Sociologyindex

Books On Sociology Of Groups

Sociology Books 2008

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Social Groups in Action and Interaction (November, 2003)
by Charles Stangor
The goal of Social Groups in Action and Interaction is to review and analyze the human group as it operates to create both social good and, potentially, social harm. The book provides relatively equal emphasis on topics traditionally considered from an intra-group perspective (for instance, conformity, minority influence, group decision-making, leadership, and task performance) as well as topics derived from an inter-group perspective (e.g. social categorization, social identity, intergroup conflict, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination). In addition, topics that are not unique to either of these two approaches, and yet which are important aspects of group relations, such as culture, crowd behavior, social representations, and negotiation are also covered.

Intellectual Property

Medical Tourism

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From Prejudice to Intergroup Emotions: Differentiated Reactions to Social Groups (June, 2004)
by Diane M. Mackie, Eliot Smith
These chapters reflect a theoretical shift from an earlier emphasis on knowledge about ingroups and outgroups to a new perspective on prejudice in which socially-grounded emotional differentiation becomes a basis for social regulation.

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Making Societies : The Historical Construction of Our World (Sociology for a New Century Series)
by William G. Roy
The only book written for undergraduates about the social construction of reality that is also historical and comparative. In addition, it includes chapters on the social construction of time and space, as well as the more traditional chapters on race, class, and gender.
- This book shows how these social constructions of time, space, race, gender and class intersect with each other to produce particular social phenomena that are enduring and significant for our society. No other book for undergraduate teaching has ever done this … this is a real first!
"If the goal of this series is to broaden the students'' vision, no book is more ambitious toward attaining that goal than Making Societies. Roy helps students question the most ''natural'' of categories: time, space, gender, race, and class. Leading them through examples drawn from around the world, he shows how these categories are social constructions; historically formed, ideologically loaded, and subject to change. This may be profoundly unsettling, for students will be encouraged to question not only what they know but also the conceptual frameworks they use when they claim to understand anything. As Series Editors, it is our belief that this provocation will open new ways of thinking about the social world, how it is, and how it might be."
--Wendy Griswold, Series Editor, Northwestern University, from the foreword
"I love the organizing concept of the social construction of reality and using a cross-cultural historical comparative approach to analyzing key themes: space, time, race, gender, and class. I particularly like the focus on space and time first because it illustrates how deeply embedded the social construction of reality is."
--Joanne Defiore, University of Washington, Bothel
"The book is intellectually strong; it is driven by ideas and engages important processes of social life."
-- Lisa Brush, University of Pittsburgh

 

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Stereotypes as Explanations : The Formation of Meaningful Beliefs about Social Groups (August 8, 2002)
Craig McGarty, Vincent Y. Yzerbyt, Russell Spears (Editors)
Stereotyping is one of the most important issues in social psychology, but relatively little is known about how and why stereotypes form. This book explores the process of stereotype formation; the way people develop impressions and view social groups. Conventional approaches to stereotyping assume that stereotypes are based on erroneous and distorted processes, but the authors of this unique study have a very different view. They propose that stereotypes form to explain aspects of social groups and; in particular; to explain relationships between groups.
Stereotyping is one of the biggest single issues in social psychology, but relatively little is known about how and why stereotypes form. Stereotypes as Explanations is the first book to explore the process of stereotype formation, the way that people develop impressions and views of social groups. Conventional approaches to stereotyping assume that stereotypes are based on erroneous and distorted processes, but the authors of this book take a very different view, namely that stereotypes form in order to explain aspects of social groups and in particular to explain relationships between groups. In developing this view, the authors explore classic and contemporary approaches to stereotype formation and advance new ideas about such topics as the importance of category formation, essentialism, illusory correlation, interdependence, social reality and stereotype consensus. They conclude that stereotypes are indeed explanations, but they are nevertheless highly selective, variable and frequently contested explanations.

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Groups, Teams, and Social Interaction: Theories and Applications by A. Paul Hare
An examination of Hare's findings about groups, teams, and social interaction, this book shows how these findings can be placed in the context of several theories, and discusses some applications that can be constructed for the analysis of various kinds of social situations. Part I brings together the literature on small workgroups from laboratory studies by social psychologists and practitioners in organizational development. Part II presents four theories of social interaction with examples of applications: functional, dramaturgical, exchange, and SYMLOG. The final chapter brings together features of these theories in a category system for the observation of groups.
A. PAUL HARE is Professor of Sociology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

Stereotypes as Explanations : The Formation of Meaningful Beliefs about Social Groups

Social Groups in Action and Interaction

Groups Teams and Social Interaction: Theories and Applications

Making Societies : The Historical Construction of Our World

From Prejudice to Intergroup Emotions: Differentiated Reactions to Social Groups