This document discusses social groups and networks. It begins by defining dyads as groups of two and triads as groups of three or more. George Simmel argued that group size affects how people behave in that group. Dyads are the most intimate as they rely on each other, while triads can have politics as a third person is added. As group size increases, the number of relationships increases which can lead to problems. Networks are sets of relationships between individuals. Strong ties within a social network come from indirect connections, while weak ties provide new opportunities. Organizations are social networks with common purposes that distinguish members from non-members. Organizational culture and structure influence member behaviors and authority. The document concludes

1. Chapter 5:
Groups and Networks
 Dyad , Triad and Network Complexity

2. 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 of the groupthe size of the group..
2

3. George Simmel argued that without knowing aboutGeorge Simmel argued that without knowing about
individuals as personalities,individuals as personalities, we can makewe can make
predictions about the way people are going topredictions 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.

4. Social Groups
 Simmel emphasized, in particular, the differences
between social relations in a dyaddyad (group of two) and
a triadtriad (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.
4

5. 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

6. 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.

7. The Politics of Social Groups
 When a third person joins a dyad, that person can
fill the role of:
 mediatormediator – the conflict resolver.
 tertius gaudenstertius gaudens — “the third that rejoices” the person
who profits from disagreement from the others.
 divide et imperadivide et impera (“divide and conquer”) — the
individual who purposefully breaks up the other two.
7

8. Social Groups
What 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.
8

9. 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

10. Group types
 Primary GroupsPrimary Groups – socialization groups with limited
member and face to face interactions.
 Secondary GroupSecondary Group – impersonal, affiliation is conditional
and instrumental as often a means to an end.
 In- group versus out-groupIn- 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.

11. 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.
11

12. From Groups to Networks
 A social networkA social network is a set of relations — a set of dyads — held
together by ties between individuals.
 A tieA 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.
12

13. What networks are you a
part of on campus?
Explain your ties?

14. From Groups to Networks
 Embeddedness refers to the degree to
which ties are reinforced through indirect
paths within a social network.
14

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.
17

18. 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.
18

19. Organizations
 Institutional isomorphismInstitutional isomorphism refers to a constraining process that forces
one organization to resemble other organizations that face the same
set of environmental conditions.
19

20. Organizational Structure and Culture
“A Power Elite”
http://theyrule.net/
Interlocking Directorates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorqPUYu_SE&feature=related
Feminist Perspective

21. Interview, Duncan Watts
21
Duncan Watts describes his research
on the small world phenomenon.
From Groups to
Networkshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFK1bpQwHF4

22. Six Degrees of Separation
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?
action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=18417083&m=18417060

23. 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?

24. 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.
24

25. 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.

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

27. 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!

28. Structural Holes on the Net
diminishing the power of the middle man
A Personal Account

29. Social Media and Employment
Digital Communications Can Get You A Job!
Research is showing that the majority of recruiters are using social media to
source candidates.

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

38. And can cost you a job!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddZWkhItPuI&feature=related

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

41. 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.
41

42. 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.
42

43. Organizations
 Institutional isomorphismInstitutional isomorphism refers to a constraining process that forces
one organization to resemble other organizations that face the same
set of environmental conditions.
43

44. Organizational Structure and Culture
“A Power Elite”
http://theyrule.net/
Interlocking Directorates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xorqPUYu_SE&feature=related
Feminist Perspective

47. In the past….

48. With Web2.0…

54. 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

55. Great Opportunities to Further Your CareerGreat Opportunities to Further Your Career
Through Social ConnectednessThrough Social Connectedness
Now WEB 2.0 offers the ability toNow 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

57. PRIVACY CONCERNSPRIVACY CONCERNS

58. From embarrassing photos to drunken texts,
Facebook users are notorious for sharing too muchFacebook users are notorious for sharing too much
information.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

59. “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."

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

61. 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.”

62. Where and how you give up yourWhere and how you give up your
privacyprivacy
(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