Sociology
Module3
Unit one
1: a: What do you understand by the term Social organization?
Ans: Social organization has been considered by social scientists as indicating
an organization in which individuals and relationships are ordered with
reference to the goals of the society concerned
1:b: Describe the roles of individuals in Social organization?
Ans: social organization signified some notions of division of1abour, of social
differentiation and of differences in thecapabilities of individuals. Obviously,
the individual differences can be the result of physiological or hereditary
elements or environmental factors. social organization recognizes the
importance of division of labour.
2: Describe the levels of social organization?
There are three levels of social, namely: inter-personal level, group level and
the total level of the society.
The inter-personal level usually occurs between persons, it is the most
elementary form of social organization. Examples of interpersonal level of
relationship include a teacher and his/ her students, a father and his children, a
pastor and his followers; a leader and his followers, etc.
The group level of social organization relates to a large number of people
whose interests vary.
The third and highest level of social organization, total level of the society, is
made up of both interpersonal and inter-group relations. The inter-play
between various groups is part of the organization at the societal level.
Unit two
1. a. What do you understand by the term, "Group"? b. Differentiate
between Informal and Formal Group?
Ans: Schein (1965) defines a group as any number of people who (1)
interact with one another, (2) are psychologically aware of one another,
and (3) perceive themselves to a group.
B: Formal’ or official groups are groups forming a pair of the organizational
structure, established by management to see to the smooth running of the
organization. For example, in a banking industry, looking at a particular ban,
there may be marketing team, personnel team, finance team, etc.
Informal groups or unofficial groups are those groups which are
established by the employees themselves, for their own purposes rather
than to fulfill organizational ends. Informal or unofficial groups have their
purposes, which are generally to meet the social and security needs of the
employees, for your information, it is good to note that the purposes of
these unofficial groups may fit in fairly well with organizational objectives,
but more than likely will be opposed to them.
2: a: What do you understand by group cohesiveness? b. State the factors
that encourage group cohesiveness?
Ans: a:The cohesiveness of any group is the extent to which the group
members develop strong ties to each other and to the group as a whole
('team spirit'). It is also a measure of the ability of the group to attract new
members.
Ans: b: factors have been identified to encourage group cohesiveness' and
these include:
similarity of work physical
proximity system of work task structure
group size (especially small size) external
threats prospect of rewards leadership style of manager
common social features (age, sex, etc.)
Unit four
1: What do you understand by the concept "religion" State and explain the
elements of religion?
Ans: a: Religion is defined as a set of beliefs, symbols, and practices (for
example, rituals), which is based on the idea of the sacred, and which unites
believers into a socio-religious community.
Ans: b: Beliefs Religious beliefs affirm the existence of a divine or
supernatural order, define its character and purposes, and explain the role
humans play in that order.
RitualsReligious rituals are formal, stylised enactment of religious beliefs -
processions, chants, prayers, sacraments, and the like. Religious rituals
differ from other activities in that believers attach a symbolic meaning to
them. Religious symbols are concrete embodiments of values, idea,
judgments, longings and beliefs.
The subjective experiences of religion grow out of beliefs and rituals.
Religious experiences range from the quiet sense of peace that comes from
the belief the one's life in the hands of a divine power to the intense
mystical experiences that inspire terror and awe.
CommunityBelongings to a community of believers is a central part of
religious experience. Shared beliefs, rituals, and subjective experiences
heighten group identification.
2. State and explain the four (4) types of religion.
four distinct types, namely established church, sect, denomination and cult.
Established Church Established church refers to a religious organization
that claims unique legitimacy and has a positive relationship to society.
A Sect is a religious organisation that asserts its unique legitimacy but
stands apart from society.
denominations are less exclusive than sects, more tolerant of diversity of
religious belief more "worldly", A denomination is also known to accept the
legitimacy of other religions.
A cult is a religious organisation that accepts the legitimacy of other
religious but has a negative relationship to society. Cults are known to be
more tolerant of other religions.
Unit five
1. a. What do you understand by social interactions?
b. Describe the role of cultural scripts and ethnomethodology on social
interactions.
Ans: Social interaction is defined as the "interactions and relationships' that
exists between/or among people in everyday life.
1:b: In many cases, we are so accustomed to our culture's script that we
take expected role behavior for granted. This now takes us to the issue of
ethnomethodology. which is coined to mean countless unspoken, often
unconscious rules people use to maintain order and predictability in
everyday social interaction.
2. a. What do you understand by social identities in
social interactions?
b. How can social interactions be made positive using the interactions
among children as a case study?
Ans : a: A social identity is "our sense of who and what we are. As our
personal identity is based on our individual biography and idiosyncrasies;
our social identity derives from the positions we occupy in society, as
student, daughter, friend, and poet.
B: Our social identity depends in large degree on our perception of how
others see us.
Ans:b: Social interactions are the everyday give and take situations that
occur. A social interaction may include saying "Hello" or asking an
appropriate question such as "May I play with you?" Social interactions also
include the activities that help children make friends. Social skills are the
tools that are necessary in order to have positive social interactions.
:One way that a child care provider might structure interactions is to build
games and activities into daily routines that will encourage children to work
and play together.