SOCIAL

ORGANIZATION
Module 7
 At the end of this module I can:

Describe the organized nature of social life and rules

governing behavior
Compare different social forms of social organization,
according to their manifest and latent functions.
Analyze social and political structures
Barkada is a term that most Filipinos in their youth use to refer to
a group who share the same social inclinations. The fondest
memories of one’s youth would often be of the experiences they
shared with their barkada. Every age group in every society creates
and subscribes to a social group.
 A social group consists of individuals who are united
by their similar characteristics and these characteristics
serve as the bases of their constant interaction. However,
not all individuals who share similar characteristics
interact with one another. This phenomenon is observed in
social categories. For example, your barkada may be
classified as a social group, students attending your high
school are within the context of a social category.
As you do not normally interact with them. Your
relationship with your fellow high school students will
turn to a social group once you recognize your ties with
one another as belonging to one group and you interact
with one another. Social activities organized by your
school can promote the transformation of your relations
from being distant members of a social category to
interactive members of a social group.
Another classification of human grouping is that of social
aggregate. In this, individuals gather in the same place
but are neither interacting nor sharing similar
characteristics. People gathered in a shopping mall may
be categorized in this.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
A social network consists of individuals who have dyadic
relationships that are interacting with other relationships within a
structure. Simply stated, a social network is a social structure
consisting of people who have varying degrees of relations and
interrelationships. A sociogram is a visual representation of the social
networks present in one group or more. This was developed by Jacob
Moreno, a psychotherapist, in 1951 to understand the dynamics of the
intersections of social groups. (e.g individuals, peers) within the
structure (e.g a school, a church, a village)
A sociogram depicts the interrelationships,
or the lack thereof, among the members of
this social structure. One can notice
multiple arrangements existing here such
as (1) a clique (an exclusive group that is
separate from the existing unit), (2) a
one-way choice (an individual who
relates to another individual who
does not reciprocate the affiliation)
SOCIOGRAM

and (3) an isolate (an individual who has chosen no one and is not chosen by
anyone in the structure).
 IN-GROUPS, OUT-GROUPS,
AND REFERENCE GROUPS
 When individuals congregate in groups, they create
rules, boundaries, and loyalties that delineate them from
others. This delineation is a crucial contributor to the
formation of unity and cohesion among the members.
There are three types of human social groupings, in-
groups, out-groups, and reference group.
IN-GROUPS
 An in-group is the social group in which an individual
directly affiliates and expresses loyalty to. Its three primary
characteristics reinforce the boundary that it creates between its
members and those coming from other groups. We shall take a
look at each other of the three primary characteristics of an in-
group.
1.) Members uses titles, external symbols, and dress to distinguish themselves from
the out-group (Shandra, 2007)

One of the most recent subcultural categories focused in our country is that of the jejemons. This
group is popular for their distinguishable dress code and language. Males would usually wear
rainbow-colored caps, loose shirts, and pants. In terms of language their alteration the spelling of
words has given them a form of exclusivity from those who are not part of the culture. Some phrases
such as “kumusta” and “hello po” have them transformed to “mztahhh” and “eowhsz phowsz”

Military groups can also be seen as having a very strong in-group culture. The bonds that military
personnel create with one another are enhanced by their shared ideals, practices, and experiences.
From a prescribed haircut that everyone shares, to the symbols that everybody upholds, this group is
able to detach themselves from the greater majority who are not part of their group. The rigorous
training that they had to pass and, form some, the combat experiences together also create a strong
bond between them that they do not share with those outside the military.
2.) Members apply positive stereotypes of the majority who defines what is
normal and acceptable. Those who do not conform to the prescribed norms are
considered past of the out-group. Just as deviance is often punished by ostracism
and discrimination, individuals who fail to meet the standards set by the in-group
are bound to experience being socially marginalized.

The phenomenon of individuals preferring members and behaviors practiced

within an in-group as opposed to those from the out-group is called in-group
favoritism. This is crucial in reinforcing self-esteem within the group by creating
biases that makes the in-group the “superior” over the out-group.
3.) Members tend to clash or compete with members of the out-group. This competition with
the other group can also be strengthen the unity within each group. (Shandra, 2007)

Rivalries among schools, which are highlighted during competitions in sports, quiz bees, and
rankings are a prime example of how members from an in-group tend to compete with the out-
group. School spirit is often intensified through common desire of individuals in a group to
succeed against the opposing groups.

In some cases, intergroup aggression takes place as members of the in-group harm individuals
from the out-group’s due to their undesirable traits that clash with in-group’s prescribed
norms. Bullying is an example of intergroup aggression, as members of a dominant group
inflict harm on an individual who is perceived to be an outsider. Stereotypes and prejudice are
often created by members of the in-group against those from the out-group. This is due to the
ethnocentric orientations of the members in an in-group.
OUT-GROUP/s
This is the group that an individual is not part of. Negative attributes are usually
associated with individuals who are part of this group. Individuals from an out-group
are usually considered malevolent even if they are not. Because members of the in-
group perceive themselves as divers and complex members of the out-group are
describes as a group without any differentiation. Hence, these individuals are prone
to being stereotyped and, worse, dehumanized, as members of the in-group refer to
them solely on the bases of their projected characteristics. For example, an
individual who is part of an in in-group of heterosexuals would consider those with
different gender as part of the out-group without distinguishing what types of gender
they have. In case of war, opposing groups tend to dehumanize each other, often
leading to countless deaths.
REFERENCE GROUPS
 The behavior of an individual can be shaped by the set of behavior and
beliefs of a group that such an individual considers as ideal. This ideal group is
called the reference group, which is used by an individual as a standard to measure
his or her actions. The existence of reference groups can have to effects on an
individual’s self-evaluation. When an individual receives a positive self-evaluation,
he or she experiences normative effect that being a member of the reference group
has. On the contrary, a negative self-evaluation often results from the comparison
effects that a reference group has on individuals who try to appraise their behavior
based on its prescribed norms. In this case, an individual may attempt to alter his or
her behavior to conform to the standard of the reference group.
Systems for ranking the efficiency of universities have allowed
for the creation of reference groups in the academic field. The
universities that are listed as the best among their counterparts
are held as reference point by which others attempt to restructure
their programs and objectives.
PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY
GROUPS
 Group membership has been a key element in fostering the development of the social
nature and ideals of an individual. Each individual is part of a primary group and a
secondary group from which he or she learns the culture of his or her society.

Primary groups are the direct sources of an individual’s social skills and knowledge.
The bonds that an individual forms with members of these groups extend over long periods
of time. An individual’s primary groups usually consists of family, friends, peers, classmates,
and church. Due to the connection between the individual and the members of this group,
primary relationships are formed from these social sets. As familiarity is present in these
relation forms of interaction and communication are often informal and holistic. This
implies that your relationship with your parents is not rigid and cuts across all areas of your
life. Hence, a breakfast conversation about your grades in school may turn to a discussion of
your expected roles in your home.
Small and traditional societies often promote primary relationships, as everyone
in the village tends to be interrelated by kinship, economic engagement, and
religious orientation.

Secondary groups are more formal in context as the relationship and

interactions in them are limited to a particular role that an individual plays
within the group. This may consist of relationships that are temporary and
practical such as that of a client and an agent, a researcher and an informant,
and a tenant and a landlord, to name a few. In these types of relationships
relating to the personal are often discouraged in this setting. Such detached
forms of relationships are usually observed in highly industrialized societies
where individualism is given primacy over community engagements.
SMALL GROUPS
The type and extend of human interaction depends on the size of the group that they belong in. A
large group tends to promote detachment through indirect interaction. Isolated members often
cope by creating a small groups that foster direct interaction among its members. This type of
interaction often forms exclusivity, as experiences and ideas are strictly shared within the context
of the small group. Primary relationships are created in a small group, whereas secondary
relationships are experienced in a large group.

A family is an example of a small group, and a village (barangay) is an example of a large

group. The most cohesive and directly interacting small group is called dyad, which consists of
two individuals. Such a relationship has potential for the formation of strong bonds due to the
constant interaction that the individuals have. However, it is also prone to ruin, as conflict
between two individuals can result in the dissolution of the relationship.
 A small group of three individuals is called a triad. This type of small group type has
better cohesion than a dyad because of the lesser personal connection that each individual has
from the other members in the group.

The cohesion of a group is directly related to the number of individuals. As such, members
of a small groups have more attachment with one another than in other people in a larger group
who may feel disconnected with the group in the extent of not involving even in critical
situations. For example, problems are communally addressed in a family due to the close-knit
relationship that everyone has with one another. On the contrary, problems experienced in a
village may be dealt with by selected members of the society, as others may perceive the problem
as irrelevant to them. A phenomenon of free riding can also be experienced in larger groups, as
some individuals tend to depend on others, instead of performing tasks that are originally
expected of them.
LEADERSHIP AND
CONFORMITY
 Group behavior is another topic studied in the context of social groups.
Individuals on groups are affected by the prescribed norms of the group that they
subscribe to. Conformity is the behavior of an individual that relates to following
the prescribed norms of his or her group due to pressure or influence that members
of the group have on him or her. Stricter compliance to norms can be observed in
smaller groups due to the stronger pressure to conform which is felt by the
individual. Due to the general secondary relationships that are formed within them,
larger groups are prone to have less strict compliance to social norms, resulting in a
variance of behavioral sets practiced by its members. This nonconformity in larger
groups is further enhanced by the anonymity of the members, which allows them to
view one another as strangers who are easy to disregard.
 Smaller groups tend to practice group-think, which is united acceptance and practice of
ideas that is believed as a form of group loyalty. This form of mentality is sometimes based on the
majority’s perspective to group-think are considered deviant and are pressured to conform, lest
they be punished or ostracized. As such, when group-think is strictly observed, the voice of the
minority is silenced. Sometimes, this form of solidarity becomes dangerous due to the lack of
perspective that it promotes.

Every group tends to have leaders who exercise authority over its members. There are the
tpyes of leaders in a small group, expressive and instrumental. The difference between the two
lies in the motivation for leadership. An expressive leader is motivated by the relationships that he
or she has with the members of the group. This leader employs a cooperative style of
management, wherein the opinions of the members are accounted for as the main goal of group it
to maintain its cohesion.
 Instrumental leaders implements a directive style of management, wherein
members of the group are directed to perform tasks that lead to the achievement of
the group goal. This type of leader is achievement motivated, which makes the
purpose of the group and the individuals defines by the goals they have set. Unlike
under the leadership of an expressive leader, unity is often a threatened concept
under the leadership of an instrumental leader. This threat is due to the conflicts that
are usually formed in the pursuit of achieving a goal. An instrumental leader may
experience resentment from members of his or her group, which may not be
experienced by an expressive leader.
SOCIAL
GROUPS
 Organizations are created by individuals to foster a more direct relationship in secondary
group setting. When a secondary group is directed by its goals, it is referred as a formal organization.
This would include groups such as political parties, and academic and professional organizations.
These types of organization are driven by their goals that define their programs and activities. Within
these formal organizations are informal organizations that are characterized by the informal
relationship between members, Hence, a professional organization such as a medical practitioners
association can be considered a formal organization because the ties that the members have in general
are defined by the objectives of the organizations whereas a subgroup created through camaraderie
among colleagues can be called an informal organization. In most cases, informal organizations cater
to the personal needs of individuals as opposed to the structure-oriented formal organizations.

Every organization is defined by its objectives that may be for the betterment of the society in
general or to address certain group issues. It can then be said to the existence of organizations is
attributable to the goals that are set before them. To achieve these, organizations use rational
planning. This process implies identification of tasks, roles, implementation programs, and general
policies. This provides organizations a businesslike nature.
ORGANTRATIONAL MODELS
Studying organizations require conceptual models that
provide definitions and characterizations of human groups. In
sociology, two of the most prominent models are the bureaucratic
organization and the collectivist organization.
Bureaucratic Organizational Model
This model is lifted from Max Weber’s Concept of modern Western society. He claimed
that due to the plurality of cultures and the development of technology, modern Western societies
are required to create formal organization that are bureaucratic in nature. These types of
organizations operate within the frame of written rules and regulations that allow for a more
efficient implementation of organizational objectives. Due to the rigid predispositions in
achieving its goals, authority figures are set in hierarchy. These individuals are known as
bureaucrats. Power is strictly relegated to bureaucrats and not on individuals. Hence, although an
individual holds power in bureaucratic office, that power is vested on him or her with regard to
the office that he or she holds. Upon the dissolution of that bureaucratic office, power shall be
removed from an individual.
 Task specialization is also implemented in this type of organization, allowing
individuals to operate within their capacity. These characteristics create an
impersonal relationship among the members of the organization. Nevertheless,
informal relationships are often formed within the bureaucracy as an adaptive
response of alienated individuals.

The problem with this organization model is that it is too determinate in its
understanding of organizations. It failed to account for human agency,
environmental shifts, and other factors that a rigidly structured organization may not
be able to address.
COLLECTIVIST ORGANIZATION MODEL
This organizational model responded to the issues that confronted the bureaucratic
model. Based on Karl Marx’s theory on the evolution of society, this model predicts the
demise of bureaucratic organizations within a shift from a class-based to a classless
society. In this new order, the hierarchy created in bureaucratic society is erased to the
extent that the supervisors and workers are collectively and harmoniously functioning
toward the achievement of the organization’s goals. Equality is a common theme in this
model.

The critique to this perspective is in its utopic orientation about the hierarchy of
individuals. Humans are bound to create social, economic, and political hierarchies when
in a group as one individual succeeds over the other, given the variation in theirs skills and
the requirements of the environment.
BYE.