Explain the characteristics, types of social groups. Primary and Secondary social group. Reference group.

1. Social groups

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.
• Need; Social relationships – 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 group”.
• MacIver and Page - social group as “any collection of human beings
who are brought into human relationships with one another”.

4. Characteristics of social groups
• Collection of individuals
• Interaction among members
• Mutual awareness
• We-feeling
• Group unity and solidarity
• Common interests
• Similar behaviour
• Group norms
• Size of the group
• Groups are dynamic
• Stability
• Influence on personality

5. Importance of social groups
• Survival becomes problematic without groups
• Man becomes man only among men
• Groups help social survival also
• Groups contribute to the development of personality

6. Importance of social groups
• Survival becomes problematic without groups
• Groups have become so necessary that our every survival becomes
problematic and doubtful in their absence.
• Groups are complementary to the development of human faculties, traits and
human nature.
• Man by birth itself has the biological potentiality of becoming man – the
social being.

7. Importance of social groups
• Man becomes man only among men
• Various studies have convincingly proved that man fails to develop human
qualities in the absence of human environment.
• The biological potentiality of man to become a ‘person’ does not happen on
its own automatically, even in the absence of a human environment.
• The biological potentiality blossoms only in social situation, to be more
precise, only in the context of groups.
• Added to this, the prolonged human infancy and the helplessness of new
born baby have almost made it a prisoner of the most elementary social
group, that is family.

8. Importance of social groups
• Groups help social survival also
• Not only from the point of view of survival but also from the viewpoint of
leading a successful life man depends on groups.
• By engaging himself in constant relations with others he learns things and
mends his ways.
• He keeps his eyes wide open, lends his ears to what others say, tries to keep
his memory ever fresh to remember the good things of the past and to refrain
from repeating the blunders of the past.
• In brief, from birth to death, man is engaged in the process of socialisation.
• Socialisation or the process of humanisation helps man to develop a
personality of his own.

9. Importance of social groups
• Groups contribute to the development of personality
• Personality is the product of the group life.
• The ‘self’ that every individual develops, though unique, is itself a product of
the group. No ‘self’ arises in isolation.
• Groups provide scope for the individuals to express their real nature, their
talents and abilities.
• Hidden potentialities can find their expression only in the context of social
groups.
• The groups shape man’s attributes, his beliefs, his morals and his ideals.
• Emotional development, intellectual maturity, satisfaction of physical and
social needs are unthinkable without groups.

10. Types of Social Groups

11. Classification of Social Groups
• Simmel considered size as a criterion for classifying groups.
• Small size group
• Large size group
• Dwight Sanderson suggested a three fold classification of
social groups by structure.
• Involuntary group
• Voluntary group
• Delegate group

12. Classification of Social Groups
• Cooley classified groups on the basis of kind of
contacts.
• Primary group
• Secondary group
• F.H. Giddings classified group into
• Genetic (involuntarily. Ex: family)
• Congregate (voluntarily. Ex: union)

13. Classification of Social Groups
• George Hasen classifies groups one the basis of their relations
to other group into
• Unsocial group (does not participate in large society. ex: Tribe)
• Pseudo-social group (mix with all for own gain. ex: common)
• Anti-social group (destroys public property)
• Pro-social group (welfare of the people)
• Miller divided social groups into
• Horizontal groups
• Vertical groups

14. Classification of Social Groups
• Sumner made distinction between an
• In-group
• The groups with the individual indentifies himself are his in-group, 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.,
• Out-group
• Its opposite of in-group

15. Primary group
and
secondary group

16. Primary group
• The concept of ‘primary group’ is a significant contribution of
C.H.Cooley to the social thought.
• Primary groups are found in all the societies.
• The primary group is the nucleus of all social organisations.
• It is a small group in which a few persons into direct contact with one
another.
• These persons meet face-to-face for mutual help, companionship and
discussion of common questions.

17. Primary & Secondary Groups
Primary group is a small group which a
• small in number,
• direct contact,
• face to face relations,
• mutual aim,
• common goals and companionship.

18. Characteristics of a Primary Group
• Dominance of face-to-face relations
• Physical proximity or Nearness
• Small Size
• Stability of the group
• Similarity of background
• Limited self-interest
• Intensity of Shared interests
• Communication – direct, very quick and effective
• Direct cooperation

19. Characteristics of a Primary Group
• Dominance of face-to-face relations:
• It is characterized by close and intimate relationships. In primary
groups everyone knows else; one’s name and fame, one’s wealth,
occupation, level of education etc.
• Physical proximity:
• In order that relations of the people may be close, it is necessary that
their contacts also should be close.
• Small size:
• Relationship can be intimate and personal only in a small group.
• Stability:
• To promote intimacy of relationship, the primary group should be
stable to some extent:

20. Characteristics of a Primary Group
• 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.
• Limited self-interest:
• The restricted common interest must predominate in their minds.
• 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.

21. 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.

22. Importance of Primary Group
• Primary group – a great humanising agent
• role in socialising or humanising the child.
• Development of personality – fair play, equality, free expression etc.,
• Satisfaction of psychological needs – companionship, sympathy etc.,
• Provision of stimulus – with confidence and courage.
• United in process – direct cooperation, face-to-face etc.,
• Strengthens the democratic spirit – kindness, sympathy, love etc.,
• Acts as an agent of social control – family, neighbourhood, friends etc.,

23. 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.
• They 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 member, we may call that is secondary
group”.

24. Characteristics of Secondary Group
• Main Characteristics of secondary group
• Formal, impersonal and secondary relations
• Largeness of the size
• Option of membership - voluntary
• No physical basis
• Active and Inactive members
• Relations – no face to face (indirect communication)
• Formal rules – law, legislation, police, court etc.,
• Individuals status- limited influence on personality
• Goal orientation
• Group structure – formal structure

25. 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.

26. Primary Group Secondary Group
 Meaning: Groups which re
characterized by face-to-face
relations, mutual aid are
primary group. Ex: family,
friends etc.,
 Nature of Social Relations:
social relations are face-to-
face, direct intimate, personal,
non-partisan in character.
 Groups which provide
experience lacking in
intimacy are secondary
group. Ex: political parties,
unions etc.,
 Social relations are
indirect, impersonal,
contractual, specialized,
and more economic
nature.
Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups

27. Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups
 Size: primary groups are smaller in
size.
 Physical proximity: group are
confined to a small geographic
area.
 Communication: its not only direct
but also quick and effective.
 Group interest: interest of
members are not specific but
general.
 Nature of co-operation: co-
operation is direct.
 Secondary groups are relatively
bigger in size.
 Groups are not characterized by
physical area.
 Members are spread over a vast
area direct communication is
difficult.
 Interest of members are more
specific.
 Co-operation is mostly indirect.

28. Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups
 Group structure: its very
informal. The group is not very
much organized in the modern
sense.
 Durability: groups are relatively
durable.
 Effects on personality: the group
has a long-lasting influence upon
the personality.
 Nature of group control:
informal means of social control.
 Group structure is formal.
The organization of the
group is carefully planned
and worked out.
 Groups may be temporary
or permanent.
 The impact of group on
the personality of the
members is rather limited.
 Formal means of control.

29. In-group and out-group

30. In-group V/s. Out-group
• Sumner’s classification between in-group and out-group.
• The individual belong to number of groups which are his in-
groups.
• All other groups to which he does not belong are his out
groups.
• Family, tribe, the college are examples of in-groups.

31. In-group V/s. Out-group
• In in-groups their relationships towards each other they display:
• Sense of belonging
• co-operation
• goodwill
• mutual help
• solidarity
• feeling of brotherhood and
• readiness to sacrifice
• In-group signifies their unity by the word “we” and their
distinctions from the others by applying to those the term “they”.

32. Reference group

33. Reference group
• The term ‘reference group’ was introduced into the literature on
small group by Muzafer Sherif in his book “An Outline of Social
Psychology” – 1948.
• He used the term in contrast to the term membership group.
• Membership group refers to a group to which a person belongs, while
the ‘reference group’ refers to a group that affects his behaviour.
• The two, of course, may coincide.

34. Definition
• Ogburn and Nimkoff – “groups which serve as points of comparison
are known as reference groups”. They have further added that the
reference groups are those groups from which “we get our values, or
whose approval we seek”.
• Horton and Hunt – “a reference group is any group to which we refer
when making judgements – any group whose value-judgements
become our value-judgements”. They have further said, “groups
which are important as models for one’s ideas and conduct norms…”
can be called reference groups.

35. Reference group
• The concept of reference groups, as distinct from membership
groups, has particular relevance for modern complex, heterogeneous
society with its high rates of physical and occupational mobility.
• In such a complex society a person may be member of one group but
prefer membership or aspire for membership in another.
• In a small folk society, the distinction between membership group are
reference groups is less common and may be non-existent.

36. Circumstances of reference group
• When some or all the members of a particular group aspire to
membership in the reference group.
• Example. The ambitions upper-middle class people are always interested in
joining the rank of upper-class people.
• In order to get an admission into upper-class, they may show their prejudice
and even aggressiveness towards low-ranking groups.

37. Circumstances of reference group
• When the members of the particular group struggle to imitate the
members of reference group, or try to make their group just like the
reference group at least in some respects.
• Example. The lower caste people in India who suffer from a sense of inferiority
are found to be emulating some of the styles and practices of upper caste to
feel equal to them at least in some respects.
• Similarly, members of the minority groups may try to incorporate in their
personality dominant-group standards to help better their relationship with
the dominant majority group.

38. Circumstances of reference group
• When the members of the particular group derive some satisfaction
from being distinctive and unlike the members of reference group in
some aspects.
• Example. If Whites as a status group are a reference group for Negroes, so are
Negroes a reference group for Whites because both want to retain their
differences.
• Whites want to remain unlike the negroes and so is the case with Negroes.
• Similarly, Muslims may be interested in maintain their difference with the
majority community, especially in the Indian context.

39. Circumstances of reference group
• When the members of a particular group consider the reference
group or its members as a standard for comparison.
• Example. The teachers of a city college may always make references to the
most prestigious college of the city as a measuring rod to assess their
position, service condition, performance and so on.
• Such contemplation of reference groups may have some consequences for
the moral of the group.

40. Thank you