Page 224 - Sociology and You

194 Unit 2 Culture and Social Structures
World View
North America
South America
World View
Military Might
In preindustrial societies, military groups are loosely organized and informal in nature. They are com- posed of group members who live nonmilitary lives except during defense emergencies. In industrial so- cieties, bureaucratic principles are applied to military organizations.
Europe
Military Personnel (per thousand population)
20 or more 15–19.9 10–14.9 5–9.9
Less than 5 No data
Africa
Asia
Australia
Interpreting the Map
Does this map show a relationship between the type of political leadership and the extent of citi- zen participation in the military? If so, describe this relationship.
Adapted from Atlas of the World Today. New York: Harper & Row.
Do bureaucracies undervalue people? As strange as it might sound, bureaucracy is designed to protect individuals. People often complain about the rules, procedures, and impersonal treatment that characterize bureau- cracy. Without them, though, decision making would be arbitrary and with- out reason. It might sound great, for example, to abolish final exams, but then grading would not be objective. For example, a teacher might give higher grades to males. This is not to say that favoritism never occurs in bu- reaucratic organizations. Nevertheless, the presence of rules guarantees at least a measure of equal treatment.
Informal Structure within Organizations
Bureaucracies are designed to act as secondary groups. As anyone who has worked in a bureaucratic organization knows, though, there are primary relationships as well. Primary relationships emerge as part of the informal organization—groups within a formal organization in which personal rela-
informal organization
groups within a formal organization in which personal relationships are guided by norms, rituals, and sentiments that are not part of the formal organization