Lesson 10: My Social Groups


Attention

How does wearing similar clothing create a sense of group identity?


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify personal group culture

Teaching

A social group is a collection of two or more people who interact frequently with one another, share a sense of belonging, and have a feeling interdependence.

From a psychological point of view, we develop a great part of our identity from the social groups that we belong to.  These are not to be mixed up with groups that we socialize with (although we socialize with "social groups" as well).  Social groups from the Sociological point of view are simply the diversity of groups that we interact with.

As you can tall, there are many different groups that we may belong to.

I will give you a short list of the different social groups I belong to:

  • My family
  • The other professors that work at KVTC
  • The technicians that work at UMA with me
  • The members of my band, The Barking Spiders
  • The members of this class

Social groups are distinct from aggregates (gatherings of people like at a concert) and categories (such as those "groups" that can be labeled, such as "men", "women", "African Americans", "people who play bass guitar")

These groups form a very significant part of the social structure (as we discussed in the last chapter) and often play a role in socializing us.  We learn from these groups what it takes to survive in our society.  In fact, we may select particular groups to belong to so that we may come to understand how they survive in our society.  (Hang around with Millionaires and you will find out how to be one right?)

There are different kinds of groups as well…

Primary groups  are groups with which we engage in face to face, emotion based interactions with over an extended period of time

Secondary groups this is a larger more specialized group which is more goal oriented.

At any given point there are groups to which we belong and gain a sense of identity from (In groups) and those we don't belong to (out groups)

However, there are also reference groups to which we look for guidance and influence on behavior and social attitudes.  We need not be a member of the "reference group" for it to be an influence. 

We see the importance of reference groups in our society as we have concern for famous individuals (role models) like athletes and movie stars and their public behavior.  We are concerned about their public behavior because many individuals look to them as reference groups.

Consider that we belong to many groups at any given time.  Make a list of all the groups that you relate to, either as a member or as a reference.

Group Characteristics and Dynamics

Sociologists don't only sit around and define different kinds of groups.  The meat of the study of groups is to look at how they are comprised, roles within the group, norms of behavior which define the group and their inner workings.

One of the most important characteristics of a group is it's size.  Small groups operate in a very different manner than larger groups.

A group can officially be designated as two or more individuals so a group can be only two people, such as a couple in a relationship or two friends.

The patterns of communication that can occur between two people can be analyzed as occurring between just the two individuals. Consider a large organization with many members and number of different interactions that can happen there.

Leadership

Leaders are responsible for directing plans and activities so that the group completes its task or fulfills its goals.

There are two major forms of leadership:

  • Instrumental Leadership
    • This kind of leadership is task and goal oriented.  If the underlying task of the group is to complete a task then this is an appropriate style of leadership
  • Expressive Leadership
    • This kind of leadership provides emotional support for members. This type of leadership is best when harmony, solidarity, and high morale are needed.

I'm sure you can think about different leaders that you have experienced or heard about.  Many of you might be able to tell some stories about leaders whose method of leadership was not what the group needed.  During times of stress and loss it is not always good to rally the troops and increase demands and expectations, while at the same time, to dwell upon making sure people feel good all the time keeps the group from performing as well as they might.

You could also consider leadership in different kinds of group…such as in a family.

There are times in every group where different kinds of leadership are needed…that is part of the nature of groups…they are changing all the time so the needs of the members and the group change as well.

Formal Organizations

Formal organizations represent a set of highly organized secondary groups that are created in our society to facilitate the accomplishment of particular goals.

We join and work with these organizations every day and in modern societies it is hard to imagine life without them

Some examples of formal organizations you deal with are as follows:

  • KVCC
  • Hannaford Supermarkets
  • Shaw's
  • The IRS
  • Government agencies
  • Hospitals

Amitai Etzioni classified formal organization into three categories based on the nature of membership:

  • Normative Organizations
    • We join these because we want to accomplish some specific goal to gain personal satisfaction or prestige. 
    • These might include political parties, clubs, religious organizations, etc. etc.
  • Coercive Organizations
    • These are organization which we do not voluntarily join, but meet the definition as an organization
    • These might include total organizations like boot camp and prison.
  • Utilitarian Organizations
    • These organization are joined because they will provide us with the rewards we seek
    • Examples might include universities, colleges and the workplace.

Now it is not to say that a single organization might not meet more than one of the categories listed above.  One might join the military and be forced to go to Boot Camp, but is doing so to establish him or herself as an officer for prestige and for the rewards of being able to travel.

Bureaucracy

A Bureaucracy is a kind of organization that is characterized by a hierarch of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules and procedure, and impersonality in personnel matters.

We might think of bureaucracies in a relatively negative manner when we consider the "red tape" involved in some sort of process, or the endless string of phone calls until you find someone who's job it IS to answer your question.

However, Max Weber, identified bureaucracies as the most "rational" and efficient means of attaining organizational goals.  In my opinion, if they did not work, they would not exist.

One of the most exciting things I find about studying human behavior is looking at the ways in which people have managed to manipulate bureaucracies to their benefit.

As a social worker for many years it was my job to learn the social service "system", both informal and formal, so that I could best serve my clients.

The ideal type of organization may be one that has:

  • Division of labor
    • More efficient productivity and ability to make changes in the production line
  • Hierarchy of authority
    • Clear designation of power and communication
  • Rules and regulations
    • Clear guidelines for organizational and personnel behavior.  This also relates to the impersonal nature of bureaucracies as it is the policies that dictate the operation of the business not the people
  • Employment based on technical qualifications
    • In an ideal world we would assume that the organization would reward and employ the individuals best suited for the job (anyone out there may be able to state many examples of how un-ideal some work places may be in this regard!)
  • Impersonality
    • Impersonality can be gained through the development of policies and procedures but also through the structure of an organization.  If an organization is a corporation then the individuals who work there may not be as personally responsible for the failing (or success) of the business.

Consider the recent events regarding very highly paid CEO's and such that we have been hearing in the news.  It is these individuals who have best learned to manipulate the structure of an organization to their own benefit.  As the financial and business world deals with this it is likely that different organizational structures will arise to limit these events.

With the limitations in bureaucracies being illuminated every day in the news and in our every day lives we might consider some possible trends that may be up and coming.

  1. There is a lack of consensus among organizational theorists about the "best" model of organization; however, some have suggested a horizontal model n which both hierarchy and functional or departmental boundaries largely would be eliminated
  2. In the horizontal structure, a limited number of senior executives would still exist in support roles (such as finance and human resources); everyone else would work in multidisciplinary teams that would perform core processes (product development, marketing, sales, etc.)
  3. No one can tell the future but it is sure that everyone can benefit from humane organizational environments that provide opportunities for all people regardless of race, gender or class.

Assessment

Lesson 10 Quiz

Identify one group that you belong to (primary or secondary groups) and one that you aspire to belong to (reference groups). For each, describe examples of the group "culture" (norms values and expectations).

  1. Primary or Secondary Group Culture
  2. Reference Group Culture