Types of Social Groups: Primary, Secondary and Reference ..., Schemes and Mind Maps of Decision Making

Download Types of Social Groups: Primary, Secondary and Reference ... and more Schemes and Mind Maps Decision Making in PDF only on Docsity! Types of Social Groups: Primary, Secondary and Reference Groups The study of social groups is a main focus of many sociologists. In this lesson, we define social groups and differentiate between several different types including primary, secondary, and reference groups. Social Groups Social groups are everywhere and are a basic part of human life; everywhere you look there seems to be groups of people! A main focus of sociology is the study of these social groups. A social group consists of two or more people who regularly interact and share a sense of unity and common identity. In other words, it's a group of people who see each other frequently and consider themselves a part of the group. Except in rare cases, we all typically belong to many different types of social groups. For example, you could be a member of a sports team, club, church group, college class, workplace, and more. Primary Groups No two groups are created equal. Each typically has its own purpose, culture, norms, etc. Sociologists differentiate between several different types of social groups. In this lesson, we'll discuss primary groups, secondary groups, and reference groups. Primary groups are those that are close-knit. They are typically small scale, include intimate relationships, and are usually long lasting. The members of primary groups feel a strong personal identity with the group. The nuclear family, which consists of a pair of adults and their children, is a good example. Members of a nuclear family typically interact on a daily basis. For them, the family is an important source of identity and purpose. Love and affection bind the family members together, and their relationships are enduring. Even when members move away from each other, they are still a part of the family. Although the nuclear family is considered the ideal primary group by some sociologists, it is not the only example. Many people are also a member of a group of close friends. This group is usually small, and the relationships are still close-knit and enduring, so it is also a primary group. The term 'primary' is used with these groups because they are the primary source of relationships and socialization. The relationships in our primary groups give us love, security, and companionship. We also learn values and norms from our family and friends that stay with us for most, if not all, of our lives. The nuclear family is an example of a primary social group Secondary Groups Secondary groups are another type of social group. They have the opposite characteristics of primary groups. They can be small or large and are mostly impersonal and usually short term. These groups are typically found at work and school. An example of a secondary group is a committee organized to plan a holiday party at work. Members of the committee meet infrequently and for only a short period of time. Although group members may have some similar interests, the purpose of the group is about the task instead of the relationships. Sometimes, secondary groups become pretty informal, and the members get to know each other fairly well. Even so, their friendships exist in a limited context; they won't necessarily remain close beyond the holiday party. Other common examples of secondary groups are class project groups, college classes, sports teams, work teams, and neighborhoods. All of these groups are only temporary - even if they last for a year - and the relationships within the group are fairly shallow and typically touch-and-go. Of course, there are times when we do meet people in secondary groups that become a part of one of our primary groups. This demonstrates that the distinction between primary and secondary groups isn't always absolute or concrete. You may meet your best friend at work or school in a secondary group, and he or she then becomes a member of your primary group. Reference Groups The last type of group we'll discuss in this lesson is a reference group. Reference groups are groups that we look to for guidance in order to evaluate our behaviors and attitudes. They are basically generalized versions of role models. You may or may not belong to the group, but you use its standards of measurement as a frame of reference. For example, if a teenager wants to know if she is slim enough, she may use supermodels as a reference. Or, if a recent college graduate is unsure if an offered salary is fair, he may use the average starting salary of graduates from his school as a reference. Frequently, people hope to be identified with their reference groups (especially if they aren't members of them), so they try to act like those they think typify these groups. If your reference group is a particular athletic team, you will dress, speak, and act quite differently than if your reference group is a local wine club. So, a reference group helps to shape not only a person's expectations and outlook but also appearance and style. A classroom project group is an example of a secondary social group Long story short, 26 of the 40 participants in the study delivered the maximum shock, which should have been lethal. Only 14 stopped before reaching the highest level. Most of the participants became extremely upset and angry at the experimenter, sweating, trembling, crying, etc. Yet, they continued to be obedient and followed orders all the way to the end. So, why did they do that? Milgrim concluded from his study that people obey either out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperative, even when acting against their own morals. This experiment played a huge part in our understanding of the powerful nature of obedience and how it is different from conformity. With conformity, individuals choose to change their behavior because of their need for acceptance or because they're not sure what to do. With obedience, individuals feel they must exhibit a certain behavior because of orders from an authority figure. Lesson Summary In summary, social conformity is a type of social influence that results in a change of behavior or belief in order to fit in with a group. The two types of social conformity are normative conformity and informational conformity. Normative conformity occurs because of the desire to be liked and accepted. Peer pressure is a classic example of normative conformity. On the other hand, informational conformity occurs because of the desire to be correct. It typically happens because we assume that others know something that we don't. Social conformity is different from obedience, although they are both very powerful. Where social conformity is a response to a group, obedience is a response to authority. People typically obey commands out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperative. Groupthink: Definition & Examples Some groups are quick to make decisions to maintain cohesion, but this can be a critical mistake to make. This lesson explains the concept of groupthink using the Challenger explosion as an example. Have I Experienced Groupthink? Have you ever been in a group where you felt that you had to go along with the majority even though you did not agree with the decision? Maybe you feel apprehensive about expressing opposition for fear of looking unsupportive. Perhaps you have had a leader or dominant team member who always tried to control contributions of other members, making it difficult to get a word in edgewise, so you just give up. If so, you may have had firsthand experience with the phenomenon known as groupthink. This lesson will explain the concept of groupthink and describe one of the most famous examples of groupthink - the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. Groupthink Explained Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty or ineffective decisions for the sake of reaching a consensus. Groupthink stifles individual creativity and independent thinking in group members. Common sense, the desire to present and debate alternatives, and the confidence to express an unpopular opinion are sacrificed for group cohesion, which can significantly hinder the decision- making and problem-solving abilities of a group. Groups affected by groupthink will disregard realistic alternatives and typically choose more illogical approaches in an effort to maintain harmony within the group. As a result, the outcomes of decisions shaped by groupthink have a low probability of success. A group is more vulnerable to groupthink when the group is composed of members with similar backgrounds, is highly cohesive, has no clear rules or defined processes for decision making, has an outspoken leader, or is isolated from outsiders. However, there are some preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the chances of groupthink, including: • Define rules and processes for decision making and uphold them. • Encourage full participation of every group member. • Divide group members up into smaller brainstorming groups before sharing ideas with the larger group. • Support debate and productive conflict in the group. • Make it a priority to examine all alternatives before making a decision. • Invite outside experts in to share their perspectives and insights with the group. • Ask leaders to hold their opinions or ideas until after the group has had a chance to express their opinion. • Have a designated evaluator or 'devil's advocate' in the group to challenge ideas and decisions. Lesson Summary Let's review. Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty or ineffective decisions for the sake of reaching a consensus. Groups affected by groupthink will disregard realistic alternatives and typically choose more illogical approaches in an effort to maintain harmony within the group. As a result, the outcomes of decisions shaped by groupthink have a low probability of success. However, there are some preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the chances of groupthink. Social Loafing & Social Facilitation: Definition and Effects of Groups Do you prefer to work in a group or by yourself? Why? Working in a group certainly has a number of advantages and disadvantages. In this lesson, we discuss three phenomena that can occur as a result of working in groups: groupthink, social loafing, and social facilitation. Groupthink A negative consequence that can occur as a result of working in a group is groupthink, which is when a group makes faulty or ineffective decisions for the sake of reaching a consensus. In other words, group members are so focused on avoiding conflict and maintaining harmony that they reach a consensus without even considering alternatives. For example, imagine you're with a group of colleagues, and you've decided to have lunch together. One person suggests a Chinese restaurant, and everyone agrees, so you all head to the restaurant together. You don't actually like Chinese food and just agreed to go to avoid conflict. It turns out that no one else likes Chinese food, either - they all agreed to go for the same reason you did! Although this is a simple example, there are times that groupthink results in disaster. We'll discuss groupthink more in-depth in another lesson. Social Loafing Another negative effect of groups is social loafing, which is the tendency for people to exert less effort to achieve a goal when they are in a group. This goes against the adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I'm sure you can think about school groups that you've been a part of that demonstrate social loafing. Certain members of the group would sit back and watch while other members did the majority of the work. A well-known study on social loafing involved a simple rope-pulling experiment. The participants were asked to pull on a rope much like you would in a game of tug-of-war. First the participants tugged on a rope by themselves, then in a group. The study showed that the participants tended to exert less effort when pulling the rope in a group than when they were asked to pull the rope by themselves. Social loafing is quite common and can be found in many situations. Why? Research shows that individuals often feel like their contributions don't matter, and therefore, they decrease their effort and contributions. Voting in the U.S. is a good example. Most citizens agree that voting is important. However, every year, a very small percentage of Americans participate in voting and elections. One vote can feel insignificant in such a massive population, so people may not think it is worth it to vote. The high number of people that feel this way is one of the reasons voting turnout is so low. Two other common reasons given for social loafing are the 'sucker effect' and the 'free-rider effect.' The sucker effect refers to the tendency of people to try and avoid feeling like a 'sucker' by waiting to see how much effort others will put into a group first. These are people who often feel that the other group members will leave them to do all the work. The school group that we discussed earlier is a good example of this. If all the group members try to avoid being the sucker, then each person's effort will be significantly diminished.