- A group is two or more people who interact, share common goals, and follow norms and roles.
- Family is the first group, and later groups like school, neighbourhood, and clubs influence development.
- Groups create a sense of belonging, and members influence one another.
- Small groups have about 2–10 members, while large groups include racial and political groups and nations.
- Social influence changes attitudes through compliance, identification, and internalisation.
- A group differs from a crowd or an audience because groups involve interaction and interdependence.
- Teams are special groups where members work together with shared responsibility to achieve a common goal.
Definitions [9]
MacIver and Page: “Society is a system of usages and procedures, of authority and mutual aid, of many groupings and divisions of controls of human behaviour and of liberties.
Oxford Dictionary: “The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community”
Morris Ginsberg: “A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behaviour which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or differ from them in behaviour.”
Bogardus E.S.: “A community is a social group with some degree of ‘we feeling’ and living in given area.”
Oxford Dictionary: “A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.”
George Lundberg: “Community is a human population living within a limited geographical area and carrying on a common interdependent life.”
Definition: Small Group
- “A small group is usually of 2 to 10 persons who have common objects of attention, jointly attempt at problem solving and decision making, who are strongly stimulating each other, who have common loyalty, and participate in similar activities.” - Kuppuswamy
- “A small group is a small number of persons with intimate relationships with each other, who collectively and vigorously work for the group's goal.” - Borgardus
Definition: Group
A group may be defined as an organised system of two or more individuals who are interacting and interdependent, who have common motives, have a set of role relationships among its members, and have norms that regulate the behaviour of its members.
Definition: Sense of We-Feeling
It refers to the tendency on the part of the members to identify themselves with the group, it means a feeling that they belong to the group.
Ralph Linton: “Status is the place in a particular system which a certain individual occupies at a particular time.”
Oxford Dictionary: “The official classification given to a person, country, or organization, determining their rights or responsibilities.”
Talcott Parsons: “A status is the positional aspect of the role.”
Ralph Linton: “A role represents the dynamic aspect of the position.”
Ely Chinoy: “Role is the pattern of behaviour expected or required of persons who occupy a particular status.”
Oxford Dictionary: “The function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.”
Definition: Social Norm
Social norm refers to rules and regulations of the society indicating how individuals should behave and respond in specific situations in the society.
Definition: Norm
A norm means a standard which serves as a reference point for showing any response in a social context.
Key Points
Key Points: Social Group
Key Points: Characteristics of Social Groups
- Mutual Awareness – Members are aware of each other and recognise themselves as part of the group.
- Common Goals – Group members share common interests, motives, or objectives.
- Interdependence – Members depend on one another; actions of one affect others.
- Sense of Unity – There is a feeling of belongingness and togetherness among members.
- We-Feeling – Members identify themselves as “we” and show loyalty to the group.
- Well-Defined Norms – Groups have clear rules, values, and expectations that guide behaviour.
- Interaction and Similar Behaviour – Members interact regularly and show similar patterns of behaviour to achieve group goals.
Key Points: Types of Social Groups
- Primary groups – Close, face-to-face, emotional relations (e.g., family).
- Secondary groups – Impersonal and goal-oriented (e.g., political party).
- Formal groups – Have clear rules, structure, and defined roles (e.g., office).
- Informal groups – No fixed rules, based on personal relations (e.g., friends).
- In-group – “We” group; viewed positively.
- Out-group – “They” group; often viewed negatively.
- Tajfel’s finding – People favour their own group even when groups are formed on small differences.
Key Points: Concept of Social Norms
- Social norms are rules that guide how people should behave in society.
- They act as standards for behaviour in different social situations.
- Two types of norms are descriptive norms and injunctive norms.
- Norms help in socialisation and maintaining social order.
- Social norms change over time, and harmful norms should be improved.
Concepts [15]
- Introduction of Society
- Definition of Society
- Characteristics of Society
- Introduction of Community
- Definition of Community
- Elements of Community
- Social Groups
- Characteristics of Social Group
- Types of Social Group
- Concept of Social Status
- Types of Social Status
- Concept of Social Role
- Social Role Related Concept
- Concept of Social Norms
- Types of Social Norms
