Chapter 5: Groups and

Networks Dyad , Triad and Network Complexity

Social Groups

Social groups form the building blocks for society and for most social interaction.

The sociologist Georg Simmel argued that the key element in determining the form of social relations in a group is the size the size of the groupof the group..

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George Simmel argued that without knowing about George Simmel argued that without knowing about individuals as personalities, individuals as personalities, we can make we can make

predictions about the way people are going to predictions about the way people are going to behave solely on the number of people in that group.behave solely on the number of people in that group.

Social Groups Simmel emphasized, in particular, the

differences between social relations in a dyad dyad (group of two) and a triad triad (group of three or more).

DyadDyad is the most intimate form of social life because the two members are mutually dependent on each other – if one member leaves the group, the group ceases to exist.

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Properties of Dyads• Most intimate• Continued existence depends of the willingness to

participate• Membership is voluntary• Doesn’t need to be concerned about a third party• Symmetry must be maintained

• Even if power is unequal• Servant master relationship is an example

Properties of triads

The group itself hold the power – it will go on even without you.

Secrets can exist

Politics exists – influencing people on a group level.

The Politics of Social Groups When a third person joins a dyad, that person

can fill the role of: mediatormediator – the conflict resolver. tertius gaudens tertius gaudens — “the third that rejoices” the

person who profits from disagreement from the others.

divide et impera divide et impera (“divide and conquer”) — the individual who purposefully breaks up the other two.

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Social GroupsWhat problems might you

expect? As group size increases, the number of possible relationships increase — in a group of three, three possible relationships exist, but in a group of four, six possible relationships exist.

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Groups

Small groups: Face-to-face interactions Unifocal – there is one center of attention at a time Lack of formal roles

Party Face to face but multifocal Potential for some formality

Large Group Formal structure and status differentiation Besides size, Physical space, pre-existing social

relationships, context

Group types

Primary Groups Primary Groups – socialization groups with limited member and face to face interactions.

Secondary Group Secondary Group – impersonal, affiliation is conditional and instrumental as often a means to an end.

In- group versus out-group In- group versus out-group – relative power helps define normal versus abnormal thoughts or behaviors

Reference groupsReference groups: relative concept for comparison e.g. sports facilities for athletic teams of neighboring universities.

Social Groups and Conformity

The Asch Test is an experiment developed in the 1940s that shows how much people are influenced by the actions or norms of a group.

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From Groups to Networks A social network A social network is a set of relations — a set of

dyads — held together by ties between individuals.

A tie A tie is a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network, while a narrative is the sum of the stories contained in a series of ties.

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What networks are you a part of on

campus?

Explain your ties?

From Groups to Networks

Embeddedness refers to the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network.

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The more embedded a tie is, the stronger it is.

In other words, the more indirect paths you make to another person, the stronger the relationship will be.

Mark Granovetter developed the concept of the strength of weak tiesstrength of weak ties to explain that relatively weak ties can actually be quite valuable because they are more

likely to provide new opportunities than a strongly embedded tie.

Organizations An organization is any social network that is defined by a

common purpose and has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world.

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Organizations Organizational culture refers to the shared beliefs

and behaviors within a social group.

Organizational structure refers to the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization.

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Organizations Institutional isomorphism Institutional isomorphism refers to a constraining

process that forces one organization to resemble other organizations that face the same set of environmental conditions.

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Organizational Structure and

Culture

“A Power Elite”http://theyrule.net/

Interlocking Directorates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorqPUYu_SE&feature=related Feminist Perspective

Interview, Duncan Watts

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Duncan Watts describes his research on the small world phenomenon.

From Groups to Networkshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFK1bpQwHF4

Six Degrees of Separationhttp://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?

action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=18417083&m=18417060

Small World Exercise

Write down five friends or acquaintances who are also students at the college.

Share lists with two people sitting next to them. Are there any common names on the three lists?

Is it a “small world, after all”?

How technology has changed the size of your social networks?

From Groups to Networks

A structural hole is a gap between network clusters (or even between two people) that would benefit from having the gap closed.

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Facebook: The Entire Web Will Be Social

By Liz Gannes Apr. 21, 2010  Social plugins are little

widgets that bring Facebook to the rest of the web. They offer “instant personalization”

Creates a persistent relationship with you around that content. Sites give Facebook semantic information around the thing you liked — for instance, the title, type, genre and city for a band you like on Pandora.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLFce5uZ3I

Social Capital Strength of Weak Ties

Social capital is a sociological concept which refers to the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to achieve positive outcomes. The term refers to the value one can get from their

social ties.

Weak ties may produce the most opportunity!

Structural Holes on the Net

diminishing the power of the

middle manA Personal Account

Social Media and EmploymentDigital Communications Can Get You A Job!

Research is showing that the majority of recruiters are using social media to source candidates.

~The Conversation ~  blogging, commenting or contributing - the currency of social networking.

And can cost you a job!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddZWkhItPuI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyFaWoiL6Cc

Organizations An organization is any social network that is defined by a

common purpose and has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world.

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Organizations Organizational culture refers to the shared beliefs

and behaviors within a social group.

Organizational structure refers to the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization.

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Organizations Institutional isomorphism Institutional isomorphism refers to a constraining

process that forces one organization to resemble other organizations that face the same set of environmental conditions.

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Organizational Structure and

Culture

“A Power Elite”http://theyrule.net/

Interlocking Directorates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorqPUYu_SE&feature=related Feminist Perspective

In the past….

With Web2.0…

The Pitfalls of the Digital World

Communication gone wrong.*

*Although the following is a comedic exaggeration, employers and recruiters are recruiters are using technology to make hiring decisions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0H5sn1CkAc&feature=related

Great Opportunities to Further Your Career Great Opportunities to Further Your Career 

Through Social ConnectednessThrough Social Connectedness

Now WEB 2.0 offers the ability to Now WEB 2.0 offers the ability to talk outside the usual channelstalk outside the usual channels

1. Personal Publishing (blogs)

2. Easy to create and edit websites (wikis)

3. Publish and share photos, video (Flickr, YouTube)

4. Lots of ways to share and collaborate

PRIVACY CONCERNSPRIVACY CONCERNS

From embarrassing photos to drunken texts, Facebook users are notorious for sharing too Facebook users are notorious for sharing too

much information. much information.

Will that off-hand comment or picture affect your job chances?

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/tech/Facebook-on-Location-with-McDonalds-93255279.html#ixzz0nWsYglsj

“The reality is that nothing on Facebook is really confidential.

Facebook is founded on a radical social premise -- that an

inevitable enveloping transparency will overtake modern life."

The Machine is US/ing UsThe Machine is US/ing Ushttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

dana boyd - Researcher at Microsoft Research New England and a Fellow at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

BoydBoyd’’s Law:s Law:“Adding more users to a social network (site) 

increases the provability that it will put you in a awkward circumstance.”

Where and how you give up your privacyWhere and how you give up your privacy

(anyone can badmouth you with the world and you may be

helpless to stop it)1. Messaging and online communication

2. Photo and video sharing sites

3. Giving reviews and opinions

4. Social bookmarking and tagging

5. Communities and groups

6. Virtual worlds and gaming

7. Collaboration and sharing