lesson 5: how society is organized

• society - a social system that is composed of people assigned to perform definite tasks and functions in a social system called social institution.
• Aggregate - unstructured group of people found in one place but do not interact with each other (important characteristic is common physical location)
• Social category - an agglomeration where members possess common identifying characteristics but do not interact socially.
• Collective - crowds, masses, public and social movements are temporary groups; these are clusters of people interacting with each other, but the interaction is temporary or short-lived
• Social Group - a collection of individuals who have relations with one another that make them interdependent to some significant degree.
• • Interdependence - necessary condition that exists within social groups because it is what enables its members to pursue shared goals or promote common values and principles.
• self categorization theory - relevant approach in understanding the characteristics of social groups. Proposes that people's appreciation of their group membership is influenced by their perception towards people who are not members of their group.
• Groups - smaller units that compose society. A unit of interacting personalities with an interdependence of roles and statuses existing between members. Responsible for the development and advancement of cultures, economics, politics, and other aspects of human civilization
• Primary group - small, intimate, and less specialized group whose members engage in face to face and emotion-based interactions over an extended period of time. It is within these groups that an individual establishes and defines his or her identity, values, ideals, and aspirations. Examples: family, close friends, work-related peers, classmates and church groups.
• Secondary group - larger and less intimate, and more specialized groups where members engage in an impersonal and objective- oriented relationship for a limited time. Professional relationships between lawyers and clients, and a corporation that has hundreds of employees are examples of secondary group.
• In-groups - a group to which one belongs, and with which one feels a sense of identity.
• out-group - A group one does not belong and they may feel a sense of competitiveness or hostility.
• reference groups - A social group that serves as a point of reference in making evaluations and decisions individual compares himself or herself. Example of reference group include an individual's primary group (family, work colleagues, etc.) or his or her in-groups (church, fellow club members, neighbors in the community, etc.)
• • Peer group - group with members of the same age, social status, and interests. People are equal in terms of power when they interact with peers.
• • Clique - group that have the same interests & commonly found in a High School/College setting; most of the time they have a name & rules for themselves.
• • Club - group that usually requires one to apply to become a member. May be dedicated to particular activities: sporting clubs.
• • Cabal  - group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views or interests in a church, state, or other community.
• • Household - lives in the same home. Anglophone culture may include various models of household, including the family, blended families, share housing, and group homes.
• • Community - group of people with a commonalities, often but not always in proximity with one another with some degree of continuity over time.
• • Gang - urban group that gathers in a particular area, often hanging around each other. They can be like clubs, but much less formal. They are usually known to cause social unrest and have negative influence on the members; may be a target of law enforcers in case of any social vices
• • Mob - group of people that has taken the law into their own hands; groups which gather temporarily for a particular reason.
• • Posse - originally found in English common law. It is generally obsolete, and survives only in America, where it is the law enforcement equivalent of summoning the militia for military purposes. Can also refer to a street group.
• • Squad - small group around 3-15 people, who work as a team to accomplish their goals.
• • Dyad - social group with two members. Social interaction in a dyad is more intense than in larger groups because neither member shares the other's attention with anyone else.
• • Triad - social group with three members. A triad is more stable than a dyad because one member can act as a mediator if the relationship between the other two be strained.
• • Team - similar to a squad, though a team may contain many more members.
• Networks - structure of relationships between social actors or the larger social institutions to which they all belong to. In the age of the Internet, a good example of networks are social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.