Exam 7: Class and Stratification in the United States

A college president need not be effective in designing promotional brochures. A corporate executive need not be able to program the department's computer system. These examples illustrate ____________ in a bureaucratic organization.

Weber's term ____________ refers to the process by which traditional informal and spontaneous methods of social organization are gradually replaced by efficiently administered formal rules and procedures.

The least amount of interaction between members occurs in a(n)____________ .

Sociologists refer to the process of maintaining or changing behavior to comply with the norms established by a society, subculture, or other group as ____________ .

____________ leadership is most appropriate when the group is dealing with emotional issues, and when harmony, solidarity, and high morale are needed.

Describe the research of Stanley Milgram, and explain its contributions to our understanding of obedience to authority. What were some possible ethical problems with Milgram's research?

The U.S. Senate consists of 100 members. In this case, 100 refers to the Senate's____________ size.

A(n)____________ is an alliance created in an attempt to reach a shared objective or goal.

A(n) ____________ is a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time but share little else in common.

The "grapevine" spreads information (with varying degrees of accuracy) much faster than do official channels of communication, which tend to be slow and unresponsive. Within a bureaucracy, the "grapevine" is an example of __________.

Compare the perspectives of functionalists and conflict theorists on the purposes of groups.

In 2010, concern about cost overruns and staying on schedule kept executives of BP, Halliburton, and Transocean from sharing information and concerns with each other. The result was a shared assumption of safety that ultimately resulted in the explosion of a BP oil rig and an unprecedented environmental disaster. The failure to express concerns and confront potential risk is an example of ____________ .

From a ____________ perspective, if groups exist to meet the instrumental and expressive needs of their members, then leaders are responsible for helping the group meet those needs.

Explain the concept of trained incapacity and its relevance for bureaucracy.

Women with blue eyes, people who wear contact lenses, people over 7 feet tall, and college men who belong to a fraternity are each an example of a(n)____________ .

A(n) ____________ is an abstract model that describes the recurring characteristics of some phenomenon (such as bureaucracy).

Name the five characteristics comprising Weber's ideal type of bureaucracy as well as their effects.

Cody is a member of the L.A. Crips. The other gangs in his territory are the Bloods and Satan's Slaves. Cody feels very antagonistic toward the Bloods and Satan's Slaves. For Cody, these two rival gangs would be considered __________.

Discuss the major shortcomings of bureaucracies, including negative effects on workers, clients, or customers, as well as negative effects on productivity levels.

Members of a country club, sorority or fraternity, or even a group of friends share values and beliefs and are aware of those whom they believe are like them. Sociologists term this awareness____________ .