Notes:
Group: people who identify and interact with one another
Social groups: two or more individuals connected by common bonds and shared social relations
Dyad: a group of two people
Triad: a group of three members
Primary groups: small scale, intimate, face to face long lasting associations
Secondary groups: large scale, impersonal, task forced and time limited associations
Reference group: a collection of people used for comparison and identification
In group: a social unit in which an individual belongs and feels a sense of we
Out-group: individuals who do not belong or are excluded from one
Social clique: a small, close knit and exclusive group of individuals
Group conformity: aligning attitudes and behaviors with group norms
Group think: the tendency of group members to yield the desire for consensus rather than expressing individuals or alternative ideas
Pressure for conformity: dissenters are pressured not to express their opinions
Self censorship: dissenters choose to withhold their counterarguments
Illusion of unanimity: the majority view and judgement are assumed to unanimous
Mindguards: self appointed members protect the group and the leader from information that is problematic or contradictory to the group\\\’s views
Illusion invulnerability:members ignore dangers, take excessive risks, and are overly optimistic
Collective rationalization: members discount and explain away warning signs
Belief in inherent morality: members believe their decisions are morally correct and ignore ethical considerations
Stereotype views of out-groups: out groups are labeled with negative stereotypes and considered as rivals
Organization: a structured, purposeful and goal oriented collection of people
Informal organizations: a system of the personal contacts and relationships of grouping people
Formal organizations, structured and bureaucratic systems regulated by clearly stated norms and rules
Normative organizations: groups of people based on shared interests and the intangible rewards of membership
Utilitarian organizations: groups of people based on contractual obligations that seek tangible benefits such as monetary compensation
Coercive organization: groups of people whose membership is primarily forced and must abide by strict rules and regulations
Resocialization: and identity transformation in which social norms and roles are altered or replaced
Total institutions: isolated groups with strict rules and regulations to control every aspect of members lives
Rationalization: traditional modes of thinking are replaced with end/means analysis
Bureaucracies: a heirarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle and behaves with impersonality
Ideal type: logical or consistent traits of a given social phenomenon
Red tape: adherence to excessive regulations and conformity that prevents decision making and change
Peter Principle: the notion that workers in a bureaucratic organization will continue to be promoted until they reach their level of incompetence
Spoils system: the practice of politicians awarding jobs to friends and supporters based on liking and not skill
Iron law of oligarch: a system in which then concentration of power in a democracy rests in the hands of a few elite leaders
McDonaldization: the process by which the principles of fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society and the rest of the world
Leaders: individuals or groups who help facilitate, guide and be the representative voice of its members
Instrumental leadership: the leadership is very task oriented
Expressive leadership: leadership endeavors to establish more personal or primary connections with the group members
Authoritarian: a leadership that is based on orders and directives
Democratic: a leadership style based on increasing harmony and reducing conflict between groups
Laissez-faire: a leader who take hands off approach to leadership
Transformational leader: causes individuals, groups, and social systems to change
Transactional leader: acts as a manager by keeping the group functioning smoothly
Nepotism: the practice of favoritism directed toward family members
Social capital: the network of links that develop between people
Meritocracy: a system that fosters and rewards personal effort, ability and talent through competition to determine social standing
social aggregate, a collection of individuals in the same geographic location who do not share common characteristics