Societies and Social Networks Chapter 6 Henslins Sociology

Societies and Social Networks Chapter 6 Henslin’s Sociology: A Down To Earth Approach

What is a group? Sociologists use many definitions to describe groups, but in general, groups are people who have something in common, and who believe that what they have in common is significant. Societies are the largest and most complex groups that sociologists study.

Changes in Societal Structure: Five progressive types of societies: l l l Hunting and Gathering Societies Pastoral/Horticultural Societies– domestication of plants and livestock. Agricultural Societies- invention of the plow Industrial Societies – introduction of fuel powered machines Post Industrial Societies– introduction of the Microchip Each emerged as a social revolution due to new technology. A sixth change in society is being more recently observed. With the introduction of genetic discoveries, a Bioeconomic Society has been evolving.

Transformation and Social Equality: Social equality was greatest in hunting and gathering societies, but over time social inequality grew. The root of the transition to social inequality was the accumulation of a food surplus, made possible through the domestication revolution. This surplus stimulated the division of labor, trade, accumulation of material goods, the subordination of females by males, the emergence of leaders, and the development of the state.

How do sociologists classify groups? Sociologists divide society into a variety of groups l l l Primary groups Secondary groups In-groups Out-groups Reference groups Networks.

Primary Groups: Families and other close intimate relationships are primary groups. The cooperative, intimate, long-term, face-to-face relationships provided by primary groups are fundamental to our sense of self.

Secondary Groups: Secondary groups are larger, relatively temporary, more anonymous, more formal, and more impersonal than primary groups…

In-Groups and Out-Groups: In-groups provide members with a strong sense of identity and belonging. Out-groups also foster identity by showing ingroup members what they are not.

Reference Groups: Reference groups are groups whose standards we mentally refer to as we evaluate ourselves. Social networks consist of social ties that link people together. New technology has given birth to a new type of group, the electronic community

Group Dynamics: The term group dynamics refers to how individuals affect groups and how groups influence individuals. In a small group, everyone can interact directly with everyone else. As a group grows larger, it’s intensity decreases, but it’s stability increases. A dyad, consisting of two people, is the most unstable of human groups, but it provides the most intense or intimate relationships. The addition of a third person, forming a triad, fundamentally alters relationships. Triads are unstable also, because coalitions (the alignment of some members of a group against others) tend to form.

What Characterizes a Leader? A leader is someone who influences others. Instrumental leaders try to keep a group moving toward its goals, even though this causes friction and they lose popularity. Expressive leaders focus on creating harmony and raising group morale. Both types are essential to the functioning of groups

What Are Three Main Styles Of Leadership? l l l Authoritarian leaders give orders, Democratic leaders try to lead by consensus Laissez-faire leaders are highly permissive. An authoritarian style appears to be more effective in emergency situations A democratic style works best for most situations A laissez-faire style is usually ineffective.

How Do Groups Encourage Conformity? l The Asch experiment with college students was cited to illustrate the power of peer pressure l The Milgram experiment to illustrate the influence of authority. Both experiments demonstrate how easily we can succumb to groupthink, a kind of collective tunnel vision. Preventing groupthink requires the free circulation of contrasting ideas. (Know both of these experiments sited in your text)