Flashcards for:
Exploring Social Groups and Their Dynamics

This phrase highlights the strong influence of social groups on individual behavior, emphasizing the tendency of individuals to conform to the actions and decisions of their peers.

Homogenous groups, which are composed of similar individuals, tend to turn inward and have less interaction with outsiders, while heterogeneous groups, which are diverse, tend to turn outward and have more interactions with external members.

Understanding social groups is crucial because they provide the foundation for social interaction and organization, helping to explain how individuals come together to form societies and establish social norms and practices.

Primary groups are small, closely bonded, and provide emotional support, such as families and friendships. Secondary groups are larger, more impersonal, and goal-oriented, like companies.

Instrumental leaders focus on achieving goals and directing group actions, while expressive leaders prioritize harmony and minimizing conflict within the group.

Smaller groups tend to be more intimate but less stable, while larger groups are more stable but less intimate. This is due to the increased complexity and potential for factions in larger groups.

Strong ties are close-knit connections within a social network and offer significant support, while weak ties are peripheral connections that, despite being less strong, can still provide valuable information and opportunities.

Social groups influence individual decisions by providing norms and expectations that guide behavior, and they shape societal structures by organizing individuals into systems that dictate interactions and social order.

The future topics related to social groups and dynamics are formal organizations and bureaucracy, which explore more structured and complex forms of group organization within societies.

Groupthink is the narrowing of thought within a group, leading members to believe in a single correct solution without considering alternatives. This can negatively affect decision-making by discouraging critical evaluation of options.

The Milgram Experiment demonstrated conformity to authority by showing that individuals are likely to comply with authoritative instructions even when they conflict with personal values, highlighting the power of perceived authority in group settings.

The three leadership styles are authoritarian, which is directive and rule-setting; democratic, which seeks consensus and considers various viewpoints; and laissez-faire, which is permissive with minimal leadership direction.

A social group is a collection of people who share a commonality that they deem significant, leading to a feeling of belonging. This distinguishes them from aggregates, which are individuals in the same place without a sense of belonging, and from categories, which are people sharing characteristics over time.

Coalitions are alliances formed within larger groups, often among members with shared interests or goals, leading to internal factions that can influence group dynamics.

In-groups are groups with which an individual identifies and feels loyalty toward, whereas out-groups are those that the individual does not identify with and may even feel antagonism towards.