SOCIAL GROUP MENAING AND TYPES

1. SOCIAL GROUPS
Meaning and types
Presented By
Dr. Shilpa Nagori
Assistant Professor in Sociology
Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar Gvt.P.G. College
Nimbahera (Rajasthan)

2. Meaning of Social Groups
 In its elementary sense, a group “is a number of units of anything in close
proximity to one another”.
 Social group is a collection of human beings who are brought into social
relationship with one another with a common goal under a common set of codes.
 It may be a pair, number of persons or even a collection of millions of people ex.
Sports club, a political party, a family etc.
 Social relationships needs – reciprocity – mutual awareness – consciousness of
joint interaction.

3. Definition of Social Groups
 William – Social group is a given aggregate of people playing inter-related roles
and recognized by themselves or others as a unit of interactions.
 Horton and Hunt – “Groups are aggregate or categories of people who have a
consciousness of membership and of interaction”.
 Ogburn and Nimkoff – “Whenever two or more individual come together and
influence one another, they may be said to constitute a social

4. Characteristics of Social Group
 Reciprocal relations: The member of a group are inter-related to each other. A
gathering of persons forms a social group when they are interrelated.
 Sense of unity: The members of a group are united by a sense of unity and a
feeling of sympathy.
 We-feeling: The members of a group help each other and defend their interest
collectively.

5. Common interests:
The interest and ideal of a group are common.
Similar Behaviour
The members of a group behave in a similar way
of behaviour.
Group Norms: Every group has its own
rules and norms which the members are
supposed to follow.

6. Classification of Social Groups
 Simmel considered size as a criterion for classifying groups.
1. Small size group
2. Large size group
 Lester F . Ward
1. Voluntary Group
2. Non- Voluntary Group
 Basis on closeness and Social distance
1. In – Group : Also known as We – group and We – Feeling
2. Out – Group : this called They – Group or Other _ group

7. • Sorokin : Sorokin divides social groups basis of relations in
social group
1.Unibonded/ Unifunctional Group
A. Bio – social Unibonded Group ex. Age, sex race etc.
B. Socio – cultural Unibonded Group ex. Club, college,hospital etc.
2.Multibonded / Mulifunctional

8. Sumnermade distinction between an
1. In-group : The groups with the individual indentifies himself are his ingroup, his family
or tribe or sex or college or occupation or religion. Usually expressed in the contrast
between “they” and “us”. Every group they are communists; we are Hindu, they are
Muslims; we are Brahmians, they are others not my people etc.,
2. Out-group : it is opposite of in-group.
Cooley classifies social group into Primary group and
Secondary group
1.Primary group is a small group which a small in number, direct
contact, face to face relations, mutual aim, common goals and
companionship.

9. Characteristics of a Primary Group
1.Physical proximity: In order that relations of the people may be close, it is
necessary that their contacts also should be close.
2.Small size: Relationship can be intimate and personal only in a small group.
3.Stability: To promote intimacy of relationship, the primary group should be stable
to some extend.
3.Similarity of background: The members of a primary group must be not only close
and near to each other but also approximately equally experienced and intelligent.
4.Limited self-interest: The restricted common interest must predominate in their
minds.
5. Intensity of shared interests : In a primary group the common interest is shared
by every member and by being shared by all the interest acquires a new significance, a
new emphasis and new valuation.

10. Importance of Primary Group
 For the individual:
 The first things to be impressed about group is that it is a medium through which
we learn culture, use culture and change culture. The group is an important factor
in shaping the personality of the individual.
 For the society:
 Help in the socialization of the individuals and maintain social control over them.
The attitudes of sympathy, love, tolerance, mutual help and sacrifice which provides
this cementing force.

11. Secondary Group
 Secondary group is a large group like a city, nation, political party, corporation and
labour union etc., Here human contacts become superficial and undefined. He
communicate with them by such indirect means as the written word. No face to face
relations.
 H.T. Mazumdar – “When face-to-face contacts are not present in the relations of
members, we may call that as secondary group.
Main Characteristics of secondary group
 Formal and impersonal relations
 Large in size
 Option of membership
 Active and Inactive members
 Relations – no face to face
 Formal rules
 Individuals status
 Goal orientation

12. Importance of Secondary Groups
 The primary group have an important place in a simple and
small society. But in modern era the trend is towards
secondary groups.
 The changing trends of modern society man now depends for
his needs more on secondary groups then primary groups.
 Efficiency (the emphasis is on getting the job done).
 Open Channels of Opportunity.
 Wider Outlook.

13. THANK
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