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CHAPTER 5 Summary and Review

Groups within Society produce alienation among workers—the feeling that no one
cares about them and that they do not really fit in. Marx’s view
of alienation is somewhat different—workers do not identify
Discuss the main characteristics of primary groups,
with the product of their labor because they participate in only
5.1
secondary groups, in-groups and out-groups, reference groups, and
a small part of the production process. Pp. 141–142.
social networks.
How do sociologists classify groups? Working for the Corporation
Sociologists divide groups into primary groups, secondary
groups, in-groups, out-groups, reference groups, and net- Discuss humanizing the work setting, fads in corporate
5.3
works. The cooperative, intimate, long-term, face-to-face culture, the “hidden” corporate culture, and worker diversity.
relationships provided by primary groups are fundamental
to our sense of self. Secondary groups are larger, relatively How does the corporate culture affect workers?
temporary, and more anonymous, formal, and impersonal Within corporate culture are values and stereotypes that are
than primary groups. In-groups provide members with a not readily visible. Often, self-fulfilling stereotypes are at
strong sense of identity and belonging. Out-groups also fos- work: People who match a corporation’s hidden corporate
ter identity by showing in-group members what they are not. culture tend to be put on career tracks that enhance their
Reference groups are groups whose standards we refer to as chance of success, while those who do not match those
we evaluate ourselves. Social networks consist of social ties values are set on a course that minimizes their performance.
that link people together. Pp. 129–136. Pp. 142–144.
What is “the iron law of oligarchy”?
Sociologist Robert Michels noted that formal organizations Technology and the Control of
have a tendency to become controlled by an inner circle that Workers
limits leadership to its own members. The dominance of a
formal organization by an elite that keeps itself in power is
called the iron law of oligarchy. Pp. 132–133. 5.4 Summarize major issues in the technological control of
workers. Explain how global competition is affecting corporations.
Bureaucracies What is the maximum security society?
Computers and surveillance devices are increasingly used to
monitor people, especially in the workplace. This intrusive
Summarize the characteristics of bureaucracies, their
5.2
technology is being extended to monitoring our everyday
dysfunctions, and goal displacement; also contrast ideal and real
lives. P. 144.
bureaucracy.
What are bureaucracies? Group Dynamics
Bureaucracies are social groups characterized by a hierarchy,
division of labor, written rules and communications, and im-
personality and replaceability of positions. These characteris- 5.5 Be familiar with the effects of group size on stability,
tics make bureaucracies efficient and enduring. Pp. 136–141. intimacy, attitudes, and behavior; types and styles of leaders; the
Asch experiment on peer pressure; the Milgram experiment on
What dysfunctions are associated with
bureaucracies? authority; and the implications of groupthink.
The dysfunctions of bureaucracies include alienation, red tape, How does a group’s size affect its dynamics?
lack of communication between units, and goal displacement. The term group dynamics refers to how individuals affect
In Weber’s view, the impersonality of bureaucracies tends to groups and how groups influence individuals. In a small group,