COR 013 | MODULE 15

• Understanding of social groups is of primary importance to the understanding of human behaviour
• Through the different activities undertaken within the group, social life is sustained
• Reference group


  Group used as a standard for comparison or evaluation
• Networks


  Web of social relationships that surround an individual or group
• Primary Group


  A small social group whose members share personal and lasting relationship. Members spend a great deal time together, engage in a wide range of activities and leisure time together, and feel that they know one another well. They show real concern for one another.
• Primary Group


  • Plays a significant role in an individual's development
  • Relationships are formed in primary groups are often long-lasting and goals in themselves
  • They also are often psychologically comforting to the individuals involved and provide a source of support
• Primary Group


  • Family
  • Friendship
  • Love Relationships
• Family


  Families spend a significant amount of time together, allowing the members to support, comfort, and encourage one another. Families are connected for a lifetime and are significant to each member's personal growth.
• Friendship


  Friends often spend a lot of time experiencing different adventure together, chatting about personal stories and simply enjoying each- other's company.
• Love Relationships

  A couple in a love relationship is first brought together as a result of mutual physical and emotional attraction. They spend a significant amount of time together, whether that involves learning about one another or collectively sharing new experience.
• Social group



  Consist of two or more people who interact with one another and who recognize themselves as a distinct social unit. According to Giddens, 1993
• Charles Horton Colley


  He has a book entitled "Social Organization: A study of larger mind". Where he classified the group into two: the primary and secondary group
• Classification of groups in society

  1. Primary Group
  2. Secondary Group
  3. In-group
  4. Out-group
• Primary Group


  It is a small social group, whose members share personal and lasting relationship
• Examples of primary group

  1. Family
  2. Friend
  3. Love relationships
• Primary group


  it plays a significant role in an individual's development
• Friends 


  they often spend a lot of time experiencing different adventure together, chatting about personal stories and simply enjoying each-others company
• Family


  they are connected for a lifetime and are significant to each member's personal growth
• Love relationships 


  They spend a significant amount of time together, whether that involves learning about one another or collectively sharing new experience.
• The goal of primary groups is actually the relationship themselves rather than achieving some other purposes.

  They are relationship-oriented
• Secondary Group


  a large cluster of people who have a mutually shared purpose, often aiming to complete tasks.
• Secondary Group


  This group are based on interest and activities
• People in groups create BOUNDARIES to maintain a distinction between the "we" of the group and the "they" outside the group
• we


  people who are considered part of a certain group
• They


  people who do not belong to a certain group
• Willian Gramahan Sumner


  He developed that in-groups and out-groups
• In-group


  it is a group to which a person belongs. it has the "we" feeling.

  the presence of the person feels comfortable and with whom he/she shares a common experience
• Out-group


  groups to which a person does not belong.

  individuals do not belong due to the differences.

  it has the "they" feeling
• Reference Group


  A group to which we compare ourselves. It serves as a standard to which we measure our behaviors and attitudes.
• Reference Groups


  This group are used in order to guide our behavior and attitudes and help us to identify social norms.
• Reference Groups


  Used in order to evaluate and determine the nature of a given individuals or other group's characteristics and sociological attributes. It acts as a frame of reference if an individual wants to be part of the norms of the group.
• Reference Group


  Used as the frame of references for evaluating one's own behavior.
• Types of Reference Groups

  1. Informal Reference Groups
  2. Formal Reference Groups
  3. Membership Reference Groups
  4. Disclaimant Reference Groups
  5. Aspirational Reference Groups
  6. Dissociative Reference Groups
• Informal Reference Groups


  It is based on the groups shared interests and goals. Members react on personal level.

  Family and Friends are examples.
• Formal Reference Groups


  Have a specific goal or mission.

  Employee Union is an example
• Membership Reference Groups 


  Groups that are in agreement with in regards to attitude, norms and behaviors
• Disclaimant Reference Groups


  Group we do not agree with in regards to attitude, norms and behaviors
• Aspirational Reference Groups


  group of individuals doesn't belong to but aspires to become part of it in the future
• Dissociative Reference Groups


  a group of an individual doesn't belong to and disapproves of in regards to attitude, norms and behavior
• Social Network 


  it is an individual's scope, or total set of relationship with others