SOCIAL GROUPS

Social groups and organizations comprise a basic part of virtually every arena of
modern life. Thus, in the last 50 years or so, sociologists have taken a special
interest in studying these scientific phenomena from a scientific point of view.

A social group is a collection of people who interact with each other and share
similar characteristics and a sense of unity. 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. A group is a
collection of individuals but all collectives do not constitute a social group. A
group is distinct from an aggregate (people waiting at railway station or bus
stand) member of which do not interact with one another. The essence of the
social group is not physical closeness or contact between the individuals but a
consciousness of joint interaction.

This consciousness of interaction may be present even there is no personal

contact between individuals. For example, we are members of a national group
and think ourselves as nationals even though we are acquainted with only few
people.

The Sociological conception of group has come to mean as indicated by Mckee,

” a plurality of people as actors involved in a pattern of social interaction,
conscious of sharing common understanding and of accepting some rights and
obligations that accrue only to members.
According to Green, “A group is an aggregate of individuals which persist in
time, which has one or more interests and activities in common and which is
organised.”

According to Maclver and Page “Any collection of human beings who are
brought into social relationship with one another”. Social relationships involve
some degree of reciprocity and mutual awareness among the members of the
group.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL GROUPS

1. Mutual Awareness:
The members of a social group must be mutually related to one another. A more
aggregate of individuals cannot constitute a social group unless reciprocal
awareness exist among them. Mutual attachment, is therefore, regarded as its
important and distinctive feature. It forms an essential feature of a group.

2. One or more Common Interests:

Groups are mostly formed for the fulfilment of certain interests. The individuals
who form a group should possess one or more than one common interests and
ideals. It is for the realization of common interests that they meet together.
Groups always originates, starts and proceed with a common interests.

3. Sense of Unity:
Each social group requires sense of unity and a feeling of sympathy for the
development of a feeling or sense of belongingness. The members of a social
group develop common loyalty or feeling of sympathy among themselves in all
matters because of this sense of unity.

4. We-feeling:
A sense of we-feeling refers to the tendency on the part of the members to
identify themselves with the group. They treat the members of their own group
as friends and the members belonging to other groups as outsiders. They
cooperate with those who belong to their groups and all of them protect their
interests unitedly. We-feeling generates sympathy, loyalty and fosters
cooperation among members.
5. Similarity of Behaviour:
For the fulfilment of common interest, the members of a group behave in a
similar way. Social group represents collective behaviour. The-modes of
behaviour of the members on a group are more or less similar.

6. Group Norms:
Each and every group has its own ideals and norms and the members are
supposed to follow these. He who deviates from the existing group-norms is
severely punished. These norms may be in the form of customs, folk ways,
mores, traditions, laws etc. They may be written or unwritten. The group
exercises some control over its members through the prevailing rules or norms.

7.Size of group
Every group involves an idea of size. A group may be as small as that of 'two-
members group e.g. husband and wife or as big as that of a political party
having lakhs of members. Size will have its own impact on the character of the
group.
8.Groups are dynamic:
Social groups are not static but dynamic. They are subject to changes whether
slow .or rapid. Old members die and new members are born. Whether due to
internal or external pressures or forces, groups undergo changes.
 CLASSIFICATION OF GROUPS

Different sociologists have classified groups in different ways. Social groups

are not only innumerable but also diverse. It is not possible to study all the
groups. A systematic study of groups needs a classification. Various thinkers
have chosen many criteria or bases for the classification of social groups such as
size, kind of contact, nature of interests, degree of organisation and degree of
permanence etc. Some of these bases have received more attention than others.

1. Dwight Sanderson has classified groups into three types on the bases of
structure such as involuntary, voluntary and delegate groups. An involuntary
group is that to which man has no choice, which is based on kinship such as the
family, tribe or clan. A voluntary group is one which a man joins of his volition
or wishes.

At any time he is free to withdraw his membership from this group. A delegate
group is one to which a man joins as a representative of a number of people
either elected or nominated by them. Parliament or Assembly is a delegate
group.

2. P.A. Sorokin, an American sociologist, has divided groups into two major
types – the vertical and the horizontal. The vertical group includes persons of
different strata or statuses. But the horizontal group includes persons of the
same status. A nation, for instance, is a vertical group, while a class represents
horizontal grouping.

3. F.H. Giddings classifies groups into genetic and congregate. The genetic
group is the family in which a man is born involuntarily. The congregate group
is the voluntary group to which he joins voluntarily.
4. George Hassen has classified groups into four types on the basis of their
relations to other groups. They are unsocial, pseudo-social, antisocial and pro-
social groups. An unsocial group is one which largely lives to itself and for
itself and does not participate in the larger society of which it is a part. It does
not mix-up with other groups and remains aloof from them.

But it never goes against the interests of the larger group. A pseudo-social group
participates in the larger group of which it is a part but mainly for its own gain
and not for the greater good. An antisocial group is one, which acts against the
interest of the larger group of which it is a part. A pro-social group is the
reverse of the antisocial group. It works for the larger interest of the society of
which it is a part.

5. C.H. Cooley classified groups on the basis of kind of contact into primary
and secondary groups. In primary group, there is face-to-face, close and
intimate relationship among the members such as in the family. But in a
secondary group the relationship among the members are indirect, impersonal
and superficial such a the political party, a city and trade union etc.

6. W.G. Sumner made a division of groups into in-group and out-group. The
groups with which the individual identifies himself are his in-groups such as his
family, tribe, college, occupation etc. All other groups to which he does not
belong are his out-groups.

Besides these above, the groups can be classified further into following
categories:
(i) Disjunctive and overlapping groups.

(ii) Territorial and non-territorial groups.

(iii) Homogenous and Heterogeneous groups.

(iv) Permanent and Transitory groups.

(v) Contractual and non-contractual groups.

(vi) Open groups and closed groups.

SOCIAL GROUP ON THE BASIS OF CONTACT

1. PRIMARY GROUP

2. SECONDARY GROUP

PRIMARY GROUP

No two groups are created equal. Each typically has its own purpose,
culture, norms, etc. Sociologists differentiate between several different
types of social groups. In this lesson, we'll discuss primary groups,
secondary groups, and reference groups. Primary groups are those that are
close-knit. They are typically small scale, include intimate relationships ,
and are usually long lasting. The members of primary groups feel a strong
personal identity with the group. There is face to face interaction among
its members. The members possess similar background attributes such as
languages ,interests, culture, religion etc. There is physical proximity
among the members. These groups are smaller in size. Primary groups
have a great importance. For instance, the family provides food, shelter
and care to a kid. An individual learns his culture and develops a healthy
personality within his primary groups

E.g. family, neighbourhood, friends etc

SECONDARY GROUPS

The concept of secondary groups is given by Maciver. These are another

type of social group. They have the opposite characteristics of primary
 groups. They can be small or large and are mostly impersonal and usually
short term. These groups are typically found at work and school. An
example of a secondary group is a committee organized to plan a holiday
party at work. Members of the committee meet infrequently and for only
a short period of time. Although group members may have some similar
interests, the purpose of the group is about the task instead of the
relationships. Sometimes, secondary groups become pretty informal, and
the members get to know each other fairly well. Even so, their friendships
exist in a limited context; they won't necessarily remain close beyond the
holiday party. These groups are larger in size. The members have specific
aims or interest to achieve.

e.g. a doctor-patient relation. An advocate-client relation etc

SOCIAL GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF IDENTIFICATION

W.G Sumner has divided social groups into two types

1.In-group

2.Out-group

In-group

William Graham Sumner made distinction between in-group and out-group

from the individual point of view and it is based on preferential bonds
(ethnocentrism) among the members of the groups. According to Sumner, “The
groups with which the individual identifies himself are his in-groups, his family
or tribe or sex or college or occupation or religion, by virtue of his awareness of
likeness or consciousness of kind”. The individual belongs to a number of
groups which are his in-groups; all other groups to which he does not belong are
his out-groups. In-groupness produces among the members the sense of
belonging together which is the core of the group life. In-group attitudes contain
some element of sympathy and a sense of attachment to the other members of
the group. It embodies the collective pronoun ‘we’. The members of the in-
group display cooperation, goodwill, mutual help and respect for one another’s
rights. They possess a sense of solidarity, a feeling of brotherhood and readiness
to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the group. W.G. Sumner also said that
ethnocentrism is a characteristic of the in-group. Ethnocentrism is that view of
things in which one’s own group is the centre of everything and others are
scaled and rated with reference to it. It is an assumption that the values, the
ways of life and the attitude of one’s own group are superior to those of others.

Out group

An out-group, on the other hand, is defined by an individual with reference to

his in-group. He uses the word ‘they’ or ‘other’ with reference to his out-group.
Toward the members of out-group, we feel a sense of indifference, avoidance,
disgust, hostility, competition or outright conflict. The relationship of an
individual to his out-group is marked by a sense of remoteness or detachment
and sometimes even of hostility. It is obvious that in-groups and out-group are
not actual groups except in so far as people create them in their use of the
pronouns ‘we’ and ‘they’ and develop a kind of attitude towards these groups.
The distinction is nevertheless an important formal distinction because it
enables us to construct two significant sociological principles. But the
distinction between ‘we’ and ‘they’ is a matter of situational definition.
ON THE BASIS OF STRUCTURE
1. Involuntary group

It is a group that an individual cannot join or leave by his or her own

choice. For example, a family is an involuntary group because an
individual has no control over his birth-to be born or not to be born in a
specific family. Similarly, the sex group is an involuntary group to which
we are born without are choice and we have no control on changing it.

2. Voluntary group

It is a group that an individual can join or leave by his or her choice. For
example, you can join people watching a game in the playground, you
can join an organization and so on. Sometimes, you are required to fulfil
criteria to join a group but still, it is in your control to fulfil the criteria
and join it.

3. Delegate group

It is a group that serves as a representative of the larger number of people.

The members are either elected by the people or nominated on the basis
of certain criteria. A parliament is a delegate group as it represents the
wishes and needs of the public. Similarly a group of experts. Sent to
discuss an issue on behalf of their country, is a delegate group.
 ON THE BASIS OF RELATION TO SOCIETY

1. Un-social group

It is a group that remains detached within a society. They do not

participate in the society and remains alone. The examples are
introverts, people with adjustment problems or psychological
anomalies, drug addicts, criminals, thieves, and murderers.

2. Anti-social group

It is a group that acts against the interests of the society. They destroy
public property and peace. They intend to spread fear and aggression
to pursue their aims. Examples include the terrorist groups, criminals,
thieves and murderers. Similarly, a group of laborers on strike against
the administration of a factory, students demonstrating protest, people
gathered to demonstrate against the government may also sometimes
become violent and anti-social groups.

3. Pro-social group

It is a group that works for the betterment of the society. They engage
in activities for the development, prosperity, welfare, and peace in the
society. All the governmental and non-governmental welfare
organizations are the examples of pro-social groups who work
promoting education, reducing poverty, providing health care, treating
drug addicts, helping the underprivileged people and rehabilitating the
grieved ones in the society.

4. Pseudo-social group

It is a group that participates in the society only for their own interest
and gains. They do not care about the interest of others or betterment
of society. They are concerned only about their own gains and
benefits. They behave in a predatory or parasitic way in the society.
 REFERENCE GROUP

A reference group is a group to which an individual or another group is

compared. Sociologists call any group that individuals use as a standard for
evaluating themselves and their own behaviour a reference group.
Reference groups are used in order to evaluate and determine the nature of a
given individual or other group's characteristics and sociological attributes. It is
the group to which the individual relates or aspires to relate himself or herself
psychologically. It becomes the individual's frame of reference and source for
ordering his or her experiences, perceptions, cognition, and ideas of self. It is
important for determining a person's self-identity, attitudes, and social ties. It
becomes the basis of reference in making comparisons or contrasts and in
evaluating one's appearance and performance.
Reference groups provide the benchmarks and contrast needed for comparison
and evaluation of group and personal characteristics. Robert K
Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference
groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires.
Reference groups act as a frame of reference to which people always refer to
evaluate their achievements, their role performance, aspirations and ambitions.
A reference group can be either from a membership group or non-membership
group.

TYPES OF REFERENCE GROUP

1. Informal reference group

It means that they are based on the group members shared interests and
goals. These groups are not structured with a specific goal in mind. Group
members interact on a very personal level.

Example . families, peer groups etc

2. Formal reference group

They have a specific goal or mission. They also have a specific structure
and positions of authority.

Example . labour unions, organizations etc

 VERTICAL GROUPS
Vertical groups are those groups that are composed of members from different
social strata. Its membership cuts vertically across the horizontal groupings in
society e.g. political parties. The persons of different classes (i.e. lower and
upper) work together in close relationship to promote their parties interest.

HORIZONTAL GROUPS
These groups often organize themselves of a personal from the same level of
society. The persons are alike in the status or position in the class system of
society. Farmers, blacksmith, carpenter would be the members of their
respective occupations belong to a horizontal group.