Social Groups: The Meaning, Characteristics, Classification and other details

•    The Meaning of Social Groups

  Social groups are groups that have two or more individuals that share the same values on different topics. It can be as small as a pair of two friends and as large as a society. The defining factor is that both share a sense of unity and common identity.

•     Characteristics:

  They can be, for example, the time groups spend together and know each other, the share of similar values and likings, the acceptance of norms and values within said group (I.E: In our society, an example of this is the way we dress; If we dress ourselves like an Emo or a Gothic person, we can be seen as depressed and unhelpful to our society).

•     Classification:

As it is written on our Sociology book, groups can be classified into three different ways:  

1.   The belonging of an individual in a certain group;

2.    It’s social function;

3.    And the type of connection inside the group;

  The first one can be divided into two sub-groups (the belonging and the reference groups); the group where we belong can be, for example, our family and our class (as in school class). And the reference group can be groups we would like to belong to, for example, as high-school students our reference group are the university students.

 The second topic, social function, can be subdivided into many other groups that are related with our position in our society. An example of this could be our religion or our political ideology.

  The last topic, in similarity with the first one, can be divided in two sub-groups: The primary and the secondary group. The primary group can be, for example, someone who is closer to us, be it in chronological and in an emotional way. A very good example of this is our family.

  The secondary group, in contrast with the primary group, can be someone who doesn't really have any type of feelings or bond. It can be impersonal, cold and formal. We normally associate this group with someone that is superior to us, I.E: Our boss or teacher.

• Other details:

   We don´t really have any "other details" to share, except one thing: Be yourself. It doesn't matter in what type of group you're in, just be you. You're unique in every way possible, and our society surely doesn't need two of the same person.

  And with this we finish our work.