Page 183 - Essencials of Sociology

156 CHAPTER 5 Social Groups and Formal Organizations

everyone can interact directly with everyone else. As a group What are three leadership styles?
grows larger, its intensity decreases but its stability increases. Authoritarian leaders give orders, democratic leaders try
A dyad, consisting of two people, is the most unstable of human to lead by consensus, and laissez-faire leaders are highly
groups, but it provides the most intense intimate relationships. permissive. An authoritarian style appears to be more effec-
The addition of a third person, forming a triad, fundamentally tive in emergency situations, a democratic style works best
changes relationships. Triads are unstable, as coalitions (the for most situations, and a laissez-faire style is usually ineffec-
alignment of some members of a group against others) tend tive. Pp. 149–151.
to form. As groups grow larger, they develop a more formal How do groups encourage conformity?
structure. Pp. 144–148.
The Asch experiment was cited to illustrate the power of peer
What characterizes a leader?
pressure, the Milgram experiment to illustrate the influence
A leader is someone who influences others. Instrumental of authority. Both experiments demonstrate how easily we
leaders try to keep a group moving toward its goals, even can succumb to groupthink, a kind of collective tunnel
though this causes friction and they lose popularity. Expressive vision. Preventing groupthink requires the free circulation
leaders focus on creating harmony and raising group morale. of diverse and opposing ideas. Pp. 151–154.
Both types are essential to the functioning of groups. P. 149.

Thinking Critically about Chapter 5

1. Identify your in-groups and your out-groups. How have 3. Asch’s experiments illustrate the power of peer pressure.
your in-groups influenced the way you see the world? How has peer pressure operated in your life? Think about
And what influence have your out-groups had on you? something that you did not want to do but did anyway
2. You are likely to work for a bureaucracy. How do you think because of peer pressure.
this will affect your orientation to life? How can you make
the “hidden corporate culture” work to your advantage?