Social Groups

A social group consists of two or more people who interact with one another and who recognize
themselves as a distinct social unit. The definition is simple enough, but it has significant
implications. Frequent interaction leads people to share values and beliefs. This similarity and the
interaction cause them to identify with one another.

Identification and attachment, in turn, stimulate more frequent and intense interaction. Each group
maintains solidarity with all to other groups and other types of social systems.

Groups are among the most stable and enduring of social units. They are important both to their
members and to the society at large. Through encouraging regular and predictable behavior, groups
form the foundation upon which society rests. Thus, a family, a village, a political party a trade union
is all social groups. These, it should be noted are different from social classes, status groups or
crowds, which not only lack structure but whose members are less aware or even unaware of the
existence of the group. These have been called quasi-groups or groupings. Nevertheless, the
distinction between social groups and quasi-groups is fluid and variable since quasi-groups very
often give rise to social groups, as for example, social classes give rise to political parties.

Social Aggregate

A social aggregate is a collection of people who are in the same place at the same time, but who
otherwise do not necessarily have anything in common, and who may not interact with each other.

A social aggregate is different from a social group, which refers to two or more people who interact
regularly and who have things in common, like a romantic couple, a family, friends, classmates, or
coworkers, among others. A social aggregate is also different from a social category, which refers to
a group of people defined by a shared social characteristic, like gender, race, ethnicity, nationality,
age, class, etc.

Every day we become part of social aggregates, like when we walk down a crowded sidewalk, eat in
a restaurant, ride public transit with other passengers, and shop in stores. The only thing that binds
them together is physical proximity.

A social category is a collection of people that have certain characteristics or traits in common, but
they tend not to interact with each other on a regular basis. For example, teenagers is a social
category because they are all within a particular age range and share certain characteristics.

Factors That influence Groups

- Motivational base shared by individual

- Type of group goals

- Kind of group cohesion

Social Organization- is a process of bringing order and significance into human social life. It has its
roots in social interaction.

According to McGee (1977:132) there are certain identifying characteristics of social organizations:

- Differentiation in statuses and roles on the basis of sex, age and ability which may be observed in
the activities of different types of people. - Recurrent connection between sets of activities and the
repeated tendency for one type of social activity to follow regularly after another. - A system of
norms and values govern the social activities. - Control: some person control the behavior of others,
and a system of sanctions maintain orderly behavior. - Repeated activities and behavior.

Social structure is the organized set of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized
relationships that together compose society. Social structure is both a product of social interaction,
and directly determines it. Social structures are not immediately visible to the untrained observer,
however they are always present and affect all dimensions of human experience in society. It also
refers to independent network of roles and the hierarchy of statuses which define the reciprocal
expectations and the power arrangement of the members of the social unit guided by norms.

Primary and Secondary Groups

Primary Group- is a small, intimate and less specialized group whose members engage in face-to-
face and emotion based interactions over extended period of time. ( family, close friends, work-
related peers, class mates and church groups)

Secondary Groups are larger. Less intimate and more specialized groups whre members engage in an
impersonal and objective-oriented relationship for a limited time. (example employees treat their
colleagues as secondary group since they know that they need to cooperate with one another to
achieve a certain goal.)

In-groups and Out-groups

A self-categorization theory – it proposes that people’s appreciation of their group membership is

Reference Group
A group to which an individual compares himself or herself. Such group strongly influence an
individual’s behavior and social attitude. It is considered a source of role models since the individual
uses it as a standard for self-assessment.

Network

Refers to the structure of relationships between social actors or groups. These are interconnections,
ties , linkages between people, their groups, and the larger social institutions to which they all
belong to. Modern societies feature more expansive, diverse and overlapping social networks than
primitive ones.

Evaluation:

My Group As a mirror of Myself

From among the many groups that you have had, past and present choose one that you think
provided you the most memorable impacts. Describe the group in column A, then enumerate the
impacts it had on you as a social person.

A The Group B its lasting impact on me as a person

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: The Family Today: Declining or Changing?

At the end of this module the student can:

- Explain the function of the family - Define kinship, marriage and household - Enumerate and
explain the different forms of kinship by blood, kinship by marriage and kinship by rituals - Discuss
the different types of families - Summarize recent changes in the family as an institution

Motivation:

What is your own idea of a family? Draw a picture or make a sketch that matches your definition. In
your drawing, be sure that you specify the members and the gender of the parents. Compare your
work with your classmates’ own drawing or sketches.

Kinship is one of the main organizing principles of society. It is one of the basic social institutions
found in every society. This institution establishes relationships between individuals and groups.
People in all societies are bound together by various kinds of bonds.
An in-group is a group to which one belongs and with which one feels a sense of identity. An out-
group is a group to which one does not belong and to which he or she may feel a sense of
competitiveness or hostility.