This document discusses the definition and classification of groups according to sociologist Richard Schaefer. It defines a group as a number of people who regularly interact and share common norms and values. Groups are distinguished from crowds based on the strength of interaction and attachment between members. Schaefer classified groups into four main types: primary groups which are small and intimate, secondary groups which are larger and more impersonal, in-groups which members feel a strong sense of belonging, and out-groups which members feel antagonism towards. The document also discusses the concepts of reference groups which influence members' behaviors and norms, and networks which describe the connections between individuals, groups, and organizations at micro, meso, and macro levels.

1. Organization of a
Society
Flamiano, Jb Angelo

2. Groups
According to American sociologist Richard Schaefer (1979), a group is a
number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who regularly
and consciously interact with one another. Students' organizations in
schools,like academic clubs, theater groups, dance troupes, and athletes'
clubs are all examples of groups. The members of a group are assumed to
share common interests.For this,the members of a group feel a sense of
belongingness.
A group who regularly meets and has strong attachment among its members is
different from a crowd. This group is distinguished from ordinary aggregates of
people inside a mall or from clusters of commuters awaiting for their ride. A
number of people in one place may share common characteristics and
economic activities-such as farmers in a province-but they cannot be called a
group if they rarely interact with each other.

3. Groups
In schools, one of the most popular student organizations is the student
government. The student members follow a set of black and white rules
and regulations, as well as certain values and norms. This is the same in
almost all groups. Rules are made to maintain peace and understanding
among its members.
In a larger setting, groups may pertain to environmental
groups,humanitarian parties, corporate unions, economic factions, political
organizations, and more. All of these groups have a specific set of
objectives they wish to accomplish in a certain period of time. They aim to
have their objectives heard by the public through rallies, advertisements,
and the like.

4. Group
Advocacy bodies such as Greenpeace, Red Cross, and People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) are all examples of groups. Government
Organizations such as the Social Security System (SSS), Department of
Health(DOH), and the like are also groups that run in a nationwide basis.
However, not all group objectives are aimed for the benefit of the
humankind. Terrorist factions, such as Al Qaeda and IS (Islamic State), are
also examples of groups which promote their beliefs through terrorism and
destructive methods

5. Whoa!
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6. Although groups are similar in general terms, they still vary in terms of
size,members' personalities,and type of interaction.Schaefer(1979) classified
groups into four types-primary,secondary,in-group and out-group,and reference
groups.
The first type is called the primary group. It is a small group characterized by
intimate,face-to-face association and cooperation among the members.lt serves
as an avenue for the members to socialize and to develop their roles in the group.
Also,it is the immediate support system of an individual in navigating avery
complex social life. A family or a barkada are examples of primary groups.
If a person belongs to a group which is not closely bonded with face-to-face
interactions, like a big group of students reviewing for a college entrance
exam,then he or she is a part of a secondary group. The secondary group refers to
the formal and impersonal group where in members have little social intimacy or
mutual understanding.

7. These two groups are distinguished by the depth of social interaction
among its members.However,the primary and secondary groups may
still have gray areas between them. In some secondary groups,there can
be few manifestations of primary groups. For example, a big class is
secondary in character;however, it can also be considered as primary
when they stay together to share food during lunch time.
The classification of groups may also refer to the feeling of
belongingness and feeling of antagonism among the members. American
sociologist William Graham Sumner(1959)first conceptualized the idea
of these two other groups-the in-group and the out-group.

8. Within the in-group,people feel they belong in a close group. There is such a high regard for
each member that collective terms like "we," "us," or "tayo" are
commonly used. An example of an in-group may be a small community with the same
cultural values and practices.Outgroup,on the other hand,is the exact opposite of the
former.The members of out-group feel as though they shouldn't have been in that specific
group.
When it comes to solidarity,an in-group exhibits a perfect example.However,the group's
strong feeling of distinction creates a sense of supremacy towards other groups. If the
members have high regard of themselves,they tend to be blind to other groups' merit. In
some instances, the members of in-groups tend to look down on or ignore other
groups,thus creating discrimination.

9. A person can be a member of many groups which are all influential in how he/she
perceives and views social realities.When people use a group as a standard by
evaluating its members and their behavior,sociologists call this group reference
group.
One important function of a reference group is that it serves as a basis for setting
the standards or norms to be observed by the person. A reference group also
makes a comparative function because one individual always has an inclination
to compare himself/herself with others. A person may be influenced by more than
one reference groups.
Take a teacher as an example.The school serves as a reference group for the
teacher because he or she must behave and act according to the school's
expectations.

10. Being affiliated with a group is one way of forming a network.
In simpler terms,a network is the structure of connection of an individual with
oneself,with other individual/s,and group/s (Faust, 1994). It can either be small or
vast,intrapersonal or interpersonal, emergent,and complex.
For example,a school's student population has a small network of academic
and non-academic organizations.These student groups may also be included in a
network of other organizations (i.e.,Parent-Teacher Association) inside the school.
Likewise,the school as a group is also a member of wide networks of schools within
the city,region,country,and the world.
The idea of a network was prefigured by European sociologists Émile
Durkheim and Ferdinand Tönnies in their studies about groups in the late 1890s.
However,it was German sociologist Georg Simmel who introduced the very
nature of networks to the public in 1908.
Networks fall into three general levels: micro-level,meso-level,and macro-
level.
Networks

11. Micro-Level
Micro-level networks start from a single individual,expanding his/her contacts
with other individuals (Kadushin,2012).A barkadahan is an example of a micro-
level network.
Meso-Level
Not only individuals may be affilliated with their fellow individuals. Even groupscan be linked
with individuals and with each other,forming what sociologistscall the meso-level network. It is
more complicated than micro level but has lowdensity of connections.
Associations,such as Parent-Teacher Associations,belong in the meso-levelnetwork.
Macro-Level
The most complex level of network is the macro-level,where a high densityof connections is
present.Thus,individuals who belong in this level rarely exhibitintimate social interactions, as
compared with the ones in micro-and meso-levels.
Social networking sites and global organizations both belong in a macro-levelnetwork.

12. dats all.