The social groups Are groups of individuals showing some degree of cohesion, bearing in mind that the cohesive elements must be significant.
A group of people waiting in line to take the bus does not constitute a social group, but an aggregate because the element that unites them is not significant.
Individuals of the social groups Share features such as:
- Interests.
- Ethical, moral, political and economic values.
- Social inheritance.
- Ethnicity.
- Relationship kinship.
On the other hand, the psychologist Muzafer Sherif Defines social groups as units, composed of individuals who interact with each other to have similar goals and objectives, stable relationships based on status, norms and values accepted by the group and sanctions in case the standards are broken.
Sherif's definition is more complex than the one previously proposed. At the same time, it is more precise since it allows answering essential questions about the formation of social groups, such as:
- How are social groups formed?
- How do they work?
- What elements govern the interaction of individuals within social groups?
Having delimited what social groups are, it can be said that there are hundreds of these: in one country there may be hundreds of dozens of social groups coexisting. Examples of different social groups are given below.
Types of groups and examples
Essentially, there are two types of social groups: primary and secondary. Both groups influence the behavior of individuals. However, they differ in the stage at which their influence is most notable.
The primary groups
Primary groups are those that influence the behavior of an individual in the early years of his life: childhood and adolescence. These groups shape the basic values of human beings while allowing them to forge their identity.
The primary groups are the first experience that the human being has to be part of a collective. Added to this, the primary groups are characterized by being more durable and stable than the secondary ones. There are two primary groups: family and friends.
1- Family group
The family group is the first group with which an individual interacts. This group gives the person the essential values that will define his life. It is also in this group that the feeling of belonging for the first time develops.
2- Groups of friends
The group of friends is the second group with which a person establishes relationships. The sense of belonging that it creates within the family group expands towards other individuals who share similar interests (books, music, movies, games, among others).
However, interests are just a way of forging the first contact. Once the first interaction has taken place, the bonds that will form will be so strong that the relationship will last even if interests change.
The group of friendships is so relevant that friends are considered a second family.
Secondary groups
Secondary groups are larger and more impersonal than primary groups. In the same way, these are less stable and durable.
An example of the ephemeral character of the secondary groups is a committee that agrees to have a Christmas party at work.
The committee will remain united while planning the party, but once it has been done, the group will dissolve.
These groups are formed in order to solve problems, achieve common goals, share with people who have our own interests, among others. Here are some examples of secondary groups
3- Political Parties
Political parties are associations that are carried out to promote the ideas and programs of a group that plans to reach a place in the government of a state.
People who are part of a political party are united by an ideology and the desire to govern. Political parties can be communist, socialist, ecological, liberal, Christian-democratic, social-democratic, conservative, among others.
4- Sports clubs
Sports clubs are free and private associations, created by individuals who share an interest in the practice and promotion of a specific sport.
Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus and Napoli are examples of football clubs.
5- Religious Groups
Religious groups are social organizations that are structured around a doctrine, which seeks to answer the most essential questions of the individual (such as the origin of the world and life on planet Earth).
The Religious groups Most outstanding around the world are:
- Islam, Christianity and Judaism, which are monotheistic (claim the existence of a single god).
- Hinduism and Shinto, which are Polytheists (They affirm that there is more than one god).
- Buddhism and Taoism, which are not theistic (deny the existence of supreme gods).
6- Working groups
The groups of works are those that are formed within the labor spaces. These are in principle forced associations because the individual is not in the ability to decide with whom he shares the work environment.
7- Study groups
The study groups are free associations created by the interest of achieving a common goal: to do an efficient research, to deliver a group work, to share knowledge before an evaluated activity, among others.
8- Groups that defend minorities
These are free associations that are made with the aim of defending and giving visibility to other minority groups. At present, these social groups have gained popularity. Some examples of these groups are:
- Feminists.
- Defenders of the rights of the LGBT community.
- Defenders of ethnic minority rights.
9- Reading Clubs
Reading clubs are social groups that are created for the purpose of commenting on literature works. These associations are created by the interest that members of the club share: reading.
References
- Social group. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org.
- Types of social groups: Primary, Secondary and Reference groups. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from study.com.
- Types of social groups. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from boundless.com.
- Social group. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from britannica.com.
- What are social groups and social networks? Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from khanacademy.org.
- Types of social groups. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from slideshare.net.
- Social Groups and Organizations: Groups, Aggregates and Categories. Retrieved on July 24, 2017, from sparknotes.com.