Quattrone 1986).  Stereotypes Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a group that fail to recognize individuals’ differences within the group. The use of stereotypes results in occasionally being correct while being wrong an overwhelming majority of the time. Stereotypes are reinforced by selective perception (the tendency to recognize things that we already know and ignore things that don’t support our beliefs). The ability to stereotype arises from schema (generalized mental models used to classify and understand our experiences).  People often use schema/stereotypes to “fill in the blanks” of information the are unable to locate (Allport 1954).  Majority stereotypes White people… Can’t dance/are not athletic Are controlling/racist/arrogant Are fake/backstabbers Love country music Children are disrespectful to their parents/parents won’t discipline kids Wear shorts as soon as 50 degrees Always have head lice Smell like dogs in the rain Nasty habits with animals Are mean to the elderly Bathe with their children Eat casseroles all the time  Social density (Collins) Social density refers to the amount of time people spend with one another and the diversity of their contacts. The more people are in the presence of others, the more the accept the culture of those groups.  The less they are around people the more they become individualistic and self-centered. The more diverse the sources of communication are, the more likely people are to start thinking in terms of abstract goals and of long-range consequences. The less diverse the interactions are, people will be likely to think only about particular people and to see anything outside their circle as alien or threatening.  Stereotype commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6OaSzoSp HE&feature=player_embedded  Bureaucracy Bureaucracy is a style of formal organization where rationality, logic and rules are used to achieve maximum efficiency (Weber 1922). Bureaucracy has five characteristics which combined serve as an ideal type (a theoretical model that will work perfectly in an ideal situation).  Unfortunately, social situations are rarely perfect.  Bureaucracy Five characteristics of a bureaucracy: 1. Division of Labor- Individuals will be required to learn one and only one job. This allows all members of an organization to become “experts” at their work. Problems:  Workers become bored.  Difficult to get promoted.  Allows any single person to show down the entire organization.  Bureaucracy 2. Hierarchy of authority- Jobs in a bureaucracy are ranked with relatively few, powerful people at the top. Allows few members to have to the power to make decisions about the organization. Those who do make decisions have the expertise to make the best possible decision. Problems:  The decision makers are removed from the workers.  The decision makers may have different standards for making decisions that the workers.  The decision makers may not be moral.  Bureaucracy 3. Written rules and regulations- All tasks are performed based on specific rules. Assures that all performance is uniform and that all are doing their jobs the same way. 4. Impersonality- Closely connected with #3, all tasks must be completed without concern for people as unique individuals. Assures that the rules are not bent or ignored due to personal cases or favoritism.  Impersonality is the rule both for those within the organization and those coming into contact with it from the outside. Problems:  What if there is no rule to guide behavior?  People like to be treated like individuals.  Workers may stop doing their job efficiently and simply follow the rules.  Bureaucracy 5. Employment based on technical qualification- Hiring and promotion decisions are made based only on performance evaluated against a specific standard. If you meet or exceed the standard you get the job/promotion; if you don’t meet the standards you don’t. Problems:  What if everyone exceeds the standards?  What if the skills needed are hard to measure?  Peter principle- In a bureaucracy, people will be promoted to the level of their own incompetence. Iron cage of rationality- Weber’s concern that the bureaucracy would become so limiting that it would actually prevent original thought or rational action.  Is ONU in an “iron cage”? Why/Why not?  Bureaucracy Ritzer (2000) argued that McDonald’s has employed the tenets of bureaucracy so well that its business model is used by businesses outside of fast food. McDonaldization of Society saw the culture change to expect products and services all be the same, quickly produced, and readily available all the time. Characteristics of McDonaldization:  Efficiency- Product delivered in minimal time.  Predictability- Standard service and the product is the same every time.  Calculability- Cost is measurable and consistent.  Control- Experience is standardized through training employees or using machines.