Ch. 4 section 4: GROUPS WITHIN SOCIETY
What is a GROUP?

 Defined: a set of people who interact on the bases
of shared expectations and who possess some
degree of common identity.
 Groups have 4 major features:




MUST CONSIST OF 2 OR MORE PEOPLE;
MEMBERS MUST INTERACT
MEMBERS MUST SHARE EXPECTATIONS;
COMMON SENSE OF IDENTITY AMONG
MEMBERS
Distinguish:
GROUPS/AGGREGATES/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES

 AGGREGATE: occurs when people gather at the
same place at the same time without formal
organization or a lasting pattern of
organization.(EX: Standing in line at the movies)
 SOCIAL CATEGORY: people who share traits or
common statuses. (EX: women, men, teens,
students, etc.)
 * How
do these differ from a group?
3 major ways to
differentiate groups:

 SIZE: group size varies from smallest possible (dyad =
2) to enormous. The size of the group impacts the amt.
of control group members have. In dyads, if one
member leaves the group ends. In triads (3) the group is
tougher to disband & decisions may be easier b/c there
is a majority rules situation. When small groups exceed
45 in number, members tend to sort themselves into
subsets within.
 TIME: some groups you may participate in once then
never again; others you may be a lifelong member of;
others may vary in terms of time spent with the group.
3 major ways to
differentiate groups:

ORGANIZATION:
Formal – has clearly defined structure, goals
and activities. Examples?
Informal – there is no official structure or
established rules of conduct.
Examples?
TYPES OF GROUPS

 PRIMARY: small group of people who interact
over a relatively long period of time on a direct and
personal basis. Relationships w/in the group are
intimate & often face-to-face; communication is
deep/intense; structure is informal. EX: Families.
 SECONDARY: interaction is impersonal &
temporary in nature. Relationships w/in the group
tend to be casual & ltd. In personal involvement.
Individuals w/in group are often
interchangeable/easily replaced. Secondary groups
tend to be organized around specific goals. EX:?
TYPES OF SECONDARY GROUPS

 Reference groups: any group with whom individuals identify
& whose attitudes & values you adopt (EX: friends, school
clubs).
 In Groups/Out Groups: the group you ID with; These groups
have 3 characteristics…use symbols to separate themselves
from others; see themselves positively & out-groups
negatively; there is competition with out-groups that may
even turn to conflict.
 E-communities: people interact with one another regularly on
the internet.
 Social Networks: the many different groups you belong to
form the basis of your social network. These relationships
may be direct and indirect. Social networks are NOT
groups…but may still serve as important parts of people’s
lives.
GROUP FUNCTIONS

 Different types of LEADERS (people who influence the
attitudes & opinions of others) include…
 INSTRUMENTAL LEADERS – task oriented people
who help the group to achieve its goals; and
 ESPRESSIVE LEADERS – emotion oriented people who
find ways to keep the group together and maintain
morale.
 Group leaders help the group to set goals, assign tasks
& make decisions. Within groups there should be
conformity to norms so the group can function
productively.
Final word on Social Networks…

 The sum total of all your combined interactions
forms your own personal Social Network. Today
we tend to define e-communities as “social
networks’ but within Sociology, the meaning of
social network is quite different. Don’t confuse the
two…
 So this is NOT a social network by the Sociology
class definition… movie clip
 This is a better example of the definition of Social
Network in terms of Sociology…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc
 HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL
SOCIAL NETWORK??