1. Lesson 6-Social institutions and Social Groups

2. Warm up
What factors have contributed to your selection of who you hang out with outside of school?
What common interests, activities, ideas do you share with your main group of friends?

3. Social Institutions
Social institution: These are formal groups in society that perform tasks that a society needs in order to continue to exist and prosper.
Family, most universal social institution, takes responsibility for raising the young and teaching them accepted norms and values.
Economic institution, organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Political institution, is the system of norms that governs the exercise and distribution of power in society.
Education, ensures the transmission of values, patterns of behavior, and certain skills and knowledge.
Religion, provides a shared, collective explanation of the meaning of life.

4. Social Institutions-Groups
The group gives organization AND meaning to the unit/social institution.
A group is a set of two or more people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of common identity
From two on a date
To 500 soldiers at boot camp

5. Stages of group formation
Mutual acceptance

6. Social Institutions-Groups
An aggregate is when people gather in the same place at the same time but lack organization of lasting patterns of interactions
Ex: people waiting to board a plane or standing in a ticket line at the movies

7. Social Category
A Social category/Labeling is a means of classifying people according to a shared trait or common status
i.e. students, women, elderly
They are NOT groups that meet in one place.   Some examples of social categories include:
- left-handed people              - high school students
-blondes                                - people who drive pick-up trucks
-baseball fans                       - church goers
-writers                                 -  conservative republicans
-surfers                                 - blind people
-construction workers           -  athletes

8. Defining a Group Size Quality Four features: Small or large
Intimate or formal
Four features:
Two or more people
Interaction occurs between members
Shared expectations
Must possess a sense of common identity

9. Social Institutions-Groups
A Dyad is two people*
A Triad is three people*
A Small group is a group small enough that everyone can still interact face to face with one another. *
A Large Group is a group that you are unable to interact face to face with one another. *
Time
A group can be a one-time meeting or a lifetime.
Interaction is not continuous; there are breaks
Organization
A formal group has clearly defined structure, goals, and activities.*
An informal group has no official structure or rules of conduct. *

10. In group vs. Out Group In group Out Group
Groups with clearly defined rules of membership that we belong to.
separate themselves from others using symbols
badges, uniforms, hats, names, or slogans
see each other positively while viewing out-groups negatively.
feelings of superiority can lead to conflicts and/or competition with out-groups.
groups that we do not belong to but may wish to be a part of
Viewed as an outcast
Goth, nerd, ethnic groups
Usually it is small groups of people who do not fit in a larger social in group.

11. High School High School in and out groups Popular vs. unpopular
Country vs. city
Jocks/athletes vs. nerd/academics
Seniors vs. every other class
ETC….

12. The Simpson’s “Homer The Great”
Write a response about how this video relates to in groups and out groups. Use your notes in your response. (Response should be a ½ page-1 page in length)

14. Types of groups Primary Groups Secondary Groups
Small group that interacts over long period of time on a direct and personal basis
The most intimate group
face-to-face
Informal
Communication is deep and intense, personal satisfaction is important
EX: Family
Group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary
Importance of the individual is in the function that he or she performs in the group
Casual and limited
Members can be replaced
EX: Work Friends

15. Social Institutions-Continuum

16. Reference Groups
Reference groups: are groups people come to admire and try to imitate the attitudes and behaviors of others.
Can include school friends, co-workers, or members of a certain occupation
+ and - effects on behavior.
Examples you can think of that are either positive of negative?

17. Examples
Positive
Negative

18. Electronic groups
Electronic groups: Having regular interaction with groups on the web.
Ex: Facebook, My Space, Twitter, Instagram, etc…
Sometimes, members of e-communities can show the same behaviors as members of other primary groups.
argue, engage in intellectual discussions, gossip, and even flirt.
Very new field to Sociologists

19. Social Networks
Social Networking: web of relationships formed by a person's sum interaction with other people and groups
contain a wide variety of groups
do not have clear boundaries and can change over time.
Allows us to be formal and informal
Comments section, Trolling

21. Mature Group Characteristics
Purpose and Mission
May be assigned or may emerge from within the group
Group often questions, reexamines, and modifies mission and purpose
Mission converted into specific agenda, clear goals

22. Group Leadership Within a group, leaders arise and take control.
Groups that meet more consistently have a more clearly defined leader
Leader can be chosen or take control at any given point.

23. Group Leadership Instrumental Leadership Charismatic Leadership
Goal oriented, and largely concerned with accomplishing set tasks.
CEO, Army General, Teacher, or parents
Male dominated stereotype
Promotes emotional strength, health, and make sure that people feel safe.
Priest, rabbi, director of youth program
Women dominated stereotype

24. Group Leadership-Cults
Cults- social group that try to keep individuals in a groups.
Most Cults are viewed as negative
When a member tries to leave
shunned, beaten up, killed, etc
Leaving a cult
Hard to adjust to society.
Need to be deprogrammed
Cult tactics to keep people from leaving
Leadership
Strange or Unorthodox Beliefs
Recruiting Methods
Mind Control Methods
Time Control
Control family relationships
Dependency
Isolation from world
Member defecation
Indoctrination of Children
Payment to join

25. Questions
Was the leader an instrumental leader or charismatic leader? How could you tell?
What cult tactics did the “Movementarians” use throughout the episode?
Which cult tactic do you think has the most control over an individual?
What are other examples of cults in recent or past time?

26. Famous Cults

27. Project
You will be using the film “Mean Girls” and applying the information you have gathered on the Social Perspective.
You will be creating a multimedia presentation with a partner
The instructions for this assignment are on the class website called “Social Structure Project”

28. MEAN GIRLS WHY MEAN GIRLS???? Well… shows us great examples of:
Group
Social Status
In-group
Out-Group
It also talks discusses some aspects of Culture and how they affect Suburban High Schools.