SOCIAL GROUPS: TYPES, EXAMPLES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The social groups are sets of two or more people who share some relationship interpersonal and having similar characteristics that provide a sense of unity. It is one of the most important units of study in many social sciences, such as psychology, anthropology or sociology.

Groups differ from social categories in that while in the former the members interact with each other, in the latter they do not have to know each other or maintain any kind of relationship. However, both terms are often confused because the two refer to a set of individuals with similar characteristics.

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Social categories can become groups only when their members identify themselves as part of it, and realize the characteristics that make them similar to others. For example, the category of "citizens of a country" can become a group in specific situations where there is very strong nationalism.

The tendency to divide ourselves into social groups is characteristic of the human being, and in fact we share it with many other animals. Various cross-cultural studies have shown that our propensity to identify with people with whom we share things is innate and fundamental to our identity.

Characteristics of social groups

For a set of individuals to be considered a social group, it has to present a series of basic characteristics.

Social cohesion

It is a series of interrelationships, shared beliefs and values, and specific thoughts that lead members to identify with the rest.

Its individuals share characteristics

The individuals of the social groups share characteristics, such as interests, ethical and moral values, customs, traditions, kinship ties, ethnicity, etc.

Social interactions

Another of the most important requirements for a social group to appear is the presence of stable social interactions among its members. According to the Dunbar number, a person can only have relationships with up to 150 individuals, although in practice this number is usually much lower.

Common goals

In addition to these fundamental characteristics, there are other elements that some authors consider important in determining whether there really is a defined social group or not.

Some of the most common are the presence of common goals or motivations, the appearance of norms and values ​​shared by all its members, and the development of punishments for those who do not comply with the internal rules.

Division of labor

On the other hand, a universal law of social groups is the presence of division of labor and, therefore, the presence of hierarchies. When we belong to a specific group, we tend to act consistently within it in different situations; and the rest of the participants provide us with a level of perceived status that will determine how they respond to our actions.

Group types and examples

Groups can be classified into primary and secondary:

- Primary groups

A primary group is one in which members have long-lasting, intimate personal relationships. People in a primary group spend a lot of time together, and they generally do many different activities in company.

This causes them to feel that they know each other well, and they usually show a real concern for the welfare of others. Some of the most important primary groups are family and friendship circles.

These groups shape the basic values ​​of human beings while allowing them to forge their identity. They are the first experience that human beings have of being part of a group (in childhood and adolescence). In addition to this, the primary groups are characterized by being more durable and stable than the secondary ones.

There are two primary groups, family and friends:

Family group

The family group is the first group with which an individual interacts. This group provides the person with the essential values ​​that will define their life. It is also in this group that the feeling of belonging develops for the first time.

Groups of friends

The group of friends is the second group with which a person establishes relationships. The sense of belonging that it creates within the family group expands to other individuals who share similar interests (books, music, movies, games, among others).

However, interests are only one way of forging first contact. Once the first interaction has occurred, the bonds that will form will be so strong that the relationship will endure even as interests change.

The group of friends is so relevant that friends are considered a second family.

- Secondary groups

Secondary groups tend to be much larger than primary groups, and to be made up of people whose relationship is purely formal or institutional. Within them, the emotional connection is much weaker, and generally there is not a great interpersonal knowledge between its members.

Additionally, secondary groups are usually formed with a specific purpose in mind, and tend to dissolve once it has been accomplished. Some examples of this type of social group would be a group of workers in a company, or classmates in a university class.

Here are some examples of child groups:

Political parties

Political parties are associations that are held to promote the ideas and programs of a group that plans to achieve a place in the government of a state.

People who are part of a political party are united by an ideology and by the desire to govern. The political parties can be communists, socialists, ecological, liberal, Christian-democrats, social-democrats, conservatives, among others.

Sport clubs

Sports clubs are free and private associations created by individuals who share an interest in the practice and promotion of a specific sport.

Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Juventus and Napoli are examples of football sports clubs.

Religious groups

Religious groups are social organizations that are structured around a doctrine, which seeks to answer the most essential questions of the individual (such as the origin of the world and of life on planet Earth).

The most prominent religious groups around the world are:

- Islam, Christianity and Judaism, which are monotheistic (affirm the existence of only one god).

- Hinduism and Shinto, which are polytheistic (claim that there is more than one god).

- Buddhism and Taoism, which are non-theistic (they deny the existence of supreme gods).

Work groups

The work groups are those that are formed within the work spaces. These are in principle forced associations because the individual is not in the capacity to decide with whom she shares the work environment.

Study groups

Study groups are free associations created by the interest of achieving a common goal: to conduct efficient research, deliver a group work, share knowledge before an evaluated activity, among others.

Minority advocacy groups

These are free associations that are made in order to defend and give visibility to other minority groups. Today, these social groups have gained popularity. Some examples of these groups are:

- Feminists.

- Defenders of the rights of the LGBT community.

- Defenders of ethnic minority rights.

nationality

One of the feelings of belonging to a stronger group is that of nationality. Most individuals feel very identified with their own culture, its values ​​and its traditions.

Culture

Culture is another of the areas in which belonging to a certain social group can be clearly seen. For example, European people tend to get along better with others with the same cultural heritage than with individuals belonging to nationalities who do not share the same roots.

References

1. "Social groups" in: Cliff's Notes. Retrieved on: December 30, 2019 from Cliff's Notes: cliffsnotes.com.
2. "Social Group" in: Britannica. Retrieved on: December 30, 2019 from Britannica: britannica.com.
3. "Definition of social group" in: Definition Of. Retrieved on: December 30, 2019 from Definition Of: definition.
4. "Types of social groups" in: Lumen. Retrieved on: December 30, 2019 from Lumen: courses.lumenlearning.com.
5. "Social group" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: December 30, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.