Social Groups - Introduction to Sociology - Lecture Notes, Study notes of Introduction to Sociology

Download Social Groups - Introduction to Sociology - Lecture Notes and more Study notes Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Social Groups What is a group? • aggregate: people who temporarily share the same physical space but don’t identify with one another • category: people who have some status in common (share similar characteristics) • social group: two or more people who identify and interact with one another Primary and Secondary Groups • primary group: small social group whose members share personal and enduring relationships – intimate, long-term, face to face association and cooperation • secondary group: large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a specific interest or activity – relatively temporary, more anonymous, formal, interaction on basis of roles Voluntary Associations • group made up of volunteers who organize on the basis of some mutual interest – particular type of secondary group – examples include: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion – Michels: iron law of oligarchy • tendency to be dominated by small, self-perpetuating elite In-groups and Out-groups • in-group: social group commanding a member’s esteem and loyalty • out-group: social group toward which one feels competition or opposition • social life is an interplay of both kinds of groups • consequences are both positive and negative – sense of belonging, clearer social identity – discrimination, hatred, violence • “we” have valued characteristics that “they” lack – can create problems in a diverse society, especially when there is unequal distribution of power – Merton: double standard Reference Groups • groups we use as standards to evaluate ourselves – serves as a point of reference – reflects need to conform – operates as form of social control • we don’t actually have to belong to the group to use it as a reference group • whatever our situation in absolute terms, we assess our situation subjectively, relative to some specific reference group Docsity.com