group dynamics
1. Studying Group Attitudes and Behaviors
Sociologists study interactions within groups, and between both groups and individuals.
1. Studying Group Attitudes and Behaviors
Sociologists study interactions within groups, and between both groups and individuals.
A social group has been defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity. Groups can be categorized according to size.
Individual behavior has been shown to be influenced by the presence of others. For example, an individual’s performance at work or the individual’s decision-making processes (as in the term "groupthink").
Dyads and triads are the smallest social groups. Social interaction in a dyad is typically more intense because neither member shares the other's attention with anyone else. A triad is more stable because one member can act as a mediator if the relationship between the other two become strained.
As an organization or community grows in size it is apt to experience changes in the way it operates. As the size of a group increases, the need for more organization or leadership also becomes more obvious.
German sociologist Georg Simmel argued that as the group becomes greater, the individual becomes separated and grows more alone, isolated and segmented. Simmel's view was somewhat ambiguous with respect to group size's affect on the individual.
Terms
dyad
A pair of things standing in particular relation; dyadic relation. social group
A collection of humans or animals that share certain characteristics, interact with one another, accept expectations and obligations as members of the group, and share a common identity. impersonal Lacking warmth or emotion; cold. triad a group of three people
Examples
Imagine your nuclear family as an example of a small, cohesive group. All members are invested in one another and remain committed to achieving the group's goals. On the other hand, a country is an
Sociologists study interactions within groups, and between both groups and individuals.
1. Studying Group Attitudes and Behaviors
Sociologists study interactions within groups, and between both groups and individuals.
A social group has been defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity. Groups can be categorized according to size.
Individual behavior has been shown to be influenced by the presence of others. For example, an individual’s performance at work or the individual’s decision-making processes (as in the term "groupthink").
Dyads and triads are the smallest social groups. Social interaction in a dyad is typically more intense because neither member shares the other's attention with anyone else. A triad is more stable because one member can act as a mediator if the relationship between the other two become strained.
As an organization or community grows in size it is apt to experience changes in the way it operates. As the size of a group increases, the need for more organization or leadership also becomes more obvious.
German sociologist Georg Simmel argued that as the group becomes greater, the individual becomes separated and grows more alone, isolated and segmented. Simmel's view was somewhat ambiguous with respect to group size's affect on the individual.
Terms
dyad
A pair of things standing in particular relation; dyadic relation. social group
A collection of humans or animals that share certain characteristics, interact with one another, accept expectations and obligations as members of the group, and share a common identity. impersonal Lacking warmth or emotion; cold. triad a group of three people
Examples
Imagine your nuclear family as an example of a small, cohesive group. All members are invested in one another and remain committed to achieving the group's goals. On the other hand, a country is an