SOCIAL GROUPS

RAEES UR REHMAN
 SOCIAL GROUP
• Almost everyone wants a sense of belonging, which is
the essence of group life. A social group is two or more
people who identify with and interact with one
another. Human beings come together in couples,
families, circles of friends, churches, clubs, businesses,
neighborhoods, and large organizations. Whatever the
form, a group is made up of people with shared
experiences, loyalties, and interests. In short, while
keeping their individuality, members of social groups
also think of themselves as a special “we.
 TYPES OF GROUPS
• According to Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929), a primary
group is a small social group whose members share personal
and lasting relationships. Joined by primary relationships,
people spend a great deal of time together, engage in a wide
range of activities, and feel that they know one another pretty
well. In short, they show real concern for one another. The
family is every society’s most important primary group.
• Family
• Close Friends
• Small Religious Communities
• Childhood Peer Groups
• Work Teams with Strong Bonds
• Support Groups
• In contrast to the primary group, the secondary group is a
large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a
specific goal or activity. In most respects, secondary groups
have characteristics opposite to those of primary groups.
Secondary relationships involve weak emotional ties and little
personal knowledge of one another. Many secondary groups
exist for only a short time, beginning and ending without
particular significance.
• Workplace Colleagues
• Classmates in a Large Lecture Hall
• Professional Associations
• Online Communities
• Sports Teams
• Political Parties
• Large Social Clubs
 GROUP LEADERSHIP
• Two Leadership Roles
• Groups typically benefit from two kinds of leadership.
Instrumental leadership refers to group leadership
that focuses on the completion of tasks. Members look
to instrumental leaders to make plans, give orders,
and get things done. Expressive leadership, by
contrast, is group leadership that focuses on the
group’s well-being. Expressive leaders take less
interest in achieving goals than in raising group morale
and minimizing tension and conflict among members.
 Three Leadership Styles
• Sociologists also describe leadership in terms of decision-making style.
• Authoritarian leadership focuses on instrumental concerns, takes
personal charge of decision making, and demands that group members
obey orders. Although this leadership style may win little affection from
the group, a fast-acting authoritarian leader is appreciated in a crisis.
• Military Commanding Officer - In a military setting, a commanding officer
often makes decisions without extensive input from subordinates. Orders
are expected to be followed without much discussion, especially in
critical situations.
• Democratic leadership is more expressive and makes a point of including
everyone in the decision-making process. Although less successful in a
crisis situation, democratic leaders generally draw on the ideas of all
members to develop creative solutions to problems.
• Laissez-faire leadership allows the group to function
more or less on its own (laissez-faire in French means
“leave it alone”). This style is typically the least effective
in promoting group goals.
• In a community volunteer group, the leader may adopt a
laissez-faire style, empowering volunteers to take charge
of specific initiatives or projects. Each member is trusted
to contribute in their own way, with minimal direct
supervision.
• Within a research and development department,
especially in technology companies, team leaders may
adopt a laissez-faire style, allowing scientists and
engineers the freedom to explore and experiment with
new ideas without strict oversight.
 REFERENCE GROUPS
• How do we assess our own attitudes and behavior? Frequently, we use a
reference group, a social group that serves as a point of reference in making
evaluations and decisions.
• High School Students:
– Within a high school, students often form reference groups based on shared
interests, academic achievements, or extracurricular activities. They may compare
themselves to peers in terms of grades, social status, and other aspects.
• Professionals in a Tech Industry:
– Professionals working in the technology industry may use their colleagues and
industry leaders as reference groups. They might compare their skills, career
progress, and work achievements to those of others in the field.
• Social Media Influencers:
– Followers of social media influencers may use them as a reference group for fashion
trends, lifestyle choices, and product preferences. Individuals may compare
themselves to influencers in terms of appearance and lifestyle.
 In-Groups and Out-Groups
• An in-group is a social group toward which a member feels respect and
loyalty. An in-group exists in relation to an out-group, a social group toward
which a person feels a sense of competition or opposition. In-groups and out-
groups are based on the idea that “we” have valued traits that “they” lack.
Nationality:
• In-Group: Citizens of a specific country.
• Out-Group: Citizens of other countries.
Religion:
• In-Group: Members of a specific religious faith.
• Out-Group: Followers of different religions.
Gender:
• In-Group: Individuals identifying as a particular gender.
• Out-Group: Individuals identifying with a different gender.
 Group Size
• The Dyad
• The German sociologist Georg Simmel studied social dynamics in
the smallest groups. Simmel used the term dyad (Greek for “pair”)
to designate a social group with two members. Simmel explained
that social interaction in a dyad is usually more strong than in
larger groups because neither member shares the other’s
attention with anyone else.
• The Triad
• Simmel also studied the triad, a social group with three members,
which contains three relationships, each uniting two of the three
people. A triad is more stable than a dyad because one member
can act as a mediator should the relationship between the other
two become strained.
 NETWORK
• A network is a web of weak social ties. Think of a
network as “fuzzy” group containing people who come
into occasional contact but who lack a sense of
boundaries and belonging. Network is “social web”
expanding outward, often reaching great distances and
including large numbers of people.
• Some networks are close to being groups, as is the case
with college fellows who stay in touch after graduation
by e-mail and telephone. Usually a network includes
people we know of – or who know of us – but with
whom we interact rarely.
 A New Group: Emergence of Electronic
Communities
• In the 1990s, the advent of the Internet brought forth a novel form of
human connection: electronic communities. These groups emerged
through online platforms where individuals, despite physical distance,
formed relationships, shared personal details, and developed a sense of
belonging. The Internet, a global network of connected computers, hosted
numerous newsgroups or "use nets" where people engaged in discussions
on various topics, creating a new way of communication rooted in
advancing technology.
• Termed as an "electronic community" or even likened to an "electronic
primary group," these virtual communities allowed individuals to connect
instantly worldwide, share information, and foster friendships without
physical interaction. Despite never meeting face-to-face, participants
regularly interacted, exchanged personal details, and established a sense of
intimacy, expanding the boundaries of human connection beyond physical
constraints.
 GROUP THINK
• Groupthink refers to a phenomenon in sociology where a group's
desire for conformity and agreement leads to poor decision-making or
faulty judgments. It occurs when a group prioritizes consensus and
harmony over critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints or
information.
• Groupthink in sociology is when a group of people wants to agree and
get along so much that they make bad decisions. They might feel like
they have to go along with what everyone else thinks, even if they
have different ideas. This can happen because the group believes it's
really strong and can't make mistakes. People in the group might not
speak up if they disagree, and they might even make up reasons to
support the decisions everyone else is making. This can lead to
problems because the group might not consider all the options or see
potential issues. It's important for groups to encourage different
opinions and not just follow what everyone else is doing.
 FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS
• Utilitarian Organizations:
Definition: Utilitarian organizations are formed for mutual benefit or to achieve a specific goal.
People join these organizations to gain some form of material or economic reward.
Example: Business Corporations
Explanation: Employees join a business corporation to receive financial compensation, promotions, and other
tangible benefits in return for their contributions to the organization's goals.
• Normative Organizations:
Definition: Normative organizations are driven by shared moral or ethical goals. Individuals join
these organizations based on a common set of values or a shared sense of purpose.
Example: Charities or Nonprofit Organizations
Explanation: Individuals volunteer or work for charitable organizations because they believe in the cause and
want to contribute to a greater good, often without expecting material rewards.
• Coercive Organizations:
Definition: Coercive organizations are those where individuals are forced to join or participate.
Membership is often mandatory, and people may not have a choice in their association with
the organization.
Example: Prisons
Explanation: Individuals in prisons are not there by choice but are compelled to be part of the organization due
to legal sanctions. They do not voluntarily join but are forced to participate as a form of punishment.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF BUREAUCRACY
• BUREAUCRACY
• Bureaucracy is an organizational model rationally designed to perform
complex tasks efficiently. In a bureaucratic business or government
agency, officials deliberately enact and revise policy to make the
organization as efficient as possible
• Specialization:
– Explanation: Division of labor is present, and each member has a specific task
contributing to the organization's purpose.
– Example: In a manufacturing company, workers on an assembly line have
specific tasks, such as assembling a particular part of a product.
• Hierarchy of Offices:
– Explanation: Personnel are organized in a vertical ranking, with supervision
flowing downward and accountability flowing upward.
– Example: Corporate organizations have a hierarchical structure, with
employees reporting to immediate supervisors, who, in turn, report to higher-
level managers.
• Written Rules and Regulations:
– Explanation: Bureaucracies rely on rationally enacted rules and regulations to control
both internal operations and interactions with the external environment.
– Example: Employee handbooks in companies outline specific rules and procedures for
tasks, behavior, and conflict resolution.
• Technical Competence:
– Explanation: Bureaucratic organizations expect officials and staff to possess technical
competence for their roles, and performance is regularly monitored.
– Example: In a software development company, programmers are expected to have
the technical skills necessary for coding, and their performance is evaluated based on
their coding abilities.
• Impersonality:
– Explanation: Rules take precedence over personal preferences, and allegiance is to
the office rather than an individual.
– Example: In a government agency, services are provided uniformly to all citizens
without personal biases or preferences.
• Formal, Written Communication:
– Explanation: Bureaucracies rely on formal, written communication such as memos
and reports rather than informal, verbal communication.
– Example: A university administration communicates important policies and decisions
through official written documents, ensuring clarity and documentation.
 MCDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY
• The McDonaldization of Society is a concept introduced by sociologist
George Ritzer in his book "The McDonaldization of Society" (1993). It refers
to the process by which principles of fast food restaurants, particularly
McDonald's, are increasingly dominating various aspects of society and
culture. Ritzer identified four key components of McDonaldization:
• Efficiency:
– Explanation: The emphasis on streamlining processes to achieve the quickest and
most straightforward means of accomplishing tasks.
– Example: Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's focus on minimizing the time it
takes to prepare and serve food, using standardized methods and specialized
roles.
• Calculability:
– Explanation: The emphasis on quantifiable measures such as portion sizes, cost,
and time, often at the expense of qualitative considerations.
– Example: Fast-food chains emphasize the consistency of product sizes and prices
to provide a predictable experience for customers.
• Predictability:
– Explanation: Standardization of products and services to create a
predictable and uniform experience for consumers.
– Example: McDonald's offers the same menu items, taste, and service at its
locations worldwide to ensure customers know what to expect.
• Control:
– Explanation: The exertion of control over the production process and the
people involved, often through non-human technologies and automation.
– Example: Fast-food restaurants use technology like automated order-
taking systems and assembly line cooking to control the production
process and reduce reliance on skilled labor.
• The McDonaldization concept extends beyond the fast-food
industry, influencing various sectors such as education, healthcare,
and business, where the principles of efficiency, calculability,
predictability, and control are increasingly applied. Critics argue that
McDonaldization can lead to the loss of human creativity,
individuality, and quality in favor of standardized, mass-produced
outcomes.