Chpt. 5 Sociology – Flashcards
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In all probability, the sociology professor giving this test would be totally unable to grade a test given in the chemistry department. What aspect of bureaucracy does this illustrate?
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Specialization
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Which of the following statements would be most convincing to a sociologist if you were trying to explain the shift from A- and B-mode responses on the Twenty Statements Test to C-mode responses?
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The accelerated pace of social change makes it increasingly difficult to think about the self in terms of group membership.
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Many sociologists have worried that the modern economy demands both geographic and occupational mobility, which in turn means that industrial and bureaucratic organizations have become the norm. What sort of groups might become less common if people have to move many times in their lives for work?
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primary groups
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What is a group that provides standards by which an individual can judge his own accomplishments?
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reference group
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In his Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:27, Jesus is reported to have said, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you . . ." What kind of authority is inherent in this statement?
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charismatic
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a bureaucracy?
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a division of labor
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All left-handed people in the United States would be classified as a(n):
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category
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Which of the following might help solve, or at least alleviate, the problem of social loafing?
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giving names to teams and giving t-shirts to member
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What kind of power is a football coach wielding when he threatens to kick a player off the team unless the player works harder?
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coercive power
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Emile Durkheim worried that, in an increasingly fragmented modern world, individuals would feel less and less connected to groups, which would lead to:
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anomie, or normlessness.
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Before the Second Gulf War, many in the U.S. government believed that Iraq possessed significant stores of weapons of mass destruction. In part, this belief was supported by CIA intelligence reports that later turned out to be wrong. Some have blamed the intense need for group cohesion and loyalty for driving out anyone who disagreed with the analysis. What is this called?
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groupthink
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When someone joins the Green Party and then starts recycling old plastic bags because she believes that it can help save the environment, this is an example of what type of conformity?
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internalization
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Running water, packaged food, and indoor plumbing are all conveniences made possible by what type of group?
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bureaucracies
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Unlike either traditional authority or legal-rational authority, charismatic authority is rooted in:
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the personal qualities of the leader.
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Which of the following would NOT be considered an aggregate?
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a primary group
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What do sociologists call patterns of interaction between groups and individuals?
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group dynamics
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What does social identity theory suggest about teamwork?
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The most efficient teams have members with strong social identities.
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Which of the following is NOT a true statement about primary groups?
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Primary groups never try to sanction members or otherwise affect their behavior.
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The sociologist Duncan Watts examined the way that individuals may change their minds about who to vote for based on the opinions of friends and acquaintances. What concept was Watts studying?
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social networks
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Group
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A collection of people who share some attribute, identify with one another, and interact with each other
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Crowd
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A temporary gathering of people in a public place; members might interact but do not identify with each other and will not remain in contact
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Aggregate
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A collection of people who share a physical location but do not have lasting social relations
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Category
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People who share one or more attributes but who lack a sense of common identity or belonging
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Primary Groups
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The people who are most important to our sense of self; members' relationships are typically characterized by face-to-face interaction, high levels of cooperation, and intense feelings of belonging
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Secondary Groups
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Larger and less intimate than primary groups; members' relationships are usually organized around a specific goal and are often temporary
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Social Network
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The web of direct and indirect ties connecting an individual to other people who may also affect the individual
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Social Ties
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Connections between individuals
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Anomie
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"normlessness"; term used to describe the alienation and loss of purpose that result from weaker social bonds and an increased pace of change
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Virtual Communities
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Social groups whose interactions are mediated through information technologies, particularly the internet
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Group Dynamics
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The patterns of interaction between groups and individuals
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Dyad
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A two-person social group
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Triad
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A three-person social group
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In-Group
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A group that one identifies with and feels loyalty toward
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Out-Group
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Any group an individual feels opposition, rivalry, or hostility toward
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Reference Group
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A group that provides a standard of comparison against which we evaluate ourselves
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Group Cohesion
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The sense of solidarity or loyalty that individuals feel toward a group to which they belong
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Groupthink
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In very cohesive groups, the tendency to enforce a high degree of conformity among members, creating a demand for unanimous agreement
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Social Influence
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Exerting group control over others' decisions
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Social Loafing
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The phenomenon in which as more individuals are added to a task, each individual contributes a little less; a source of inefficiency when working in teams
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Social Identity Theory
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A theory of group formation and maintenance that stresses the need of individual members to feel a sense of belonging
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Power
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The ability to control the actions of others
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Coercive Power
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Power that is backed by the threat of force
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Influential Power
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Power that is supported by persuasion
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Authority
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The legitimate right to wield power
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Traditional Authority
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Authority based in custom, birthright, or divine right
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Legal-Rational Authority
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Authority based in laws, rules, and procedures, not in heredity or personality of any individual leader
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Charismatic Authority
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Authority based in the perception of remarkable personal qualities in a leader
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Instrumental Leadership
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Leadership that is task or goal oriented
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Expressive Leadership
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Leadership concerned with maintaining emotional and relational harmony within the group
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Bureaucracy
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A type of secondary group designed to perform tasks efficiently, characterized by specialization, technical competence, hierarchy, rules and regulations, impersonality, and formal written communication
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Rationalization
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The application of economic logic to human activity; the use of formal rules and regulations in order to maximize efficiency without consideration of subjective or individual concerns
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McDonaldization
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George Ritzer's term describing the spread of bureaucratic rationalization and the accompanying increases in efficiency and dehumanization
