Section 4.1: Types of Social Groups

When we casually use the term “group” in our everyday conversations, it may seem like a simple and generic word. However, in the realms of clinical and scientific contexts, the concept of a group holds significant importance and carries deeper meanings. In sociology, understanding the various types of social groups is crucial for comprehending society and human interaction. Although we might use the word “group” in different ways, it is essential to refine its meaning for sociological purposes.

Reading Time: 12 minutes

Primary and Secondary Groups: What’s the Difference?

Meet the Gang: Primary Groups

Imagine you’re hanging out with your best friends or chilling with your family at home. These people are super important to you, right? You share secrets, have deep conversations, and really care about each other. These are what sociologists call “primary groups” (Feldman, 2019). They’re small, close-knit, and filled with emotion. It’s like having your own personal cheerleading squad!

The Bigger Picture: Secondary Groups

Now, think about your classmates, teammates, or even the members at your local community center. These groups are bigger and less personal. You’re probably part of them for a specific reason, like learning in school or playing sports. These are called “secondary groups” (Turner & West, 2019). They’re like your project teammates; you work together towards a common goal, but might not share your deepest fears or dreams.

Look Who’s Watching: Reference Groups

Ever looked at someone and thought, “I want to be like them”? Or maybe you’ve compared your grades or style with others. These are your “reference groups” (Hogg & Abrams, 2019). They’re the groups you look at to figure out how you’re doing in life. Some might be your role models, while others are like measuring sticks to see where you stand.

Understanding these groups helps us make sense of our world. They’re like the pieces of a puzzle that, when put together, show us the big picture of society (Berger & Luckmann, 1966). They shape who we are, how we act, and even what we dream about.

🔍 Reflect

Think about your own life. Who are your primary groups, and how do they support you? Can you identify some secondary and reference groups you’re part of? How do they shape your goals and actions?

What Makes a Social Group?

Groups: More Than Just a Bunch of People

Let’s talk about groups. But not just any group — we’re diving into what makes a social group. It’s like when you team up for a project, join a book club, hang with your squad, or work with colleagues. A social group is a bunch of folks (at least two) who regularly hang out and feel like they’re part of something together (McMillan & Chavis, 1986).

Not Every Crowd is a Group

Imagine you’re at a concert or a rally. It’s packed, but does that make it a group? Not really. Why? Because even though it’s a big gathering, it’s usually a one-time thing. There’s no ongoing chit-chat or shared identity among everyone there. The same goes for being part of a political party. Just having a membership card doesn’t mean you’re interacting with other members regularly.

When People Don’t Make a Group

Ever been in a long line at Starbucks? You’re all there together, but are you a group? Nope. That’s what we call an ‘aggregate’ or a ‘crowd’ (Turner, 1982). Everyone is just minding their own business, not really forming any bonds or feeling like they’re part of a Starbucks line community.

Categories: Similar But Not Connected

Here’s a fun one: Millennials. People born between 1980 and 2000 are all called Millennials (Howe & Strauss, 2000). They share some traits but don’t really know each other or hang out. This is what we call a ‘category’. They’re similar in some ways but lack the regular interaction of a group.

When Aggregates and Categories Transform

Now, here’s something cool. Sometimes, when things get tough, like during a natural disaster, those strangers in your neighborhood (an aggregate) can come together to help each other out. Suddenly, this bunch of individuals becomes a group, sharing a sense of unity and helping one another (Drabek, 1986).

Groups Within Categories

Think about teachers. They’re a category, right? But within that, there are groups like teachers’ unions or those who coach sports (Hargreaves, 1994). So, you can have groups within a larger category.

Understanding what makes a group is like unlocking a secret code. It helps us get why we feel connected in some situations and just part of a crowd in others. It’s all about interaction, shared identity, and feeling like you’re part of something together.

Primary and Secondary Social Groups

Primary Groups: Your Social Circle

Let’s dive into the world of social groups, a topic that might sound a bit dry but is actually super interesting and totally relevant to your daily life. So, there was this guy named Charles Horton Cooley, a big shot in sociology, who came up with an idea in 1909. He said there are two main types of groups in our lives: primary groups and secondary groups.

Primary groups are like the VIPs of your social world. They’re small, tight-knit, and super important for your emotional health. Think about your family or your closest friends. These are the people who have your back, who you share your deepest secrets with, and who help shape who you are. They’re not just there for fun; they play a crucial role in your life, teaching you how to act and feel about the world around you.

Secondary Groups: Beyond Your Inner Circle

Now, let’s switch gears to secondary groups. Imagine a big group of people, maybe in a classroom or at work. These groups are usually bigger and less personal. You’re there for a reason, like learning or getting a job done. It’s not so much about sharing feelings or deep connections. It’s more like, “Hey, we’re all here to do this thing, so let’s get it done.”

But here’s a cool twist: the lines between these groups aren’t set in stone. They can change and blur. You might start out in a study group, all business and no chit-chat. But as time goes by, you might find common interests and start forming real friendships. Before you know it, what was just a secondary group for studying could turn into a primary group of close friends. It’s all about how relationships can evolve and grow.

Understanding Social Groups

So, why should you care about primary and secondary groups? Well, they help you understand how different social interactions shape your life. Your family and best friends influence you in ways you might not even notice, while those big, less personal groups serve a different purpose. It’s like having a toolbox, with different tools for different jobs. Understanding these groups helps you navigate the social world and understand how and why you connect with others.

🔍 Reflect

Have you ever had a group of people, like classmates or teammates, turn from just acquaintances into close friends? How did that transition happen?

In-Groups and Out-Groups: The Insider and Outsider Story

Ever felt like you’re either in the cool crowd or looking in from the outside? Well, that’s not just high school drama; it’s a real sociological concept. Back in 1906, a guy named William Sumner coined the terms ‘in-group’ and ‘out-group’, and they’re pretty much what they sound like.

What’s an In-Group?

Think of an in-group as your tribe, your squad. It’s where you feel you belong, and it becomes a big part of who you are. It’s like being a die-hard fan of a sports team, a proud member of a club, or part of a tight-knit friend circle. In these groups, there’s a sense of unity and identity that’s really powerful.

Out-Groups: The Other Side

On the flip side, there’s the out-group. This is any group you’re not part of, and sometimes, you might even feel a bit of rivalry or dislike towards them. It’s like when fans of competing sports teams have a friendly (or not so friendly) rivalry. Or think about how different social circles at school might view each other.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Now, being part of an in-group can be awesome. It can make you feel special and connected. But there’s a dark side too. Sometimes, in-groups can look at out-groups as ‘less than’ or even as enemies. This can lead to some pretty nasty stuff like racism, sexism, or bullying. It’s like when people pick on others just because they’re different.

In-Groups at Work and Beyond

Here’s something interesting: in-groups can even form within larger groups, like at work or in school. You might see certain cliques or groups that stick together and have their own mini-culture. But watch out – these in-groups can sometimes exclude others or play power games without even realizing it.

Why It Matters

Understanding in-groups and out-groups helps you see how complex our social world is. It’s all about who’s in, who’s out, and how we treat each other based on those labels. It’s important to be aware of these dynamics so we can build more inclusive and kinder communities.

🔍 Reflect

Can you think of a time when you felt part of an in-group? What about a time when you felt excluded? How did these experiences make you feel and shape your view of groups and belonging?

Reference Groups: The Social Mirrors

Ever wondered why we care so much about what others think or do? That’s where reference groups come into play. They’re like the mirrors of society that show us who we could be, should be, or are scared of becoming. They’re super important because they shape how we act, what we like, and even how we see ourselves.

Peer Pressure and More

Let’s talk about peer groups, especially in America. Think about how much we check out what our friends are wearing, what music they’re into, or how they spend their free time. We often compare these things with our own choices, and guess what? These comparisons can actually change what we decide to do and become a big part of our social identity.

But wait, there’s more. Our social mirrors aren’t just one group. A middle school kid, for example, might look at his classmates, but also at his older brother’s friends, and even his favorite sports stars. All these groups show different ways of being cool or fitting in.

Mixed Messages from Different Groups

Reference groups aren’t just about peers. They can be anything from cultural icons to our workplaces, family get-togethers, and even our parents. Sometimes these groups give us mixed messages. Like, have you ever noticed how TV shows and movies often show young people living super fancy lives without real jobs? Or how music videos sometimes show young women acting way older than they are? These conflicting images can make it hard to figure out what’s actually cool or acceptable.

Navigating Our Social World

No matter how old we are, we use reference groups to understand what’s okay and what’s not in society. That’s why hanging out with positive groups is super important. Even if we don’t realize it, these groups quietly influence what we do and how we think about ourselves.

So, knowing who your reference groups are can be a great way to understand yourself better. It can show you what kind of person you want to be and what you definitely don’t want to be. By choosing positive groups to look up to, you can guide your actions and thoughts toward the good stuff. This means you’re taking charge of your social identity, not just letting things happen.

🔍 Reflect

Who are your reference groups? How do they influence your choices, style, or behaviors? Are there any groups you look up to that you’d like to emulate more?

Summary

Understanding Different Types of Groups

Groups are all around us, but they’re not all the same. Here’s the deal: Not every bunch of people together is a group. Like, if you’re in line at a movie or at a big rally, that doesn’t make you a group. Real groups have things in common and talk to each other a lot. Sometimes people might be grouped together because they’re similar (like all being Millennials), but they don’t actually hang out together.

But, things can change. When something big happens, like a crisis, people who were just hanging around might become a real group, helping each other out. And inside big groups, smaller groups can form, based on what people are into or what they do. Understanding all this helps us get how people interact and how these relationships shape our world.

The Big Ideas from Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley

Cooley talked about two main types of groups: primary and secondary. Primary groups are like your family; they’re small, close, and really matter to your feelings. Secondary groups are bigger, like your class at school or people at work. They’re more about getting stuff done and not so much about feelings. Knowing about these groups helps us understand how we connect with others.

In-Groups and Out-Groups: The Scoop from William Sumner

Sumner came up with the ideas of ‘in-groups’ and ‘out-groups’. In-groups are groups you feel you belong to, and out-groups are ones you don’t. This could be sports teams, clubs, or any group really. These groups can lead to cool things, like friendly competition, but sometimes they can cause problems, like when people think they’re better than others just because of their group. Sometimes, inside big groups, like at work, smaller in-groups can form, which can make things tricky.

Reference Groups: Our Social Mirrors

Reference groups are the groups we look at to figure out how to act or what’s cool. For lots of people, friends are a big reference group. We might check out what they wear or what music they like. But we can have lots of different reference groups, like celebrities or even our parents. Sometimes these groups give us mixed messages, and it can be tough to know what’s the right thing to do or like. Knowing your reference groups can help you understand yourself better and make good choices about who you want to be.

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Key Terms

group, social concept, fluid term, interaction, regularity, shared sense of identity, rally, sustained interaction, aggregate, crowd, category, Millennials, crisis, natural disaster, bonds of solidarity, primary groups, secondary groups, Charles Horton Cooley, shaping, emotional interactions, expressive, affective functions, family, personal development, task-oriented, achieve goals, in-group, out-group, prejudice, reference groups, social identity

References and Further Reading 

• Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. Anchor Books.
• Feldman, R. (2019). Development Across the Lifespan. Pearson.
• Hogg, M. A., & Abrams, D. (2019). Social Identity: The Role of Self in Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. Routledge.
• Turner, J. H., & West, R. L. (2019). The Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Social and Political Theory. Routledge.
• Drabek, T. E. (1986). Human system responses to disaster: An inventory of sociological findings. Springer-Verlag.
• Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: Teachers’ work and culture in the postmodern age. Teachers College Press.
• Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials rising: The next great generation. Vintage.
• McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
• Turner, R. H. (1982). The role and the person. American Journal of Sociology, 88(1), 1-23.
• Bales, R. F. (1950). Interaction process analysis: A method for the study of small groups. Addison-Wesley.
• Cooley, C. H. (1909). Social organization: A study of the larger mind. Charles Scribner’s Sons.
• Homans, G. C. (1950). The human group. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
• Newcomb, T. M. (1950). Social psychology: The study of human interaction. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
• Sherif, M. (1966). In common predicament: Social psychology of intergroup conflict and cooperation. Houghton Mifflin.
• Sumner, W. G. (1906). Folkways: A study of the sociological importance of usages, manners, customs, mores, and morals. Ginn and Company.
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Brooks/Cole.
• Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117-140.
• Hyman, H. H. (1942). The psychology of status. Archives of Psychology, 269(5), 94-102.
• Merton, R. K. (1957). The role-set: Problems in sociological theory. British Journal of Sociology, 8(2), 106-120.

Modification History

File Created:  05/07/2023

Last Modified:  11/02/2023

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