KENDALL, CHAPTER 6: GROUPS AND ORGANIZATION
 
(INCOMPLETE - MORE COMING)

An AGGREGATE is a collection of peple who happen to be in the same
place at the same time but share little else in common.

A CATEGORY is a number of people who may never have met on another, but
share one or more characteristics (eg, education, age)

A GROUP IS ANY  NUMBER OF PEOPLE  WITH SIMILAR  VALUES
EXPECTATIONS WHO REGULARLY AND CONSCIOUSLY INTERACT.
 
  1.  PRIMARY GROUPS: SMALL GROUPS CHARACTERIZEC BY INTIMATE,
      FACE-TO-FACE  ASSOCIATION AND  COOPERATION (EXAMPLES:
      FAMILIES, STUDY GROUPS, FRIENDSHIP GROUPS)
 
  2.  SECONDARY GROUPS:   FORMAL, IMPERSONAL GROUPS IN WHICH
      THERE IS LITTLE INTIMACY OR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.  CLASS,
      NIUC).
 
  3.  REFERENCE GROUPS--  THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE STANDARDS FOR
      EVALUATING OURSELVES OR OUR  OWN BEHAVIOR.  (IE, BUSINESS
      MAJORS MAY HAVE  IBM EXECUTIVERS AS A  REFERENCE GROUP:
      PROFESSORS HAVE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
 
  4.  IN-GROUPS--  ANY CATEGORY  OF PEOPLE  WHO FEEL THAT THEY
      BELONG."  EG, STUDENTS, CLIQUESC
 
  5.  OUT-GROUPS--   THOSE  "OUTSIDE   THE   PALE"-PUNKS/ROCKERS
 
  6.  COALITIONS--- THESE ARE A GROUP OF GROUPS GEARTED TOQARD A
      COMMON GOAL: EITHER SEMI-PERMANTLY OR TEMPORARILY WORKING
      TOWARD A COMMON END.   (EG, GANGS, LABOR GROUPS, Jesse
      Jackon's "RAINBOW COALITION"C)
 
   7. NETWORKS: "A web ofsocial relationships that link us with
      others, and through them, the people they know

We can look at group connections as a type of SOCIAL CAPITAL

NOTE: While the size of a group is important:

     THERE IS NO CLEAR DEFINITION AT  WHICH POINT THE  NUMBER OF
      PEOPLE BECOMES TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL TO BE A GROUP, WHETHER
     "PRIMARY GROUP or SECONDARY GROUP:
     Groups tend to be defined by function.

However, size can shape dynamics of a group:

1) Dyads (two members
2) Triads (three members) - adding the third changes things
   (See the ASCH experiment on:  >---->



 
HOW DO GROUPS DIFFER FROM FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS?
 
 A FORMAL ORGANIZATION IS A LARGE-SCALE,SPECIAL-PURPOSE GROUP
 PURPOSELY DESIGNED AND STRUCTURED INTHE INTERESTS EFFICIENCY.
 TYPICAL EXAMPLES INCLUDE:
 
SOME TYPES:

   a) Normative organizations (we join these voluntarily for a common
      interest

   b) Coercive organizations (prisons)

   c) Utilitarian organizations (they provide a material reward
      (schools)

SOME OTHER EXAMPLES:

  A) GOVERNMENTS
  B) LARGE BUSINESSES
  C) SCHOOLS
  D) HOSPITALS
 
 THESE ARE ALL BUREAUCRACIES, CHARACTERIZED BY:
 
    A) COMMUNICATION FLOW FROM TOP DOWN
    B) CENTRALIZED POWER/LEADERSHIP
    C) SPECIALIZED TASKS/DIVISION OF LABOR
    D) FORMAL RECRUITMENT
    E) MERIT
    F) RULES FOR OPERATING
    G) EXPLICIT REWARD SYSTEM
    H) HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY
    I) IMPERSONALITY
 
AN OLIGARCHY, BY CONTRAST, IS AN ORGANIZATION (OR SOCIETY
RULED BY A FEW.
 
WE ALSO HAVE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS---THIS REFERS TO ORGANIZATINS
ESTABLISHED ON THE BASIS OF COMMON INTEREST, WHOSE MEMBER
VOLUNTEER OR EVEN PAY TO PARTICIPATE (eg, Labor Unions,
fraternities)
 
THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING GROUPS: IT CAN TELL US MANY THINGS ABOUT
SOCIETY AND ABOUT PEOPLE:
 
  1.  PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT (VOLUNTARY  ASSOCIATIONS) HOW PEOPLE
VOTE, WHAT THEIR ATTITUDES ARE
 
  2.  LOOKING AT ONE'S PRIMARY GROUPS  MAY HELP US UNDERSTAND
CRIME/DEVIANCE (NEXT CHAPTER)
 
  3.  LOOKING AT  BUREAUCRACIES MAY  PROVIDE A  KEY WINDOW INTO
      DECISIONS ARE MADE,  HOW MUCH INPUT PEOPLE PUT INTO
      GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY, OR  HOW SOCIETY  IS ORGANIZED.
 
REMEMBER:GROUPS ARE NOT SIMPLY TERMS, THEY ARE CONCEPTS USEFUL
FOR ANALYSIS.  WEBER, FOR EXAMPLE, USED BUREAUCRACIES TO EXAMINE
SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, AND HE FOUND THAT
SOCIETY CAN BE  MEASURED  BY  HOW "RATIONAL"  (IE,
BUREAUCRATIC) IT HAS BECOME.
 
EG: For WEBER: Societies can be defined by how they are organized:
 
  A. CHARISMATIC
  B. TRADITIONAL
  C. RATIONAL/LEGAL
 
      1. Formal Rationality
      2. Substantive Rationality
 
NOTE: THESE ARE IDEAL TYPES: An Ideal type is a construct or
model that serves as a measuring rod against which specific cases
can be evaluated.

Return to JT's homepage

Page maintained by: Jim Thomas - jthomas@sun.soci.niu.edu