Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group Notes Study Material

Different Sociologists have classified groups in different ways. The chief bases of these classifications of groups are functions scope and stability George Simmel, Von Weise and Bekare have taken numbers as a basis. Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group Notes Study Material. Tonnies has taken social interaction as a basis. Lovie and Malinowski have preferred age, sei and other signs and action. Similarly, the group have been classified based on size duration and choice.

Bogardus has classified groups into the following types.

1. In formal, Förmal and Bureaucratic.
2. Voluntary and involuntary.
3. Genetic and Congregate.
4. Primary and Secondary.
5. Disjunctive and Overlapping.
6. Social, Pseudo-social, Anti-Social, Pro-Social and Socialized.

Some Other Important Classifications of Groups are as Following Types of Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group Notes Study Material Out Group and In Group:

Cooley’s classification

• Primary Groups: In which there are face-to-face, strong and cooperative relations between the persons such as a family.
• Secondary Groups: Where strong personal and warin relations found as in political parties.”

Summer’s Classification:

In-group and Out-group: Summer classified between ‘in-groups’ and ‘out-groups’. The individual belongs to a number of groups which are by ‘in-groups’; all other groups to which does not belong are his ‘out-group’.All groups tend to maintain their boundaries by developing a strong sense of the distinction between the ‘we’ of the group and ‘they’ who are outside the group.

In-group: The term ‘in-group’ was used by W.G. Summer in ‘Folkways’. The Family, The Tribe, and The College to which a person belongs are his in-groups’. The members of an ‘in-group’ feel that their personaly welfare is in some way or other bound up with that of the other members of the group. There is always a considerable degree of sympathy. In their relationship towards each other they display cooperation, goodwill mutual help and respect for one another’s rights. Thus ‘in-group’ is any association either primary or secondary towards which. We have a sense of solidarity, Loyalty, friendliness and cooperation. The members of the in-group signify their unity by the word ‘we’ Sumner also said that ‘ethnocentrism’ is a characteristic of the ‘in-group’.

Out-Group: The ‘Out-group’ consists of those persons, whether formally organized or not, toward whom we feel a sense of indifference, avoidance, disgust, competition, or outright conflict. The antipathy, which may range in intensity from a mildly supercilious attitude to intense hatred.’ The distinction between- ‘in-group’ and out-group is usually expressed in the contrast between ‘we’ and ‘they’ or ‘other’

Miller’s Classification:

• Vertical
• Horizontal

Gidding’s Classification:

• Public.
• Private.

And

• Genetic.
• congregate.

Elwood’s Classification:

• Sanctioned.
• Unsanctioned.

Gillin and Gillen’s Classification:

• Based on blood relationship.
• Based on physical traits.
• Based on situation proximity.
• Based on cultural interests.

Word’s Classification:

• Voluntary.
• Involuntary.

Classifying groups is a difficult task. In this connection, Cuber has rightly written, “Sociologists have devoted a great deal of effort to the difficult problem of classifying groups into types. At first, thought this would seem easy to do perhaps after further reflection. It will be found to present numerous difficulties.

Characteristics of Social Group

• The members of a group are related to each other.

Simply a gathering of persons can not be called a group. The members of the group should be interrelated. This social relation is called s group. Cuber has written, “A group is any number of human beings in reciprocal communication.” Maciver and some other sociologists have also admitted that social relations are the fundamentals of the social group.

• Group implies a feeling of Unity:

A feeling of unity is essential for every group. Through such feelings, members of a group treat each other as their own and a sense of sympathy between them develops.

• Members of a group have a sense of We-feeling:

In a sense, we feel the members of a group help each other in performing their duties, and they defend collectively against harmful powers. They treat others as outsiders and try to make their group prosperous and self-sufficient.

• The interests, ideals and values of the group members are common:

A group includes those persons who are related to each other in such, a way that they should be treated as one. Fore ie the interests, ideals and values of the persons of a group should tend to be common because this similarity promotes unity.

• There is a Similarity in behaviour in a group:

As the interests, ideals and values of the persons of a group are common, Similarly, the behaviour of the members also tends to be similar. A social group is not merely a group of persons, but it is a continuation of their behaviour.

• Control of the group over the actions of members:

The main reason behind the similarity of behaviour in the group is that the actions of the members are controlled by the group. In each group, there are some customs, norms and producers which are acceptable to everyone and the members of the group have to obey them. Whenever these are neglected, the group gives punishment. In this way, everyone has to obey the social norms. In fact, without some norms, the existence of group life is practically impossible.

• The members of a group are affected by its characteristics:

Each group possesses some special characteristics which distinguish it from similar and dissimilar groups. These characteristics affect the members constituting the groups. This effect may be different for different persons, but still, all the members are affected by the group.

• Meaning and Definitions of Primary group:

Explain the meaning of the ‘Primary Group’ Sociologist C.H. Cooley has written, “By primary group I mean those characterised by inmate’s face to face association and co-operation.

The result of intimate association .. is a certain fusion of individualities in a common whole, the one’s very self for many purposes at least the common life and purpose of the group. Perhaps the simplest way of describing this wholeness is by saving that it is ‘We’, it involves the sort of sympathy and mutual identification for which ‘we’ is the natural expression,” According to Cooley, Difference Between Primary Group and Secondary Group Notes Study Material the best examples of primary groups are family, a group of children, Playmates and neighbourhood or the village, etc. These groups affect the life of human beings more vitally than other groups, Regarding Playgroups.

Maciver has written “It is the group through which as playmates and comrades we give first creative expression to our social impulses. It is the breeding ground of our mores, the hurse of our loyalties. It is the first and face group that is primary in our lives.’ generally remains the chief focus of our social satisfaction. In these respects, the face group is primary in our lives.

Characteristics of Primary Groups:

For a better understanding of the Primary groups, it is necessary to understand their characteristics. Some of these characteristics are internal and some of them are external.

Physical closeness among members:

It is necessary for a primary group that the members constituting it should be physically close to each other. It will be very difficult to exchange thoughts or to help each other if they are not physically close. The members of the primary groups are very closely related. Therefore Physical closeness is essential for them.

Small Size:

The size of the primary group should be so small that the desired relations can be developed. Intimacy diminishes when the number of persons is increased in a class, family, team or other group. On the other hand, the smaller the size of the family the greater the intimacy there is. If the audience is in excess, everybody cannot see the speaker and also can not listen to him.

Stability:

To promote closeness in a primary group, it should be stable to some extent. New friends increase and old ones decrease if a person tends to change places too often.

Continuity:

Therefore, continuity in relations is necessary for the members of the primary group. By meeting frequently, and by exchanging thoughts, intimacy increases. When this chain is broken, the relations do not remain so fast.

Common aims among the members:

Members of a primary group have common aims and purposes. In a primary group like a family etc. every member’s pleasure and pain are shared by the whole family group and all the members work for some common aims.

Relations are ends in themselves:

The relations of the members of a primary group are not based on personal interests. These relations are ends in themselves. These provide mental pleasure and contentment to both parties. Family relations are of this nature.

The relations of the members are spontaneous:

As the relations of the members of the primary groups end in themselves, they are also spontaneous. There is nothing like compulsion in the pressure between them. Every member of the group naturally feels intimacy for others.

Members have personal relations:

‘Members of primary groups have personal relations and this is why the gap of one member’s absence is not killed completely by the other. After the death of a wife, a person may marry again, as the memory of the first wife does not end. Kingsley Davis has rightly written. “A new personal relationship can be established, an old one can be abandoned, but no substitution can be made of one individual for another in the same relationship.”