Social Groups

Muhammad Yaqoob
RN, BScN
Lecturer
Institute of Nursing
Dow University of Health Sciences
December 07, 2013

Session Outline
Social Groups
Group Characteristics and Dynamics
Types of Social Groups
Primary group and secondary group.
In-group, Out-group
Reference group
Caste
Ethnic group
Pressure group
Vested interest group and others.

Social Groups
A collection of two or more people who:
Interact frequently.
Share a sense of belonging.
Have a feeling of interdependence.
Group Size
Dyad Group composed of two members.
Triad Group composed of three members.
Formal
organization
Highly structured secondary group
formed for the purpose of achieving
specific goals
Possible Interactions Based on
Group Size
Cooleys Primary and
Secondary Groups
Primary group
Emotion-based interaction over
extended period.
Example: family
Secondary
group
Impersonal, goal-oriented relationships
for a limited time.
Example: students of an academic class
Group members differ in the ways they
interact with one another as well. This
determines whether a group is Primary or
Secondary. These differ in the following
ways.
Emotional Intensity:
Primary: Strong emotional attachment
among members, love
Secondary: Little emotion felt among
members toward one another

Scope
Primary: An individuals entire personality is
important to the group.
Secondary: Only a small piece of an
individuals personality is important to the
group. Can they do the job assigned?
Particularism/ Universalism
Primary: Each individual is important to the
group. The group is particular about who can
be a member
Secondary: Membership is open to all
Interaction
Primary: very informal. Members feel
relaxed around one another
Secondary: formal. Rules exist to explain
how and when interaction takes place
Aims
Primary: goal is simply to enjoy one
anothers company
Secondary: the group meets for a specific
reason. Members may have little in common
beyond the reason for the groups existence
Rules & Regulations
Primary: Rules may be understood rather
than written down and are very flexible.
Punishments for breaking them are also
flexible.
Secondary: Rules are formalized and each
member must follow the same rules.
Punishments also are applied in a standard
way for all members.
Comparison of Primary and Secondary Groups
Sumners Ingroups and
Outgroups
Ingroup
Group to which a person belongs and
feels a sense of identity.

Outgroup
Group to which a person doesnt belong
and feels a sense of hostility towards.
Examples of the above: rival gangs, rival teams or
their fans; cliques at school
Reference Group
Influences a persons behavior and attitudes,
regardless of whether they are a member.
We may act more like members of a group
we want to join than members of groups to
which we already belong.
In this case, reference groups are a source
of anticipatory socialization.
A Transitory Group is when several people
happen to be in the same place at the same
time but who may never be again. Their
interaction is minimal.
Examples: people crossing the street at the
same time at the same intersection; people
getting onto the same elevator; people
waiting in line at the checkout at airport
A Recurrent Group is one that meets
regularly.
Examples: the field hockey team; an annual
family gathering; a monthly professional
meeting
A Formal Group is one that has rules and
regulations, scheduled meeting times, official
roles assigned to members (such as
treasurer, coach, etc.), official membership
list, etc.
Examples: Professional club; Parliament;
academic class
An Informal Group lacks the formality of the
formal group. There may be unwritten rules,
etc.
Examples: a group of friends; a family;
commuters sharing a bus
Membership in these groups overlap. A
group could be recurrent, formal and
secondary (student council). It might also be
recurrent, informal and primary (a married
couple). Members might belong to a formal
group (co-workers on the job) but form
informal groups (co-workers who become
friends). They might interact in a primary
and secondary way with differing members of
the same group.
Develop a unique example of each of the following
combinations:
Recurrent, informal, secondary
Recurrent, formal, secondary
Recurrent, informal primary
Recurrent, formal, primary
Transitory, informal, secondary
In-group
Out-group

Do not repeat the examples already given in class.

Pressure groups

Groups of people sharing common interests
and concerns who try to pressure political
decision makers and influence the
government policies and decisions

Vested interests groups
Those groups that seek to maintain or control
an existing system or activity from which they
derive private benefit.
Ethnic group
A social group or category of the population
that, in a larger society, is set apart and
bound together by common ties of race,
language, nationality, or culture.
Caste
A division of society based on differences of
wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession,
occupation, or race
References
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1
94248/ethnic-group
http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/caste
Schaefer R.T (2007). Sociology. McGrew Hill