10
Groups
and
organizations
What is a group?
A group is the essence of life in society, two or more people who identify and interact with one another. There can be categories (People who have a status in common: homeowners, soldiers, millionaires, etc.) or crowds (Temporary cluster of people). There also are different types of groups: Primary Groups, Secondary Groups, In-groups, Out-groups, Reference Groups, Group Size, Social Networks, and Formal Organizations.
The Primary Groups are small, long lasting groups with personal relationships.The Primary Groups are small, long lasting groups with personal relationships.
The Secondary Groups are large, normally short term and with impersonal relationships, but the importance of these groups is that all members follow a specific interest. In-Groups mean a social group toward which a member feels respect and loyalty and Out-Groups a social group toward which a person feels a sense of competition or opposition. The Reference Group is how do we assess our own attitudes and behavior? (We compare ourselves in relation to specific reference groups.) The Group Size is important to the formation of relationships. The bigger the group, the weakest relationships, the smaller the group, the strongest the relationships are.
The Social Networks are a web of weak social ties. People identify and interact little with one another. Some of the characteristics of this group are:
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