SECOND EDITION You May Ask Yourself Dalton Conley An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist Chapter 5 Networks and Organizations

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups Social groups form the building blocks for society and for most social interaction. The sociologist Georg Simmel argued that the key element in determining the form of social relations in a group is the size of the group. 2

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups Simmel emphasized, in particular, the differences between social relations in a dyad (group of two) and a triad (group of three). Dyad is the most intimate form of social life because the two members are mutually dependent on each other – if one member leaves the group, the group ceases to exist. 3

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups When a third person joins a dyad, that person can fill the role of: –mediator – the conflict resolver. –tertius gaudens — the person who profits from disagreement from the others. –divide et impera (“divide and conquer”) — the individual who purposefully breaks up the other two. 4

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups As group size increases, the number of possible relationships increase — in a group of three, three possible relationships exist, but in a group of four, six possible relationships exist. 5

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups Georg SimmelC. H. Cooley Small GroupsPrimary Groups PartiesSecondary Groups Large GroupsOther Group Types — in-groups, out-groups, reference groups 6

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Social Groups The Asch Test is an experiment developed in the 1940s that shows how much people are influenced by the actions or norms of a group. 7

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. From Groups to Networks A social network is a set of relations — a set of dyads — held together by ties between individuals. A tie is a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network, while a narrative is the sum of the stories contained in a series of ties. 8

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Interview, Duncan Watts 9 Duncan Watts describes his research on the small world phenomenon. From Groups to Networks

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. From Groups to Networks Embeddedness refers to the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network. 10

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. From Groups to Networks A structural hole is a gap between network clusters (or even between two people) that would benefit from having the gap closed. 11

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. From Groups to Networks Social capital –The information, knowledge of people or ideas, and connections that help individuals enter preexisting networks or gain power in them. –High amounts of social capital in a community generally means that the community is tightly knit and can come together to face challenges and make improvements. 12

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Network Analysis in Group Research Network analysis researchers use the basic concepts about groups and social networks that we have discussed to investigate how group life shapes individual behavior. 13

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Organizations An organization is any social network that is defined by a common purpose and has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world. 14

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Organizations Organizational culture refers to the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group. Organizational structure refers to the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization. 15

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Organizations Institutional isomorphism refers to a constraining process that forces one organization to resemble other organizations that face the same set of environmental conditions. 16

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The Wealth of Networks The Internet has facilitated an open-source, or peer-based, production model, which promotes access to the end product’s source materials. Wikipedia and Linux are two examples of open-source platforms. 17

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 1. One of the unique characteristics of a dyad is that _______. a)each member exerts supra-individual control over the other b)there is an inherent asymmetry to the relationship c)if one member of the group leaves, the group ceases to exist d)all of the above e)none of the above 18

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 2. Jose goes to a training session for election volunteers in his precinct. There are 15 participants and two trainers. This would be an example of which kind of group? a)party b)large group c)primary group d)small group 19

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 3. ________ refers to the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network. a)Isomorphism b)The strength of weak ties c)Embeddedness d)Connectivity 20

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 4. A structural hole is _______. a)a weak tie in a social network that eventually breaks b)a gap between two people or two groups that have complementary resources and could benefit from having a closer connection c)a lack of social capital in a community d)a gap in the data collected as part of a network analysis 21

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 5. Organizational culture refers to _______. a)the embedded ties that connect members of a formal social network b)the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group c)the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization d)whether an organization uses an autocratic or consultative decision-making process 22

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 1. Do you have a MySpace or Facebook account? a)yes b)no 2. Do you have any online friends that you have never met in real life? a)yes b)no 23

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 3. Are territorial social groups (those based on physical closeness) important? a)They are as important as they used to be. b)They are more important than they used to be. c)They are less important than they used to be. 24

Figure 5.1 Political Relations Within a Triad You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.2 Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.3 The Asch Test You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.4 The Strength of Weak Ties You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.5 Analysis of High-School Sexual Relationships You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.6 Models for Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 5.7 Romantic “Leftovers” You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

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