UNDERSTANDING

Society, Culture and

Politics
 HOW SOCIETY IS
ORGANIZED

Social relationships and patterns of interaction

become ‘institution the moment they start being
governed by formal and informal agreement(e.g.,
written laws, contracts) or by strong traditional
norms. The agreements may dictate the concrete
forms of arrangements within the ambit (bounds or
limit) of specific interests and goals. The word
‘organizations’ here does not exclusively refer to
types of association. Rather, it pertains to patters of
arrangements shaped and conditioned by the
overarching concerns that they aim to address.
MAY 02, 2025
 SOCIOLOGY

Political
Social
Organizations
Groups
SOCIAL

POLITICAL
ANTHROPO
SCIENCE
LOGY
LESSON 1:

SOCIAL
GROUPS
GROUPS: THE HEART OF INTERACTION
When individuals aggregate physically in a given space, they do not necessarily
make a social group. They are just a collection of warm bodies who happened to be
together in one space or who may happen to share a set of common characteristics.
Technically, the former is referred to in sociology as social aggregates—a simple
collection of people who happened to be together in a particular place but do not
significantly interact or identify with one another. The latter is technically referred
to as social categories. People who share common characteristics, (such as gender
or occupation) but do not necessarily interact or identify with one another.
 But when the relatio
nship starts to go b
mere “co-presence” eyond
or mere “co-catego
group starts to em ry,” a
erge. The situation
suggests that group then
s are not just colle
being; they have so ction of
me common interes
necessitate “interactio ts that
n” with to each other
time and space. Henc across
e, group can be descr
a collection of ind ibed as
ividuals who have
contact and freq regular
uent interaction,
influence, common f mutual
eeling of belongingne
work together to achie ss, and
ve a common set of go
als.
Although groups are collections of individuals, they may differ in
terms of what binds these individuals together. For example, a
family can be considered a group, but it is different from a peer
group or an interest group. The difference is not just in mere
physical closeness, but in the quality of feeling one has for and
with the other individuals in the group. Some groups are bonded by
the actual feeling of belongingness, but some individuals may have
the same feeling without them being recognized by the groups as
part of them.
 SOCIAL GROUP

Social group can be defined as a collection of

people who regularly interact with one another
on the basis of shared expectations concerning
behavior and who share a sense of common
identity. With these qualifications as to what
constitute a group, it will be better to
define/describe the categories of groups based
on some standards.
 PRIMARY GROUP
This is typically a small social group who members share
close, personal, enduring relationships. Primary groups are
marked by members concern for one another and shared
activities and culture. Examples include families, childhood
friends, and the highly influential social groups. They are
typically small-scale, include intimate relationships, and are
usually long-lasting period. The members of primary groups
feel a strong personal identity with the group.
 SECONDARY GROUP
This has the opposite characteristics of a primary group. Secondary groups
can be small or large and they are mostly impersonal and usually short-
term. These groups are typically found at work and school. An example of a
secondary group is a committee organized to plan a holiday party at work.
Members of the committee meet infrequently and for only a short period
of time. Although group members may have some similar interests, the
purpose of the group is about the task instead of the relationships.
Sometimes, secondary groups become pretty informal, and the members
get to know each other fairly well.
tle bit of body text
 IS ON OF PR IM AR Y
COM PA R U PS
S EC ON DAR Y GR O
AN D
 REFERENCE GROUP
This is a group to which we compare ourselves. Reference
groups, such as those of college freshmen, serve as a
standard against which behaviors and attitudes are
measured. We use reference groups in order to guide our
behavior and attitudes and help us to identify social norms.
Hence reference groups may also be called as “identity
association group” since its creation is fueled by a person’s
desire to provide a character connection. Reference groups
may be classified as in-group or out-group as shown in the
matrix below.
REFERENCE GROUPS AS IDENTITY GROUPS
 Groups and how they
behave are not neces
in terms of members sarily categorized
hip, actual as in the
group, or imagined primary and seconda
as in the reference ry
categorized in terms groups. They may b
of how an individual e
imagined groups, as is linked to any actua
in the networks defin l or
and formal social ties ed as sets of inform
that link people to ea al
ch other.
A network may not be a
physical
group or a group that is
populated by
actual group. It is fo
rmed by the
presence of social linkag
e invoked and
availed by an individ
ual for some
personal, economic, religio
us, or political
reasons.
 As we can see from the previous
discussion, groups may influence their History i
member in a variety of ways, from their s replete
with t with exam
his ph ples
thinking to their actual behavior. holocaust enomenon:
Sometimes, violent behaviors and , the the
suicides, Guyana
certain forms of biases result. With this, ISIS te mass
terrorism rrorism
we can appreciate the insight that in genera (or
others. l), and
groups are part of our social psyches, in many
thoughts and in actions.
 When this happens, a groupthink
—a processes by which the members of
a group ignore ways of thinking and
plans of action that go against the group
consensus—is said to be taking place.
Groupthink, in its general sense, is the
psychological influence exerted over as
by our respective groups on moral, legal,
scientific and religious matters.
Groupthink is normally evaluative in
nature, hence it may affect the
relationships of groups with each other.
 Members:
Alexa L. Basierto
Sofia Maristela D. Galing
Princess C. Jarogon
Bianca B. Sales
Andrea Mae Carias
Angelyn Carias
Khenrick Pangandoyon