GROUPS

AVELINO R. JAMES, JR., RN, RSW

Instructor
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
 WHAT IS GROUP?
 Collection of two or more persons who are in
social interaction, who are guided by similar
norms, values, and expectations and who
maintain a stable pattern of relations over a
period of time (Homans, 1950).
 Set of individuals who identify and interact

with one another in a structured way based

on shared values and goals (Donald Light,
1985).
 WHAT IS GROUP?
 A group is at least two people, but usually
more, gathered with common purposes or like
interests in a cognitive, affective and social
interchange in single or repeated encounters
(Mendoza, 2003).
1. to form impressions to one another,

2. creating a set of norms for their functioning

together,
3. developing goals for their collective authority,

4. evolving a sense of cohesion

 WHAT IS GROUP?
 “Two or more in face-to-face interaction
(Johnson and Johnson 1991:14 cited in
Shriver, 2011)
1. Each aware of his/her membership

2. Each aware of the others who belong to

the group
3. Each aware of their positive
interdependence as they strive to achieve
mutual goals
 WHAT IS GROUP?
 A small face to face collection of persons
who interact to accomplish some purpose
(Brown 1991:3 cited in Shriver, 2011)
 A simple collection of people is not a
group.
 A group is not static, but a constantly

moving and changing small system – goes

through different process.
 General Characteristics of Groups

1. A group consists of people who interact

and form social patterns.
2. Increases in size equals loss of freedom.
3. Interaction reaffirms social patterns.
4. Groups contribute to larger organization.
5. Groups define reality for the individual.
 Characteristics of Groups
 Group members interact on a fairly regular
basis through communication. They affect and
influence each other.
 The members of the group develop a
structure where each member assumes a
specific status and adopts a particular role:
each member accepts certain duties and
responsibilities and is entitled to certain
privileges.
 Characteristics of Groups
 The members of the group agree to some
extent on important norms, goals, and values.
Certain orderly procedures and values are
agreed upon.
 The members of the group feel a sense of

identity. They think of themselves as united

and interdependent, somewhat apart from
other people.
 Advantages of Groups
For social workers:
1. Many individuals feel more comfortable, or are
encouraged to participate and share ideas because of
the interaction that takes place in a group.
2. Group members receive psychological rewards from
the experience of helping others with their problems.
3. Internal forces in groups (contagion, affectional ties,
group pressure, leadership) can influence attitudes,
values and behaviors, making group potent
instruments for affecting desired changes in the
individual and the group.
 Advantages of Groups
4. The group lend itself to the use of a variety of activities
that are not only relevant to the group’s goal but also
respond to the individual member’s needs and interests.
5. The cooperative thinking process that takes place in a
group, especially if guided properly, can hasten decision
making on the parts of its members.
6. Many individuals have similar problems that are best
handled with, a group engaged in collective action
instead of acting individually.
7. For certain purposes, it may be more economical to
work with groups than with individuals.
 Specific Reasons for Using the
Group Mode
1. To use the group as the primary means of
helping.
2. To augment individual methods.
3. To augment work with individual families.
4. To augment community methods.
5. To work with groups in the context of
intergroup approaches at the community
level.
 Specific Reasons for Using the
Group Mode
1. To use the group as the primary means of
helping.
2. To augment individual methods.
3. To augment work with individual families.
4. To augment community methods.
5. To work with groups in the context of
intergroup approaches at the community
level.
 USES OF GROUPS
1. For effects on participants : socialization
- re-socialization, acquiring or changing
concept of self, identity, motivation;
attitude formation and change, formation
and modification of values and beliefs;
behavioral change, achieving a sense of
belonging and support; education.
 USES OF GROUPS
2. For collective problem-solving :
work on common or joint tasks,
particularly in the area of ideas,
group thinking, cognitive,
emotional, or social, or individual,
group, or social situation.
 USES OF GROUPS
3. For change in the social situation or
conditions outside the group :
modification of the institution or social
system within which the group exists or of
the social situation- including the
community or society- through pressure,
dissemination of information, or
organization; modification of attitudes of
outsiders.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
1. According to social ties: the degree of
emotional relationships or quality of the bond
that brings the members together.
a. PRIMARY GROUP
- The most fundamental unit of human society.
- long-lasting group whose members have
intimate , personal, continuous face-to-face
relationships.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
a. PRIMARY GROUP
- Characterized by strong ties of love and

affection , personal identity with the group,

mutuality of interest, cooperation, and a “we”
feeling.
- E.g. families, gangs, cliques, play groups,

friendship groups
- Family is the “nursery of human nature”

(Cooley).
 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. SECONDARY GROUP
- Groups with which the individual
comes in contact later in life.
- Characterized by impersonal,
business-like, contractual, formal,
and casual relationship.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. SECONDARY GROUP
- Usually large in size, not very enduring

and with limited relationships, weak ties

of affection, weak personal identity with
the group and limited face-to-face
interaction.
- e.g. industrial workers, business associates,

faculty staff, company employees

 TYPES OF GROUPS
2. According to self-identification: whether a
member refers to him or her to a group.
a. In-group
- A social unit in which individuals feel at home
and with which they identify.
- Members have the “we” feeling for they are
similar in certain ways.
- e.g. Being poor or rich
 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. Out-group
- Individuals do not belong due to

differences in certain social

categories and with which they do
not identify.
- E.g. if we are law abiders, the out-

group is the law-violators

 TYPES OF GROUPS
c. Reference group or psychological group
- Groups to which we consciously or
unconsciously refer when we try to evaluate
our own life situations and behavior, but to
which we do not necessarily belong.
- Serve a comparison function; they provide

us with standards against which we evaluate

ourselves.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
c. Reference group or psychological group
- e.g. if we belong to the middle class, we may
feel fortunate and satisfied in comparison
with the poor class or dissatisfied in
comparison with the rich or upper class.
- Has a normative functions: provide with the

guidelines we use in fashioning our behavior

and they serve as a model to which the
individual patterns his lifestyles.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
3. According to purpose: refers to the
particular goal or objective which the
members have to accomplish.
a. Special interest groups
- Groups which are organized to meet

the special interest of the members.

- E.g. hobby groups
 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. Task group
- Groups assigned to accomplish jobs which
cannot be done by one person
- E.g. working committee

c. Influence or pressure groups

- Groups organized to support or influence
social actions
- E.g. social movements
 TYPES OF GROUPS
4. According to geographical location and
degree or quality of relationship: refers to
the kind of community where the members
reside and the kind of relationship among
themselves.
a. Gemeinschaft
- A social system in which most relationships

are personal or traditional.

 TYPES OF GROUPS
- A community of intimate, private and
exclusive living and familism.
- Activities, interests, and personalities of
the members center around the large
family groups and neighbors.
- Culture is homogenous and tradition-
bound
- E.g. tribal groups, agricultural village
 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. Gesselschaft
- A social system in which most relationships
are impersonal, formal, contractual or
bargain-like.
- Relationship is individualistic, business-like,
secondary and rationalized.
- Culture is heterogeneous and more advanced.

- City or urban groups

 TYPES OF GROUPS
5. According to form of organization:
refers to whether or not there are explicit
rules of memberships and goals to be
followed and performed by the members.
a. Formal groups
- They are called social organization

- Deliberately formed, and their purpose

and objectives are explicitly defined.

 TYPES OF GROUPS
- Goals are clearly stated and the
division of labor is based on the
member’s ability or merit.
- Has certain type of administrative
machinery which is aimed to enable
members meet their goals – the
bureaucracy.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
Bureaucracy
– hierarchical arrangement in large-scale formal
organizations in which parts of the organization are
ordered in the manner of a pyramid based on a
division of function and authority ( Weber, M. 1965).
- Merton defines as a formal, rationally organized
social structure involving clearly defined patterns of
activity in which every series of actions is
fundamentally related to the purpose of the
organization.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
Characteristics of Bureaucracy (Weber)
1. Positions and offices are clearly defined.

2. Hierarchical arrangement of authority, rights,

and obligations is specifically drawn and

clear-cut.
3. Personnel are selected on the basis of

technical or professional qualification and

expert training and competence through
competitive examination.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
Characteristics of Bureaucracy (Weber)
4. Definite rules govern official behavior.
5. Security of tenure and the pursuit of a career
with promotion in the hierarchy are assured.
According to Merton “the chief merit of
bureaucracy is its technical efficiency with a
premium placed on precision, speed, control,
continuity, discretion, and optimal return on
input.”
 TYPES OF GROUPS
Defects of Bureaucracy:
1. “Red Tape” – extreme adherence to rigid
procedures and paper work
2. “Boss Officials” – feels powerful that they are
indispensable fixtures of the organization.
3. “Gentlemanly Malingerers” – employees who

have become so secure and contended in their

jobs, that they feel they don’t have to work too
hard.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
Result of bureaucracy defects:
1. Non-productivity

2. Graft and corruption

3. Inefficiency in service

4. Delay in transactions

5. Palakasan system

6. Lagay system

7. Official misconduct and malpractices

 TYPES OF GROUPS
b. Informal groups
- It arises spontaneously out of the
interactions of two or more persons.
- Unplanned; no explicit rules of

membership; and doesn’t have

specific objectives to be attained.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
- Has its characteristics with that of
primary groups and members are
bound by emotions and sentiments.
c. Relationship groups
- Groups organized to fulfill the
feeling of companionship.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
- Has its characteristics with that of
primary groups and members are
bound by emotions and sentiments.
c. Relationship groups
- Groups organized to fulfill the
feeling of companionship.