GROUPS

1
GROUPS

• A Positive Product of Stratification

2
EVIDENCE OF GROUPS THAT EMERGE FROM STRATIFICATION

• Some Organizations and Forces of Agency Dependent
  on Class (Economics)
• Other Organizations and Agency Forces Reliant on
  Status (Social Usefulness)

3
EARLY RECOGNITION OF IMPORTANCE OF GROUPS

• Alexis de Tocqueville "Americans of all ages,
  all stations in life, and all types of
  disposition are forever forming associations.
  There are not only commercial and industrial
  associations in which all take part, but others
  of a thousand different types -- religious,
  moral, serious, futile, very general and very
  limited, immensely large, and very minute .
  Nothing in my view deserves more attention than
  the intellectual and moral associations in
  America."

4
Contemporary Interpretation of deToquevilles
Perspective

• Measurable relationships between groups and
  quality of public life and performance of social
  institutions
• Education
• Unemployment and Poverty
• Crime
• Drug Abuse
• Social/Physical Health

5
TYPES OF GROUPS

• CLUBS
• TEAMS
• FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS
• RELIGIOUS GROUPS
• SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

6
PRODUCT OF GROUP STRUCTURES

• CIVIL SOCIETY
• The totality of voluntary civic and social
  organizations and institutions that form the
  basis of a functioning society as opposed to the
  force-backed structures of a state (regardless of
  that state's political system). Civil socieities
  are populated by organizations such as registered
  charities, development non-governmental
  organization, community groups, womens
  organizations, faith-based organizations,
  professional associations, trade unions,
  self-help groups, social movements, business
  associations, coalitions and advocacy groups.
• And

7

• SOCIAL CAPITAL
• Features of social capital include organizations
  such as networks, norms and social trust that
  facilitate coordination and cooperation for
  mutual benefit.

8
PROBLEM MEASURABLE DECLINE IN GROUPS

• PRIMARY GROUPS DECLINE IN MEMBERSHIP BY AVG 25
  IN PAST 25 YEARS
• EMERGING IN THEIR PLACE TERTIARY GROUPS