UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE,SOCIETY AND
POLITICS
WEEK 8
HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED
OBJECTIVES
1. DEFINE WHAT A SOCIAL GROUP IS.
2. DIFFERENTIATE PRIMARY FROM SECONDARY
GROUP.
3. COMPARE IN-GROUPS AND OUT—GROUPS.
4. IDENTIFY THE TWO TYPES OF REFERENCE
GROUPS: AND
5. APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL
NETWORKS.
PRE-TEST
DIRECTIONS: CHOOSE THE
LETTER OF THE BEST ANSWER.
WRITE THE LETTER ON A
SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER.
1.WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING INVOLVES
INTERACTION AMONG MEMBERS WHO
HAVE AN EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT OR
ATTACHMENT IN ONE ANOTHER AND IN A
SITUATION?
A. IN-GROUP C. PRIMARY
B.OUT-GROUP D. SECONDARY
2. PERFORMER, CLERK, CUSTOMER,
AND EMPLOYEE ARE EXAMPLES OF:
A. IN-GROUP C. PRIMARY
B.OUT-GROUP D. SECONDARY
3. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REFERS TO A
PREFERENCE AND AFFINITY FOR ONE’S IN-GROUP
OVER THE OUT-GROUP OR ANYONE VIEWED AS
OUTSIDE THE IN-GROUP?
A. IN-GROUP FAVORITISM
B. OUT-GROUP FAVORITISM
C. PRIMARY FAVORITISM
D. SECONDARY FAVORITISM
4. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS DEFINED AS
ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO HARM
ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE HE OR SHE IS A
MEMBER OF AN OUT-GROUP?
A. INTERGROUP AGGRESSION
B. OUT-GROUP FAVORITISM
C. PRIMARY FAVORITISM
D. SECONDARY FAVORITISM
5. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING GROUP IS
COMPOSED OF PEOPLE WE WANT TO
EMULATE?
A. AGGREGATE
B. IN-GROUP
C. NEGATIVE REFERENCE GROUP
D. POSITIVE REFERENCE GROUP
ACTIVITY 1
CONFORMITY REFERS TO BEHAVIOUR IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SOCIALLY ACCEPTED
CONVENTIONS OR STANDARDS. DEVIANCE,
ON THE OTHER HAND, DESCRIBES AN ACTION
OR BEHAVIOUR THAT VIOLATES SOCIAL
NORMS. THE TABLE BELOW PRESENTS SOME
BEHAVIORS THAT ILLUSTRATE CONFORMITY
AND DEVIANCE.
WHAT IS A SOCIAL GROUP?
A SOCIAL GROUP IS TWO OR MORE PEOPLE
WHO IDENTIFY WITH AND ENGAGE WITH
EACH OTHER (MACIONIS 2012). AS AN
INDIVIDUAL, YOU MAY BE A MEMBER OF A
RELIGIOUS GROUP, AN ETHNIC GROUP, A
WORKING COLLEAGUE GROUP, A COLLEGE
CLASS, A SPORTS TEAM, AND SO ON. THESE
ARE ALSO REFERRED TO AS SOCIAL GROUPS.
A SOCIAL GROUP IS DISTINCT FROM AN
AGGREGATE, WHICH CONSISTS OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE TEMPORARILY GROUPED TOGETHER IN AN
AREA, PERHAPS EVEN PERFORMING THE SAME
THINGS, BUT DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO
BE MEMBERS OF THE SAME GROUP. FOR
EXAMPLE, BEING IN A BUSY SHOP OR WAITING IN
LINE FOR A MOVIE DOES NOT MAKE YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU BELONG WITH THE PEOPLE DOING THE
SAME THING.
TYPES OF GROUPS ACCORDING TO INFLUENCE
PRIMARY GROUPS INVOLVE INTERACTION
AMONG MEMBERS WHO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL
INVESTMENT OR ATTACHMENT IN ONE
ANOTHER AND A SITUATION, WHO KNOW
ONE ANOTHER INTIMATELY AND INTERACT AS
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS RATHER THAN THROUGH
SPECIALIZED ROLES. THEY ARE SMALLER IN
NUMBER AND OCCUR OVER A LONG TIME.
EXAMPLES OF RELATIONSHIPS UNDER
THE PRIMARY GROUP ARE BETWEEN
FRIENDS, HUSBAND AND WIFE, PARENT
AND CHILD, AND TEACHER AND PUPIL.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SAMPLE GROUPS
UNDER PRIMARY GROUPS INCLUDE
PLAYGROUP,FAMILY,VILLAGE/NEIGHBORH
OOD, AND WORK TEAM.
SECONDARY GROUPS USUALLY HAVE
SPECIFIC GOALS, ARE FORMALLY
ORGANIZED, AND ARE IMPERSONAL.
THEY TEND TO BE LARGER THAN THE
PRIMARY GROUP, AND ITS MEMBERS
DO NOT NECESSARILY INTERACT WITH
ALL OTHER MEMBERS.
SECONDARY GROUPS USUALLY HAVE
SPECIFIC GOALS, ARE FORMALLY
ORGANIZED, AND ARE IMPERSONAL.
THEY TEND TO BE LARGER THAN THE
PRIMARY GROUP, AND ITS MEMBERS
DO NOT NECESSARILY INTERACT WITH
ALL OTHER MEMBERS.
A REFERENCE GROUP IS A GROUP OR SOCIAL
CATEGORY THAT AN INDIVIDUAL USES TO HELP DEFINE
BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, AND VALUES AND TO GUIDE
BEHAVIOUR. IT IS OFTEN A CATEGORY WE IDENTIFY
WITH, RATHER THAN A SPECIFIC GROUP WE BELONG
TO. IN ADDITION, THEY PROVIDE A COMPARISON
AGAINST WHICH PEOPLE MEASURE THEMSELVES AND
OTHERS.POSITIVE REFERENCE GROUPS ARE COMPOSED
OF PEOPLE WE WANT TO EMULATE. NEGATIVE
REFERENCE GROUPS, ON THE OTHER HAND, PROVIDE A
MODEL WE DO NOT WISH TO FOLLOW.
TYPES OF REFERENCE GROUPS
A NORMATIVE REFERENCE GROUP
INFLUENCES YOUR NORMS, ATTITUDES, AND
VALUES THROUGH DIRECT INTERACTION.
A COMPARATIVE REFERENCE GROUP IS A
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHOM YOU
COMPARE YOURSELF AGAINST AND MAY
STRIVE TO BE LIKE.
SOCIAL NETWORK
A SOCIAL NETWORK IS A SOCIOLOGICAL
CONCEPT THAT REFERS TO THE SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS THAT EXIST BETWEEN
NETWORK PARTS AND INDIVIDUALS. IN AN
ORGANIZATION, NETWORK ELEMENTS CAN
INCLUDE SOCIAL GROUPS OR TEAMS,
ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS, OR ENTIRE
ORGANIZATIONS.
SOCIAL NETWORK IN PRACTICE:
ALL OUR FUNCTIONS AT WORK AND IN PRIVATE TAKE
PLACE IN SOME SOCIAL NETWORKS. EVERY SOCIAL
NETWORK IS ABOUT RELATIONS THAT INCLUDE SOCIAL
INTERACTION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION. WE CAN
EASILY DESCRIBE, MAP, AND ANALYZE SOCIAL
NETWORKS THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS AND
SOCIOMETRY. THE BASIC TYPES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
IN THE ORGANIZATION ARE FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE, AND INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK IN THE ORGANIZATION
FORMS AN INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE. ITS INFLUENCE ON THE EVENTS AND
DECISION-MAKING IN THE ORGANIZATION IS
GREATER IN LESS AUTHORITATIVE MANAGEMENT
STYLES AND TYPES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS. OFTEN
IN PRACTICE, THE INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE IS MORE INFLUENTIAL ON WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THE ORGANIZATION THAN THE
FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
ACTIVITY 2
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
CAN SOCIETY SURVIVE WITHOUT
GROUPS? EXPLAIN YOUR
ANSWER.
ACTIVITY 3
DIRECTIONS: ANALYZE THE
PICTURES AND IDENTIFY THE
CORRECT TYPE OF REFERENCE
GROUP. WRITE YOUR ANSWER IN
THE SPACE PROVIDED.
ACTIVITY 4
DIRECTIONS: FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE
CORRECT ANSWER TO COMPLETE THE
STATEMENTS.
1. SOCIAL __GROUP___ IS A GROUP IN WHICH WE
CAN FEEL LIKE WE BELONG.
2. MEMBERS IN ___PRIMARY___ GROUPS INTERACT
WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN
EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT IN ONE ANOTHER.
3. AN _IN-GROUP IS A SOCIAL GROUP TO
WHICH A PERSON PSYCHOLOGICALLY
IDENTIFIES AS BEING A MEMBER.
4. _REFERENCE_ GROUP IS A SOCIAL
CATEGORY THAT PEOPLE USE TO HELP
THEM DEFINE THEIR IDEAS,ATTITUDES,
AND VALUES,AS WELL AS TO INFLUENCE
THEIR BEHAVIOR.
5. THROUGH DIRECT CONNECTION,
YOUR __NORMATIVE_ REFERENCE
GROUP SHAPES YOUR NORMS,
ATTITUDES, AND VALUES. A
COMPARATIVE REFERENCE GROUP IS A
GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO YOU CAN
COMPARE YOURSELF TO AND TRY TO
EMULATE.
ACTIVITY 5
POST TEST
DIRECTIONS: FILL IN THE
BLANKS WITH THE CORRECT
ANSWER TO COMPLETE THE
STATEMENTS. CHOOSE FROM
THE WORDS INSIDE THE OVAL.
1. PRIMARY GROUPS INVOLVE INTERACTION
AMONG MEMBERS WHO HAVE AN __EMOTIONAL_
INVESTMENT OR ATTACHMENT IN ONE ANOTHER.
2. SECONDARY GROUPS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY
MUCH LESS __INTIMACY_ AMONG ITS MEMBERS.
3. IN-GROUP IS A SOCIAL GROUP TO WHICH A PERSON
PSYCHOLOGICALLY IDENTIFIES AS BEING A
_MEMBER_________.
4. OUT-GROUP IS A SOCIAL GROUP WITH WHICH
AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT __IDENTIFY_.
5. TAJFEL AND COLLEAGUES FOUND THAT PEOPLE
CAN FORM _SELF__ IN-GROUPS WITHIN A MATTER
OF MINUTES AND THAT SUCH GROUPS CAN FORM
EVEN BASED ON COMPLETELY ARBITRARY AND
INVENTED PREFERENCING CHARACTERISTICS,
SUCH AS PREFERENCES FOR CERTAIN PAINTING.
