Social groups in Pakistan

Introduction
A social group Is a set of people who interact with each other and share
similar characteristics and a sense of unity.
A group becomes social when the interaction occurs among its
participants; Social interaction is a basic condition for them to occur.
That means that people walking in a market, or traveling on a train are
not social groups.A social group can be defined as two or more people
who are in communication over an appreciable period of time and who
act according to a common function or purpose.
Social groups are an organized aggregate of individuals that persists in
time; Must have one or more interests or activities in common.
They also have common objects of attention, are stimulated among
them, have a common loyalty and participate in related activities.
Social groups can have a large number of sizes and variables; A society
can be seen as a large social group.

However, a social group must have shared characteristics that may

include interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background,
and affective bonds.
Social groups in which people are involved affect their well-being.
Having a sense of belonging in a social group can be key to achieving
individual well-being.
Characteristics of social groups
The basis of grouping can be numerous, but the division of the
population based on their age, sex, income and profession can provide
various types of social groups.
These are some characteristics of social groups:

 A given number of individuals; two or more.

 The existence of reciprocal relations between its members.
 Groups formed for common goals and objectives.
 Have a sense of unity and solidarity that results in loyalty and
sympathy.
 A sense of awe that develops cooperation between the group.
 Group rules or regulations (written or not) that must be followed
for group control.
 Similar behavior to achieve common goals.
 Awareness of your membership to differentiate yourself from other
groups.
 Make them dynamic; Social groups are not static.
 Group control (direct or indirect) for the activities of its members.
Review
Some types and examples of social groups In Pakistan

1. Primary Groups
It refers to the initial groups to which a person joins. They are a small
conglomerate of people whose members share intimate and personal
relationships, often serving as a network of support and comfort for
those involved.
Primary groups play an important role in the development of an
individual. Examples of primary groups are the family, the immediate
school group, the playgroup, and the gang.
Family
The family is a group of persons affiliated by consanguinity (birth
recognition), affinity (marriage or other relationship), co-residence, or
some combination of these aspects.

Members of the immediate family may include couples, parents,

siblings, sisters, sons and daughters. Members of the extended family
may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and
in-laws.
The family is the main institution for the socialization of children in
most societies; It is usually the basic unit to raise them.
JOINT FAMILY SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN
Social life is a part of human nature. Due to various reasons society is
divided in rural and urban areas. Similarly. Pakistani society is also
divided in rural and urban society. Before to creation of Pakistan the
joint family system was much liked but today the world social change
also affected Pakistani culture. That is why? With joint family system
the tendency of nuclear family system is advancing, but Pakistani nation
is an Islamic society which gives emphasis upon children's rights in
particular. Our Holy Prophet peace be upon Him when ordered to
parents to edify and provide better education and moral society to their
children, also asked the children to display excellent behavior towards
their parents.
According to my opinion most people prefer joint family system on
different statements sometime on the basis of financial support because
in joint family system financial burden is shared by all the members of
the family.

Gang, group or clique

It is a group of individuals who interact with each other and share
similar interests. Interacting with gangs is a normal part of social
development, regardless of gender, ethnic group or popularity.
Although they occur during the development of adolescence and
childhood, they exist in all age groups.
Typically, people in a clique do not have a group of friends open, so
they can veto a member if they do something deemed unacceptable.
Individuals who are part of a clique are related through similar shared
social characteristics, such as ethnic group, economic status, physical
appearance or race.
For decades, politics in Karachi have been dominated by the gangs of
the opposing MQM party and its reclusive leader-in-exile Altaf Hussain,
who represent the city's largest ethnic group, the Urdu-speaking
mohajirs. But demographic changes are upsetting that order.

Secondary groups
These are the groups to which an individual joins throughout his life.
They are characterized by less intimacy among their members. They
usually have specific goals, are organized in a way and are impersonal.
In these groups, loyalty and sense of belonging do not develop
spontaneously. They are large groups and there is a relationship based
on the achievement of a group goal.

Examples of secondary groups include political parties, co-workers,

church members, residents of the same urbanization, etc.

Co workers
In a work environment, employees and supervisors are in a mutual
location (such as an office) for the purpose of completing a task.
Supervisors direct their employees with an arrangement that highlights
expectations and requirements. The goal of the structured environment is
to achieve a predetermined task.
Coworkers in School are Teacher.
Classmates
A classroom consists of students and a teacher; The teacher is in charge
of creating a structure and an environment for students to learn.
This involves implementing a set of rules and expectations. As well as
helping students achieve their educational goals. A classroom is located
in a school, which is a common meeting place for students and teacher.
Ethnic groups
An ethnic group is a category of people who identify with each other
based on similarities as common ancestry, language, and social, cultural,
or national experiences.

It is usually an inherited status based on the society in which an

individual lives; In some cases it can be adopted if a person moves to
another society.
Membership of an ethnic group tends to be defined by its shared cultural
heritage, ancestry, mythology of origin, history, homeland and language
or dialect; Or by symbolic systems like religion, art, cooking, rituals, etc.
The major ethnic groups of Pakistan include Jatts, Punjabis, Pashtuns,
Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, Baloch, Paharis,Hindkowans, Chitralis and
other smaller groups. Smaller ethnic groups found throughout the nation
include Kashmiris, Kalash, Siddi, Burusho, Wakhis, Khowar, Hazara,
Shina, Kalyu and Baltis.

In group and out group

Some of the differences between in-group and out-group are as follows:
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.
In-group:
A group, to which we directly belong, is called our in-group. It can be
our own
family, tribe, sex, occupation, games or interest group. For example, if I
am player
of a cricket team, my cricket-team is in-group for me. A religious group
is in-group .
for its followers. A geographical community is in-group for its residents.
The term
„in-group‟ is used when an individual wants to identify himself with a
group or
show an association with his group, such as by saying: We are
Pakistani . We are Muslims . We are Hindus. We are students. We are
doctors. We
are musicians.
The members of in-group have a sense of „we-feelings‟ and
belongingness towards
their in-group.
Out-group:
A group, to which we do not belong, is called an out-group. It can be
any group of
others (not ours) including a family, tribe, ethnicity, sex, occupations or
interest
groups. For example, If I am a student of Psychology, the students of
psychology
are in-group for me, but the students of any other discipline (other than
Psychology) are an out-group for me. The term „out-group‟ is used to
distinguish
one’s identity from that of others or to compare one’s identity to that of
other, such
as by saying: We are Pakistani (in-group) and they are Indians (out-
group). We
are Muslims (in-group) and they are Hindu (out-group). We are doctors
(in-
group) and they are engineers (out-group).
There is a sense of „they-feeling‟ while referring to an out-group.
Formal Group
It is a group that has well-defined rules and regulation for joining the
group,
staying in the group and leaving the group. Those, who fulfill these rules
and
regulations, can join and engage in the activities of the group. The
membership can
be canceled if the member violates the rules. The examples include
organizations,
Banks, hospitals, educational institutions, official associations and firms
and so on.
Pakistani Armed Forces is the example of formal group.
Informal Group
It is a group which has prescribed rules and regulation for joining the
group,
staying in the group and leaving the group. Any person can join the
group,
participate in it and leave it whenever he wants. For example, a group of
students
sitting in playground and gossiping with one another. Any other
classmate can
come and join it. Other examples include: People gathered to see a Joker
in a
public place.
Reference Groups
Reference groups are groups that we look to for guidance in order to
evaluate our
behaviors and attitudes. They are basically generalized versions of role
models.
You may or may not belong to the group, but you use its standards of
measurement
as a frame of reference. For example, if a teenager wants to know if she
is slim
enough, she may use supermodels as a reference. Or, if a recent college
graduate is
unsure if an offered salary is fair, he may use the average starting salary
of
graduates from his school as a reference.
Frequently, people hope to be identified with their reference groups
(especially if
they aren't members of them), so they try to act like those they think
typify these
groups. If your reference group is a particular athletic team, you will
dress, speak,
and act quite differently than if your reference group is a local wine
club. So, a
reference group helps to shape not only a person's expectations and
outlook but
also appearance and style.
Conclusion:
Groups are units of society and every human being is a member of one
or more than
one group. In order to understand a particular society, it is therefore
necessary to study
the behaviour of the groups present in it. Their behaviour is a reflection
of the structure
of the society they live in. The degree of closeness and the frequency
with which they