Sociology of Groups - Abstracts

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The Sociology of Groups and the Economics of Incentives: Theory and Evidence on Compensation Systems
William E. Encinosa III, Martin Gaynor, James B. Rebitzer
Abstract - This paper incorporates the sociological concept of group norms' into an economic analysis of pay systems. We use a behavioral microeconomic model and a unique survey of medical groups to examine the theoretical and empirical relationship between group norms and incentive pay. Our findings suggest that, at least for medical groups, norms are binding constraints in the choice of pay practices. While group norms matter, the patterns in the data suggest that they are not all that matters. Analysis of the preferences and activities of individual physicians indicate that factors highlighted by the economic theory of agency, notably income insurance and multi-task considerations, also shape pay policies. The conclusion we draw from these results is that the sociological concept of group norms augments rather than replaces more conventional economic analyses of pay practices. - ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/5953.html

Where the Action Is
Small Groups and Recent Developments in Sociological Theory
Brooke Harrington, Brown University, Providence, RI, Brooke_Harrington@brown.edu
Gary Alan Fine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Although small group research has been marginalized within sociology during the past decades, the authors argue that a focus on interaction arenas can contribute to a more complete analysis of social life. Specifically, the authors examine three central domains of sociological analysis—culture, organizations, and the economy—to demonstrate how a focus on the mesolevel of analysis allows for a merging of macrosociology and microsociology. The authors draw on the perspective of sociological miniaturism to provide a model for cross-level research.

Status Groups and Collective Action
Barry Barnes,  Sociology, Vol. 26, No. 2, 259-270 (1992)
Max Weber's description of how status groups monopolise goods and opportunities is now widely used by sociological theory to understand the economic and political relationships between groups. However, it is rarely recognised that a problem of collective action must be solved if a status group is to operate in this way, that it is individually irrational for members of the group to support its monopolistic activities even if they profit from them. Once the collective action problem is recognised, it is immediately apparent that Weber's own account of the definitive features of a status group identifies precisely the means by which the problem is solved. Weber on the operation of status groups and Weber on their nature may then be fused into a single coherent and comprehensive account, an account of profound and far-reaching theoretical interest.

“Groups” and “Cultures” as Problems: A New Sociology of Knowledge
Author: Calhoun C.
Source: International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, Volume 11, Number 2, 1997 , pp. 361-365(5) Publisher: Springer

Short Note: The Sociology of Professional Groups
New Directions, Current Sociology, Vol. 54, No. 1, 133-143 (2006) DOI: 10.1177/0011392106057161
Julia Evetts, University of Nottingham
This article is not a critique of the Sciulli article (2005) but, instead, indicates some current and contemporary research questions about professionalism considered to be important to researchers in the field from North America, Europe and worldwide. The article begins by offering an alternative, more pragmatic, view of the definitional question and argues that most researchers have accepted definitional uncertainty and moved on. Current research questions include a reappraisal and reassessment of professionalism as a normative value – and a move away from market closure as the dominant paradigm. In addition, there are new directions in the analysis that focus on the discourse of professionalism as a mechanism for the control of work and workers.

Coase Revisited: Business Groups in the Modern Economy
MARK GRANOVETTER
(Department of Sociology, Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208–1330, USA)
Abstract: Ronald Coase's celebrated query as to why economic actors typically aggregate into entities called ‘firms’ rather than transacting as individuals in a market has engendered a vigorous stream of research. This paper asks a parallel question: why is it that in all modern economies, firms themselves aggregate into larger entities, often more stable than any literature predicts, which are here referred to as ‘business groups’? After establishing some working definitions, and discussing the curious conjunction of empirical importance and analytical invisibility of business groups, an attempt is made to establish the most significant dimensions along which such groups vary. We end with some speculations on the role of these groups in economic development.

Why So Social an Animal? - The Functions of Groups
Donelson R. Forsyth - Virginia Commonwealth University
Man is by nature a social animal, and an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something in nature that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god. . . . . . . . . . . . . Aristotle, 384-322 B.C. - http://www.has.vcu.edu/psy/faculty/fors/function.html

The Utility of Interdependence
Aristotle proclaimed that humans are social animals by nature. We seek solitude from time to time, but we spend much of our lives in the company of other people. In most situations and societies, humans tend toward sociality rather than isolation. Studies indicate that human infants seem to be predisposed to form strong attachments to others and babies who are deprived of close human contact have higher mortality rates. Even in adults, protracted periods of social isolation can be extremely disabling and we prefer the company of others when we feel threatened or distressed. People spend between 20% and 60% of their waking hours in the company of other people.
What prompts us to join together with other members of our species? A number of studies highlight the basic utility of groups: in groups individuals can secure advantages and avoid disadvantages that would plague the lone individual. Groups are supremely useful for their members, for they fulfill our most basic needs. Our studies of the utility of groups have focused on three basic areas: group membership and self-esteem, collective identity, and the overall functions of groups. - http://www.has.vcu.edu/psy/faculty/fors/rgroup.html

Sociology studies human social interaction and the structure of groups. Sociologists examine systematically the ways people behave and arrange themselves in groups, and why they behave and organize the ways they do. Introduction to Sociology is an entry-level course that examines the basic concepts, theories, applications, and issues of the field of sociology. Using an applied sociology approach, various theories of sociology are used to explain particular social human behavior in practical social settings. You should learn how sociology theory is used to explain a variety of social behaviors, and will understand another perspective with which to examine common social phenomena. You should learn about this discipline from an academic standpoint as well as from the practical perspective that you can use throughout your career.
As a background to Introduction of Sociology, you are aware that people normally form groups where they interact with each other, and those groups have some social organization which sociologists call social structure. People act differently when they are in a group than when they are alone, so the group behavior is unique. That behavior is also repetitive - people from the same background tend to do the same thing in the same situation. We tend to take the behavior and structure for granted, since we are part of the group, but our perspective is clouded by what we have been taught to believe. By systematically observing and analyzing both the group interactions and the group structures, sociologists can describe, explain, and interpret the group behavior patterns, and explain the influences of the social structure on that behavior. Professor Daddio SOCI 001-05 Introduction to Sociology.

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

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