Download Groups within a Society

Groups within a Society
4.4
Introduction
• Society is not only a group; it is a group made up
of smaller groups
– Everybody participates in a group
– Orenstein: “ groups and group activities… the very
foundation upon which social life is structured”
– Can be small:2-5
– Can be large: 500 soldiers
– Intimate: family
– Formal: attending a conference
What is a Group?
• Four major features:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Consist of two or more people
Interaction among group members
Members must have shared expectations
Members must possess some sense of common
identity
• Aggregate: people gather in the same place at
the same time but lack organization or pasting
patterns of interaction
–
Before school in the mornings: the crowds
What is a Group?
• Social Category: classifying people according to a
shared trait or common status
– “Senior tree”
I.
Size: some are small and some are enormous
– Dyad: smallest possible group of two people
• Direct control over the groups existence
• Decision making can be difficult
– Triad: moving from two members to three; consider a
major change by George Simmel
• Group takes on a life of its own, independent of any individual
member
• No one person can disband the group
• Decision making is easier; 2 against 1
What is a Group?
– Small group: few enough members that everyone can
interact on a face to face basis
– Determine that 15 is the largest number of people
that can work well in a group
• Any larger than that, members have a tendency to sort
themselves into smaller groups
II. Time: may meet once and never meet again




May exists for many years: family
Most fall between the two extremes
Interaction is not continuous
Meet at different times: family at dinners or
breakfasts
What is a Group?
III. Organization: formal or informal
a. Formal: structure, goals, and activities of the
group are clearly defined (government)
b. Informal: no official structure or established
rules of conduct (circle of friends)
Types of Groups
• Primary Groups: small group of people who
interact over a relatively long period of time on
direct and personal basis
– intimate relationships
– face-to-face interaction and cooperation
– Fundamental in forming the social nature and ideals
of an individual
– Entire self of individual is taken into account
– Communication is deep and intense, structure is
informal
– Family is the best example
Types of Groups
• Secondary Groups: interaction is impersonal and
temporary in nature
– Relationships involve a reaction to only part of the
individual’s self
– Tend to be causal and limited in personal involvement
– Persons importance lies in the function that they
perform in the group
– Easily replaced
• Primary and secondary relationships can exisit in the same
group
Types of Groups
• Reference Groups: group with whom
individuals identify and whose attitudes and
values they adopt
– Friends and clubs
– Same occupation
– Have positive and negative effects
Types of Groups
• In-Groups and Out-Groups
– In-Group: group person belongs to and identifies
with
• Members tend to separate themselves from other
groups with use of symbols
• View themselves positively and often view out-groups
negatively
• Compete with out-groups, to point of conflict
– Out-Group: person does not belong to or identify
with
Types of Groups
• E-communities: people interact with one another
on the internet
• Social Networks: web of relationships that is
formed by the sum total of a persons interactions
with other people
–
–
–
–
Direct and indirect relationships
Do not have clear boundaries
Do not give rise to a common sense of identity
Knowing the “right” person can mean getting the
right job
Group Functions
• Groups must define their boundaries so that
members can tell who belongs and who does not
– Symbols
– Gestures
• Leaders: people who influence the attitudes and
opinions of others
– Assigned
– Achieved
– elections
Group Functions
– Instrumental Leaders: task-oriented;
• find specific means that will help the group reach its
goals
– Expressive Leaders: emotion-oriented;
• find ways to the group together and to maintain morale
– Groups must have a purpose
– Assign tasks to their members
– Control their members behavior: conformity