Social Groups

Definition
Social group is a collection of human beings who are brought into social relationship with
one another [MacIver].
Basic Premise
Human life is group life
Social interaction Social relations Social groups

Three Characteristics
Reciprocal stimulus,
Response and
Mutual awareness / consciousness of interaction.
Factors for Group Life
1. Psychological Factor !"onsciousness of #ind$ and %ear&
Herbert Spencer ' !(he fear of the living produced the state) the fear of the dead
created religion.$
2. Biological Factor Se*ual impulse and desire for progen+&
3. conomic Factors ,*perience has taught human beings can be better fulfilled
b+ being in groups than alone&
-
!. "eligious Factors
#. Political Factors
State the basic political group is the most powerful of all social groups.
Types of Social Groups
$. George %asen
-. .nsocial group/ does not mi* with other groups and remains aloof from them
0. 1seudo social group 'It participates in the larger social life but mainl+ for its own
gain and not for the greater good
2. 3nt social ' acts against the interests of the societ+
4. 1ro Social ' members of group wor# for the larger interests of the societ+
$$. Charles Cooley & Primary an' Secon'ary Groups
Primary Groups
3 primar+ relationship according to "oole+ is one in which intimate face to face
association and cooperation predominates. ,*. Husband ' wife, parent/child, teacher/
student, friends and so on.
$mportance of primary groups
(he+ are important both to the individual as well as the societ+. In the words of "oole+,
1rimar+ groups are the 5urseries of Human 5ature. It is trul+ in primar+ groups that we
live and have our being. It meets the ph+sical and ps+chological needs of its members.
(he primar+ group is the chief molder of human personalit+. %reud, 3dler and other
ps+chologists have maintained that personalit+ of the child is developed in the famil+ and
peer group and does not change appreciabl+ onl+ it develops
0
(he primar+ groups are important for the following reasons /
a& (he+ are important for the formation of habits and attitudes) b& development of the
social self c& provides basic training in social solidarit+ and cooperation) d& pivotal role in
sociali6ation) e& most efficient humani6er of 7animal drives8 se*, hunger, anger, etc.&) f&
in the development of roles and statuses and g& It is an important source of social control
and social cohesion.
Secondary Groups
Secondar+ relationships are more formal, impersonal, segmental and utilitarian. ,*.
9abor unions, political parties, clubs and so on.
$mportance of Secon'ary groups
a& (he impersonalit+ and formalit+ of the secondar+ groups allows members to focus on
their s#ills and speciali6ed interests) b& (he secondar+ groups are necessar+ for the
smooth functioning of primar+ groups.
"elation (et)een Primary Groups an' Secon'ary groups
-. It is mainl+ in the primar+ group that individual undergoes sociali6ation which
will enable him to participate in secondar+ groups effectivel+
%or e*: an emotionall+ disturbed child or ;uvenile delin<uent has little chance of
being a respectable member of the societ+.
0. (he large secondar+ groups are necessar+ for the survival of the primar+ groups.
%or e*ample: (he e*istence of a well organi6ed arm+ is necessar+ for the peaceful
e*istence of the citi6ens of a countr+ most of whom live in primar+ groups.
2
Changing Scene
(he importance of the primar+ groups is decreasing because of the changes in the
societ+.
Man+ functions of the primar+ groups rearing, caring, upbringing of child,
education, health care, etc& have been ta#en over b+ secondar+ groups.
(he factors li#e industriali6ation, urbani6ation, new technolog+, division of labor
and concept of personal happiness have pla+ed a great role in lessening the
importance of primar+ groups, especiall+ the famil+.
1rimar+ groups within secondar+ groups are another interesting phenomenon. ,*.
3rm+ camp, college hostel.
(he secondar+ groups have overshadowed though not totall+ destro+ed the
primar+ groups.
Comparison of Primary an' Secon'ary Groups
Primary Group Secondary Group
=enerall+ Small .suall+ large
1ersonal intimate and face to face
association
Impersonal, little intimate and less social
contact
Relativel+ long period of interaction 9ess enduring, short duration and
temporar+
Some emotional depth in relationships 5o scope for emotional ties and
relationships generall+ superficial
%ormal Relationships Informal relationships
5atural and spontaneous formation >eliberatel+ and artificiall+ created
5o speciali6ed interest More or less some speciali6ed interest
Relationships end in itself Relationships goal directed
Informal social control %ormal social control
III. *.G. Sumner & $n&group an' +ut& group
4
1eople tend to li#e their own group to which he termed as in- group over the competing
or opposing group ' the out-group. In other words, an out-group is a categor+ to which
people feel the+ do not belong.
!?irds of the same feather floc# together$
Sometimes it leads to ethnocentrism. It was defined b+ Sumner as !that view of things in
which one8s own group is the center of ever+thing and all others are scaled and rated with
reference to it$.
(his classification is important in understanding the group pre;udices
"haracteristics of In/groups ' ph+sical pro*imit+/ smallness of group/ enduring
relationship/ identit+ of ends/ intrinsic values of relationship / personal nature of relations
and spontaneit+ of relations.
(he+ are fundamental in forming the social nature and ideals of the individual
,thnocentrism is an assumption that the values attitude and wa+ of life of one8s own
group are superior to those of other groups. It also involves double standards, one for
insiders and one for outsiders. 3ccording to Sumner the ethnocentrism of primitive
peoples differ from that of civil6ed peoples. In the civili6ed societies it assumes a more
peaceful form of e*pression. He maintained that in modern societies ethno centrism is the
sentiment of patriotism.
Sociological $mportance of in&groups an' out&groups
(he in group tends to stereot+pe members of the out group and label them.
3n+ threat real or imaginar+ from the out/group tends to increase the cohesion
and solidarit+ of the in group.
(hese groups are also important because the+ affect our social behavior.
1eople treat members of out groups as others or different from the in group. (he+
have feelings of antagonism, suspicion, indifference, scorn, avoidance,
@
competition and disgust towards them. It can lead to ethnocentrism, casteism,
regionalism and communalism.
IA. Fer'inan' Tonnies & Gemeinschaft an' Gesellschaft
(he concept was developed b+ =erman Sociologist %erdinand (onnies to differentiate
between urban and rural life or communit+ and association.
=emeinschaft is an ideal t+pe characteristic of rural life and it refers to !smallness,
cohesion, long duration and emotional intensit+$.
=esellschaft is an ideal t+pe characteristic of modern urban life and its characteristics
are !individualism, mobilit+, impersonalit+ and the pursuit of progress$.
,. -uasi Groups
(he+ stand in between primar+ and secondar+ groups. In such groups some
characteristics of both these groups are found. ,*. Social classes, racial groups, age
groups, se* groups, crowds, audiences are some e*amples.
,$. "eference Groups
(he groups to which individuals relates themselves ps+chologicall+. =roups
which individual use as standard for evaluating themselves.
(he group towards to which individuals turns in term of ideals, values, beliefs,
ideolog+ and profession are called reference groups
1ositive Reference =roups ' those which one wants to identif+
5egative Reference =roups ' those which one wants to disassociate
%unctions of Reference =roups '
5ormative %unction [%rame of Reference],
"omparative %unction and
3nticipator+ %unction [Source of 3spiration]
B
Reference groups ma+ be occupational, professional, religious, recreational, political
group.
Reference =roups in Indian "onte*t
a& Sans#ritisation refers to attempt b+ low ran#ing castes to adopt the beliefs and
rituals of higher castes such as ?rahmins
b& Cesterni6ation refers to efforts made b+ individuals to ac<uire western education
to improve their economic and social standing
(he sans#riti6ed and westerni6ed individuals and groups have brought considerable
change in Indian societ+
Conclusion
It ma+ be noted that there is a great deal of similarit+ between the t+pologies of "oole+,
Sumner and (onnies. (he regular rediscover+, restatement and reiteration of the same
dichotom+ of social t+pes suggest that the distinction being made is ver+ fundamental.
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Dr. Sam .. /(raham0 LL.1. Ph.D.
3ssistant 1rofessor
3mit+ 9aw School ' "enter II
3mit+ .niversit+, .1
Mob: EF4-2GEB0FE / EFF-E4B004G
,/mail: sam;abrahamHgmail.com
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