Soc 1 Chap 5

What makes a formal organization different from an informal one?

A formal organization is designed to achieve its objectives. An informal organization is defined by a common purpose but lacks a structure designed to achieve that purpose.

secondary group

A group characterized by its large size and by impersonal, fleeting relationships.

primary group

A group that is characterized by intense emotional ties, face-to-face interaction, intimacy, and a strong, enduring sense of commitment.

Max Weber/large-scale social systems

According to ________, although bureaucracy often stifles creativity, it is necessary for the administration of ________.

Which statement best describes the character of the Internet in its earliest years?

Only an elite few individuals with special skills and resources had access

4 identities of McDonaldization

efficiency, control, calculability, uniformity

Bureaucracy is firmly established as the final stage in the development of modern formal organizations

false (In late-modern organizations, the bureaucratic model is being replaced with a network-based model.)

There are good reasons to believe that the iron law of oligarchy is not as hard-and-fast as Robert Michels believed.

true (In very large organizations, those at the top often find it impossible to keep track of all the organization's workings and must, on many matters, simply trust their subordinates.)

In Stanley Milgram's classic experiment about people's obedience to authority, how many subjects were obedient to the point of administering shocks they had been told were lethal?

1 in 2

Identify the reasons why, according to Max Weber, the use of written language is important for the function of a modern organization.

1. A modern organization needs written rules to govern its operation. 2. A modern organization needs to maintain written records.

characteristics of an ideal bureaucracy

1. For officials, their work is their career. 2. There is a strict hierarchy of authority.

Stanley Milgram's experiment about people's obedience to authority involved a carefully orchestrated sequence of events. events in order from first to last

1. When a "learner" failed at memorization, a "teacher" was told to administer a mild electric shock 2. Successive failures by the "learner" caused the announced shock voltage to be increased 3. As the "learner" began to scream out in pain, the "teacher" typically express distress over the "learner's" welfare 4. The "learner" fell silent, giving the impression he had suffered a heart attack 5. The "teacher" was allowed to see that the "learner" was unhurt

not benefits of workplace computerization for less-skilled workers

1. greater room for creativity and flexibility 2. more opportunity for advancement

defining characteristics of organization

1. members have common purposes 2. clear distinctions between who belong and who doesn't

the benefits of workplace computerization for less-skilled workers

1. partial relief from burdens of mundane, repetitive tasks 2. easier casual interaction with co-workers and friends

social aggregation

A collection of people who happen to be together in a particular place but do not significantly interact or identify with one another.

What is the principle that Robert Michels called "the iron law of oligarchy" for bureaucratic organizations?

Any large organization inevitably becomes an oligarchy. (Efficient decision-making requires a small cadre of leaders who wield most of the power.)

The chapter opens with a discussion of Robert Champion's hazing and death at the hands of his bandmates at Florida A&M University. What sociological or psychological research or experiment best exemplifies this type of experience?

Asch's line length experiment (many people are willing to go along with the group consensus, even if they believe it is incorrect)

bonding social capital

Bonding social capital reinforces exclusive identities and homogeneous groups; it can be found in ethnic fraternal organizations, church-based Bible study groups, and elite country clubs.

bridging social capital

Bridging social capital unifies people across social cleavages, as exemplified by interfaith religious organizations or the civil rights movement, which brought blacks and whites together in the struggle for racial equality.

Why do sociologists think it is important to understand why people tend to conform to group pressure?

Conformity can be harmless, but it can also lead to destructive behavior, like bullying, drug abuse, or even murder.

out groups

Groups toward which one feels antagonism and contempt—"those people."

in groups

Groups toward which one feels particular loyalty and respect—the groups to which "we" belong.

Which sociological theorist was the first to study the innate differences between dyads and triads?

Georg Simmel (Simmel (1858-1918) is regarded by some as one of the founding figures of sociology.)

highest to lowest percentage of the workforce that is accounted for by the nonprofit sector.

Israel-> US-> Norway-> Brazil-> Thailand

59%

Nearly _____ of telecommuters say that they work longer hours because they are working at home.

social category

People who share a common characteristic (such as gender or occupation) but do not necessarily interact or identify with one another.

informal networks

Relations that exist in groups and organizations developed on the basis of personal connections; ways of doing things that depart from formally recognized modes of procedure.

formal relations

Relations that exist in groups and organizations, laid down by the norms, or rules, of the official system of authority.

decentralized

Telecommuting is an example of how large organizations have become more _____ as the more routine tasks disappear, reinforcing the tendency toward smaller, more flexible types of enterprises.

John Meyer and Brian Rowan argue that in organizations officially governed by formal rules and procedures, much of the work is usually done with minimal regard to the rules. What, then, is the role of rules in organizations, according to Meyer and Rowan?

The rules serve to legitimize the work being done.

office/rule/full-time professionals

The word bureaucracy, from words meaning "_____" and "______," refers to the governing of organizations and societies by a cadre of _____.

What do sociologists mean by "the strength of weak ties"?

Weak ties provide access to valuable information (The strength of weak ties is a focus of sociologist Mark Granovetter's work.)

2.5%/half the time

n 2014, 3.7 million people, or ______ of the workforce, worked from home at least ______.

Our opportunities to belong to and access social networks have skyrocketed in recent years due to the Internet. Place the following in order from lowest to highest percentage.

the gap between American adults in household earnings $75,000 or more a year using the internet and adults in households earning $30,000 or less a year using internet in 2015-> .....in 2000-> the percentage of American adults using the internet in 2000-> the percentage of American teens who have made new friends online-> the percentage of American adults using the internet in 2015