What is it called if two or more human who interact with one another share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity?

The study of social groups is the main focus of many sociologists because these groups illustrate how human behavior is shaped by group life and how group life is affected by individuals. The two groups on which social scientists mainly focus are primary and secondary groups, called "primary" because they are a person's primary source of relationships and socialization or "secondary" because they are of less importance but still significant to the individual.

Social groups consist of two or more people who regularly interact and share a sense of unity and common identity. They see each other often and consider themselves as part of the group. Most people belong to many different types of social groups. They could include family, neighbors, or members of a sports team, a club, a church, a college class, or a workplace. What social scientists are interested in is how the members of these groups relate and interact.

Early American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley introduced the concepts of primary and secondary groups in his 1909 book "Social Organization: A Study of the Larger Mind." Cooley was interested in how people develop a sense of self and identity through their relationships and interactions with others. In his research, Cooley identified two levels of social organization that are composed of two different kinds of social structure.

Primary groups are small and characterized by close, personal, and intimate relationships that last a long time, maybe a lifetime. These relationships are deeply personal and loaded with emotion. The members typically include family, childhood friends, romantic partners, and members of religious groups who have regular face-to-face or verbal interaction and a shared culture and frequently engage in activities together.

The ties that bind the relationships in primary groups are made up of love, caring, concern, loyalty, and support. These relationships play important roles in the formation of individuals' sense of self and identity because these people are influential in the development of values, norms, morals, beliefs, worldview, and everyday behaviors and practices of all members of the group. The relationships play important roles in the process of socialization that people experience as they age.

Secondary groups comprise relatively impersonal and temporary relationships that are goal- or task-oriented and are often found in employment or educational settings. While the relationships within primary groups are intimate, personal, and enduring, the relationships within secondary groups are organized around narrow ranges of practical interests or goals without which these groups would not exist. Secondary groups are functional groups created to carry out a task or achieve a goal.

Typically a person becomes a member of a secondary group voluntarily, out of shared interest with the others involved. Common examples include coworkers in an employment setting or students, teachers, and administrators in an educational setting. Such groups can be large or small, ranging from all the employees or students within an organization to the select few who work together on a project. Small secondary groups such as these often disband after completion of the task or project.

A secondary group does not exercise a primary influence over its members because they do not live in the presence and thoughts of one another. The average member plays a passive role, and the warmth of the relationships in primary groups is missing

An important distinction between secondary and primary groups is that the former often have an organized structure, formal rules, and an authority figure who oversees the rules, members, and the project or task in which the group is involved. Primary groups, on the other hand, are typically informally organized, and the rules are more likely to be implicit and transmitted through socialization.

While it is useful to understand the distinctions between primary and secondary groups and the different kinds of relationships that characterize them, it's also important to recognize that there can be overlap between the two. For example, an individual could meet a person in a secondary group who over time becomes a close, personal friend or a romantic partner who becomes a spouse. These people become part of the individual's primary group.

Such an overlap can result in confusion or embarrassment for those involved, for instance, when a child enters a school where a parent is a teacher or administrator or when an intimate romantic relationship develops between coworkers.

Here is a nutshell description of social groups and the distinctions between primary and secondary social groups:

• Social groups include two or more people who interact and share a sense of unity and common identity.
• Primary groups are small and characterized by close, personal relationships that last a long time.
• Secondary groups include impersonal, temporary relationships that are goal-oriented.
• Secondary groups often have an organized structure, an authority figure who oversees the rules, while primary groups are typically informally organized.
• There often is an overlap between primary and secondary groups that arises, for example, if an individual forms a personal relationship with someone in a secondary group.

Sources:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-social-groups-primary-secondary-and-reference-groups.html

http://www.sociologydiscussion.com/difference-between/differences-between-primary-social-group-and-secondary-social-group/2232

https://quizlet.com/93026820/sociology-chapter-1-flash-cards/

Learning Objectives

• Contrast the social cohesion-based concept of a social group with the social identity concept

In the social sciences, a social group is two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and have a collective sense of unity. This is a very broad definition, as it includes groups of all sizes, from dyads to whole societies. A society can be viewed as a large group, though most social groups are considerably smaller. Society can also be viewed as people who interact with one another, sharing similarities pertaining to culture and territorial boundaries.

A social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as people waiting at a bus stop or people waiting in a line. Characteristics shared by members of a group may include interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties. One way of determining if a collection of people can be considered a group is if individuals who belong to that collection use the self-referent pronoun “we;” using “we” to refer to a collection of people often implies that the collection thinks of itself as a group. Examples of groups include: families, companies, circles of friends, clubs, local chapters of fraternities and sororities, and local religious congregations.

Renowned social psychologist Muzafer Sherif formulated a technical definition of a social group. It is a social unit consisting of a number of individuals interacting with each other with respect to:

1. common motives and goals;
2. an accepted division of labor;
3. established status relationships;
4. accepted norms and values with reference to matters relevant to the group; and
5. the development of accepted sanctions, such as raise and punishment, when norms were respected or violated.

Explicitly contrasted with a social cohesion-based definition for social groups is the social identity perspective, which draws on insights made in social identity theory. The social identity approach posits that the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of social groups is “awareness of a common category membership” and that a social group can be “usefully conceptualized as a number of individuals who have internalized the same social category membership as a component of their self concept. ” Stated otherwise, while the social cohesion approach expects group members to ask “who am I attracted to? ” the social identity perspective expects group members to simply ask “who am I? ”

Social Identity Approach: The explanatory profiles of social identity and self-categorization theories.

Law Enforcement Officials: A law enforcement official is a social category, not a group. However, law enforcement officials who all work in the same station and regularly meet to plan their day and work together would be considered part of a group.

Key Points

• A social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals.
• Social cohesion can be formed through shared interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties, among other factors.
• The social identity approach posits that the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of social groups is the awareness that an individual belongs and is recognized as a member of a group.
• The social identity approach posits that the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of social groups is the awareness that the individual belongs and is recognized as a member of a group.

Key Terms

• social group: A collection of humans or animals that share certain characteristics, interact with one another, accept expectations and obligations as members of the group, and share a common identity.
• The social identity approach: Posits that the necessary and sufficient condition for the formation of social groups is awareness of a common category membership.
• The social cohesion approach: More than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line.