SOC 1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Social Capital, Structural Holes, Cultural Capital
Document Summary
Form the building blocks for society and for most social interaction. Simmel argued that the key element in determining the form of social relations in a group is the size of the group or the number of "social actors . Simmel emphasized the di erences between social relations in a dyad (group of 2) and a triad (group of 3) Dyad is 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. As groups grow, they become more stable. When a third person joins a dyad, that person can ful ll the role of: Tertius gaudens: person who pro ts from disagreement from the others. Divide et impera: divide and conquer ; individual who purposefully breaks up the other two. Many factors show how social groups function. As group size increases, the number of relationships increase.
