Sociology Chapter 5
________ are evidence that the definition of what constitutes a group is being transformed as a result of new technology and the Digital Age.
Reddit subgroups
One of the baristas at José's local coffee shop always greets him by name. She often asks how school is going and seems to care about his answer. How would we characterize José's relationship with the barista?
She is a "consequential stranger" who bridges the gap between primary and secondary groups.
What does social identity theory suggest about teamwork?
The most efficient teams are made up of members with a strong shared social identity.
How have social networking websites affected social groups?
They help people make the most of both their primary and secondary groups.
Which of the following is a quality of charismatic leaders?
They possess extraordinary personal qualities.
A twenty-eight-year-old woman is on the verge of a big promotion at work. She didn't finish college until she was twenty-five, and the entry-level job she currently has is unimpressive. She decides to attend her ten-year high school reunion only if she is promoted. What do sociologists say her high school classmates represent if they can have this much influence on her decision to attend the reunion?
a reference group
Members of a/an ________ interact with one another and think of themselves as belonging together.
group
What sort of group dynamic may have led officials at NASA to ignore warnings and launch the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after takeoff?
groupthink
Individual members of a large group often neglect their responsibilities when a task needs to be completed because it is impossible for any one person to receive credit or blame. This phenomenon is called
social loafing.
The sociologist Duncan Watts examined the way people may change their minds about whom to vote for based on the opinions of friends and acquaintances. What concept was Watts studying?
social networks
Simon Langlois studied government employment in Quebec, Canada. He found that more than 40% of the people he surveyed found their jobs through personal contacts, even though the government had made efforts to formalize recruitment. The personal contacts were fairly casual acquaintances in the majority of cases, not close friends. What principle is demonstrated here?
the strength of weak ties
Individuals always feel loyalty toward their in-group, but under what circumstances would this loyalty be particularly strong?
when the differences between the in-group and the out-group are sharply defined
In terms of job leads, men's social networks are different from those of women because
women are less likely to hear about quality job openings if their social networks are composed of more women than men.
What is the strongest type of conformity that can occur as a result of social influence or peer pressure?
internalization
Which of the following is a factor that can lead to increased group cohesion?
shared values
In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones forced more than 900 of his followers to drink poisoned Flavor Aid, which led to their deaths. In the run-up to this event, Jones had strictly enforced discipline, mocked and ridiculed anyone who expressed doubts, and even had doubters sedated. This extreme effort to enforce conformity is an example of
social influence.
