Chapter No5

Social Groups
•What
A groupis
is Social Group?
a collection of individuals who interact
with one another, share goals and norms, and have a
subjective awareness as “we”. To be considered as
group, a social unit must have all three
characteristics.
•A social category is a collection of people who do not
interact but who share similar characteristics. For example,
women, men, the elderly, and high school students all
constitute social categories. A social category can become
a social group when the members in the category interact
with each other and identify themselves as members of the
group.
• In contrast, a social aggregate is a collection of people
who are in the same place, but who do not interact or share
characteristics.
Definitions
• Merrill: “Two or more persons are in communication
over an appreciable period of time and who act in
accordance with common function or purpose”
• A.W.Green: “An aggregate of individuals which
persists in time, which has one or more interests or
activities in common and which is organized.”
• Ogburn & Nimkoff: “whenever two or more
individuals come together and influence one another,
they may be said to constitute a social group.”
 What do u think which one of
these is a social group?
• The individuals standing together at the site of a
road accident
• The individuals who are living together in a
dormitory
• The individuals in a line waiting to board a bus
 IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL GROUP
• Social group is the basic factor in all social functions, social
structure, social institutions, system and organization.
• human personality develops in social groups. The type of
personality depends of the type of groups in which he was
socialized.
• Man learns his culture among the groups in which he lives.
• Group life is a must for the continuity of human race. The
system of marriage in societies fulfill the main aim of
humanity is attained by the birth of child.
• Social groups provide requirements to the needy people.
Society has divided people into different groups according
to their needs and interests. These groups have reciprocal
role in society. They help one another and satisfy the needs
 Essentials or Elements of Social
Group
• Following are the essentials of social group:
• 1. There are at least two persons.
• 2. There is a reciprocal relationship among
the members.
• 3. There is a common purpose, among the
group members. It means they have a common
interest for which they form a group.
Types of Groups
 Types of Social Groups

on the basis of
on the basis of on the basis of on the basis of
intimacy and nature
membership identity/characteristic rule and regulations
of relationship

non
primary secondary membership membership formal informal
in-group out-group
group group group group group group
 Basic type: Dyads and Triads
• The smallest of small groups is a dyad consisting of
two people. A dyad is perhaps the most cohesive of
all groups because of its potential for very close and
intense interactions. It also runs the risk, though, of
splitting up.
•A triad is a group consisting of three persons. A
triad does not tend to be as cohesive and personal
as a dyad. The more people who join a group, the
less personal and intimate that group becomes.
•A group's size can also determine how its
members behave and relate. A small group is
small enough to allow all of its members to
directly interact. Examples of small groups
include families, friends, discussion groups,
seminar classes, dinner parties, and athletic
teams. People are more likely to experience
primary relationships in small group settings than
in large settings.
 On the basis of Intimacy
Primary Groups
• CharlesHorton Cooley, a famous sociologist of Chicago School of
Sociology, introduced the concept of Primary group-defined as
a group consisting of intimate, face to face interaction and
relatively long lasting relationships.
• Examples of primary groups are families, friends, peers,
neighbors, classmates, sororities, fraternities, and church
members.
• Primary group give people intimacy, companionship, and
emotional support. These are termed expressive needs (also
called socioemotional needs). Family and friends share amplify
your good fortune, rescue you when you misbehave, and cheer
up when life looks grim.
 Characteristics of Primary Group
• Face-to-face informal interaction
• High sentiment or loyalty.
• Identification (group identity) and close cooperation
among members
• High level of emotional, spiritual satisfaction to be
derived from involvement in primary social groups.
• Each individual is important to the group.
• The group is particular about who can be a member.
• Have a powerful influence on an individual’s personality
or self-identity.
• Often small in size.
 Secondary Groups
• Secondary groups that are larger in membership, less
intimate, and less long lasting. Members of secondary
groups are less personal or emotional than those of
primary groups. These groups are marked by secondary
relationships in which communication is formal. Members
of secondary groups may not know each other or have
much face‐to‐face interaction.
• Examples of secondary groups include all the students at a
college or university, all the people in your neighborhood, and all
the people in a bureaucracy or corporation.
• Secondary groups serve instrumental needs (also called task-
oriented needs). Athletic teams form to have fun and win games.
Political groups form to raise funds and bend the will of
legislature. Corporations’ forms to make profit, and employees
 Characteristics of Secondary
Groups
• Formal interaction between members.
• Little or no emotional involvement between members.
• Members are more competitive than cooperative.
• Members are less intimate.
• Rules are formalized and each member must follow the
rules. Punishment also are applied in a standard way
for all members.
• Membership is unlimited.
 Reference Groups
• A reference group is a collection of people that we use
as a standard of comparison for ourselves regardless
of whether we are part of that group.
• We use reference groups to evaluate the relative worth
or desirability of our appearance, thoughts, feelings,
and behavior and to judge the appropriateness of our
appearance and behavior.
• A group that we have been a part of in the past or that
we will be a part of in the future can serve as a
reference group.
 For example

• suppose that Susie is a 13-year-old female who

transfers to a new school. Susie may pay attention to
what her schoolmates wear, how they speak, where
they hang out, and how they behave. Susie then takes
this information and uses it in order to modify her
speech, determine what she wears to school, how she
does her hair, which shows to watch on television, etc.
 “On the basis of Identity”
In-Groups and Out-Groups
• When groups have a sense of themselves as “us”,
there will be a complementary sense of “them.” The
distinction is commonly characterized as in-groups
versus out-groups.
• An
in-groups is a social group toward which a
member feels respect and loyalty.
• Whereas an out-group is a social group toward
which a person feels a sense of competition or
opposition.
• Tensions between groups sharpens the group’s
boundaries and give people a clearer social identity.
However, members of in-groups generally hold
overly positive views of themselves and unfairly
negative views of various out-groups.
• For Examples: The groups with which individual
identifies himself are his in group. one’s family, one’s
college are example of his in group. But out groups
refers to those groups with which individual do not
identify himself. These are outside groups. Pakistan
is an out group for Indians.
 “On the basis of rules and
regulations”
Formal and Informal groups
• Formal Group:
Formal is that group in which membership is defined.
Those who fulfil the conditions can become member to that
group. The entry into the group is made under written rule
and the membership can be cancelled on violation of its rules
and regulations.
e.g: The students in a class are a formal group. The Union
Council is formal group. United Nations Organization (U.N.O.),
SAARC, Punjab professors and lecturers Association (PPLA).
• Informal group:
Informal, is that group in which the membership is
not defined. Any person can participate in such group and
leave it when he likes.
E.g: People in bazaars, fairs, listening radio, watching
television, listening to a speaker and enjoying the feats of
an acrobat on the roadside are the examples of informal
groups.
People gossipping in mohalla and children playing in street
are all informal groups.