CHAPTER 5CHAPTER 5

GROUP DYNAMICSGROUP DYNAMICS

““two or more people two or more people who interact on the who interact on the

basis of shared basis of shared social structure and social structure and

who recognize who recognize mutual mutual

dependency” dependency” (Brinkerhoff, p. (Brinkerhoff, p.

101).101).

GroupGroup

Groups can be distinguished from:

• Crowds: people who are temporarily clustered together.

• Categories: “people who share a characteristic” (p. 101).

Social Processes are “the forms of interaction through which

people relate to one another; they are the dynamic aspects of

society” (p. 98)

Social Processes are “the forms of interaction through which

people relate to one another; they are the dynamic aspects of

society” (p. 98)

Four Types of Social Processes:

• Exchange

• Cooperation

• Competition

• Conflict

“Exchange is voluntary interaction from which all parties expect some reward” (Brinkerhoff, p. 98).

Norm of reciprocity: “the expectation that people will return favors and strive to maintain a balance of obligation in social relationships” (p. 98).

“Cooperation is interaction that occurs when people work together to achieve shared goals” (p. 99)

“Competition is a struggle over scarce resources that is regulated by shared rules” (p. 99).

“Conflict is a struggle over scarce resources that is not regulated by shared rules” (p. 100)

“Primary groups are characterized by intimate, face-to-face interaction” (p. 101).

“Secondary groups are formal, large, and impersonal” (p. 102)

TIES

• “Strong ties are relationships characterized by intimacy, emotional intensity, and sharing.

• “Weak ties are relationships with friends, acquaintances, and kin that are characterized by low intensity and intimacy” (p. 108).

“Complex organizations are large, formal organizations with complex status networks” (p. 115)

Weber’s Characteristics of Bureaucracy (p. 115-16)

• Division of labor and specialization

• Hierarchy of authority

• Rules and regulations

• Impersonal relationships

• Careers, tenure, and technical qualifications

• Efficiency

• Division of labor and specialization

• Hierarchy of authority

• Rules and regulations

• Impersonal relationships

• Careers, tenure, and technical qualifications

• Efficiency

Criticisms of Bureaucracy (p. 117)

• Ritualism

• Alienation

• Structured Inequality

• Ritualism

• Alienation

• Structured Inequality