Society and Society and GroupsGroups

In a group, list all of the In a group, list all of the groups that you might be a groups that you might be a

member of.member of.

Society DefinedSociety Defined

For sociologists a For sociologists a society is defined in society is defined in terms of its terms of its functions.  There functions.  There are five:are five: reproduction; reproduction; sustenance; sustenance; shelter; shelter; management of its management of its

membership; membership; defense.defense.

Organizations WithinOrganizations Within

There are three other types of organizations:There are three other types of organizations: Normative OrganizationsNormative Organizations are organizations are organizations

that people join because they perceive their goals that people join because they perceive their goals as being socially or morally worthwhile (IE: as being socially or morally worthwhile (IE: Greenpeace);Greenpeace);

Coercive OrganizationsCoercive Organizations are organizations that are organizations that people typically are forced into against their will people typically are forced into against their will (prison);(prison);

Utilitarian OrganizationsUtilitarian Organizations are organizations are organizations that people typically join because of some that people typically join because of some tangible benefit which they expect to receive tangible benefit which they expect to receive (Girl Scouts, PTA, or a political party).(Girl Scouts, PTA, or a political party).

Technology and SocietyTechnology and Society

Technology availability greatly Technology availability greatly influenced the size and durability of influenced the size and durability of these societies.  these societies. 

Rocks, sticks, spears, axes, bows and Rocks, sticks, spears, axes, bows and arrows, darts, plows, hand tools, dowels arrows, darts, plows, hand tools, dowels and nails, steam engines, electricity, and nails, steam engines, electricity, factories, watches, computer chips, and factories, watches, computer chips, and other technological advances have other technological advances have greatly changed the nature of societies greatly changed the nature of societies over time.  over time. 

Types of SocietiesTypes of Societies

Hunting and Gathering SocietiesHunting and Gathering Societies Horticultural and Pastoral Horticultural and Pastoral

SocietiesSocieties Agricultural Societies Agricultural Societies Industrial SocietiesIndustrial Societies Postindustrial SocietiesPostindustrial Societies Bioeconomic SocietiesBioeconomic Societies

Why Do Societies Change or Why Do Societies Change or Remain Stable? Remain Stable?

Auguste Comte: Auguste Comte: Social Statics, or the study of social structure Social Statics, or the study of social structure

and how it influences social stabilityand how it influences social stability Social Dynamics, or the study of social Social Dynamics, or the study of social

structure and how it influences social changestructure and how it influences social change.  . 

A modern example of social statics might be A modern example of social statics might be the official governmental intervention of US the official governmental intervention of US economic recovery efforts;  while social economic recovery efforts;  while social dynamics might be the new “government dynamics might be the new “government bailout” manipulation of the economy to bailout” manipulation of the economy to establish economic security in volatile markets.establish economic security in volatile markets.

The Big Three: Family, Politics, and EducationThe Big Three: Family, Politics, and Education

Emile Durkheim’s Emile Durkheim’s ThoughtsThoughts

Emile Durkheim’s concept of Anomie: Emile Durkheim’s concept of Anomie: social instability resulting from a social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values breakdown of standards and values

Mechanical Solidarity is a shared Mechanical Solidarity is a shared conscious among society's members conscious among society's members who each has a similar form of who each has a similar form of livelihoodlivelihood.  . 

Organic Solidarity, which is a sense Organic Solidarity, which is a sense of interdependence on the of interdependence on the specializations of occupations in specializations of occupations in modern societymodern society. . 

Karl MarxKarl Marx

Karl Marx argued the concept of Karl Marx argued the concept of AlienationAlienation, which is the resulting , which is the resulting influence of industrialization on influence of industrialization on society’s members where they feel society’s members where they feel disconnected and powerless in the disconnected and powerless in the final direction of their destinies.  final direction of their destinies. 

To Marx, the social systems people To Marx, the social systems people created in turn controlled the created in turn controlled the pattern of their social life.pattern of their social life.

Ferdinand TönniesFerdinand Tönnies

GemeinschaftGemeinschaft (Guh-mine-shoft) (Guh-mine-shoft) means "intimate community" and means "intimate community" and GesellschaftGesellschaft (Guh-zell-shoft) (Guh-zell-shoft) means" impersonal associations."  means" impersonal associations." 

Gemeinschaft comes with a feeling Gemeinschaft comes with a feeling of community togetherness   of community togetherness  

Whereas, Gesellschaft comes with a Whereas, Gesellschaft comes with a feeling of individualityfeeling of individuality

What Are Society’s What Are Society’s Component Parts?Component Parts?

Social CohesionSocial Cohesion - the degree to - the degree to which members of a group or a which members of a group or a society feel united by shared values society feel united by shared values and other social bonds. and other social bonds.

Social StructureSocial Structure refers to the refers to the recurring patterns of behavior in recurring patterns of behavior in society which people create through society which people create through their interactions and relationships. their interactions and relationships.

What Are Society’s What Are Society’s Component Parts? Component Parts?

GroupGroup, which is a set of two or more , which is a set of two or more people who share common identity, people who share common identity, interact regularly, and have shared interact regularly, and have shared expectations (roles), and function in expectations (roles), and function in their mutually agreed upon roles.  their mutually agreed upon roles. 

AggregatesAggregates, or the number of people , or the number of people in the same place at the same time. in the same place at the same time. 

A A Category Category is a number of people is a number of people who share common characteristics. who share common characteristics. 

Types of GroupsTypes of Groups

primary primary group group

secondary secondary group group

reference reference groupgroup

in-group in-group out-group out-group social social

network network an electronic an electronic

communitycommunity

Primary GroupsPrimary Groups

Characterized by intimate face-to-face Characterized by intimate face-to-face association and those are fundamental association and those are fundamental in the development and continued in the development and continued adjustment of their members. adjustment of their members.

Three basic primary groups: Three basic primary groups: the family, the family, the child's play group, and the child's play group, and the neighborhoods or community among the neighborhoods or community among

adults. adults.

Secondary GroupsSecondary Groups

Characterized by anonymous, Characterized by anonymous, impersonal, and instrumental impersonal, and instrumental relationships, have become much relationships, have become much more numerous. more numerous.

For example: a college class, the For example: a college class, the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party

Secondary groups tend to break down Secondary groups tend to break down into several primary groupsinto several primary groups

Reference GroupsReference Groups

reference groupreference group is a concept referring is a concept referring to a group to which an individual or to a group to which an individual or another group is compared.another group is compared.

Sociologists call any group that Sociologists call any group that individuals use as a standard for individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own evaluating themselves and their own behavior a reference group.behavior a reference group.

Reference groups provide the Reference groups provide the benchmarks benchmarks

In-group / Out-groupIn-group / Out-group

Loyal to In-groupLoyal to In-group

Antagonistic to Out-groupAntagonistic to Out-group

Social NetworkSocial Network

CliquesCliques

Would include family, friends, Would include family, friends, acquaintances, and “friends of acquaintances, and “friends of friends”friends”

Who could help you get your foot in Who could help you get your foot in the door?the door?

The Electronic The Electronic CommunityCommunity

NewsgroupsNewsgroups BlogsBlogs FacebookFacebook Chat roomsChat rooms Game sitesGame sites Virtual Worlds (IMVU, RUNESCAPE)Virtual Worlds (IMVU, RUNESCAPE)