Groups, Cliques and Social Behaviour
Truth.
Types of Groups
Social Groups: Two or more people who interact with each other and are aware of having something in commonMeet needsHelp us achieve goalsProvide safety/security
Types of Groups
Crowds: A collection of people who come together for a specific purposeMay have little or nothing to do with
each other A crowd can turn into a group if the
people begin to relate to each other
Crowds
Conventional crowd: large group of people gathered for a clear purpose who display expected behaviourExample: ??
Casual crowd: group of people who have no common goal other than being in the same location at the same timeExample: ??
Crowds
Expressive crowd: a large number of people at an event who display emotion and excitementExample: ??
Acting crowd: a group of people fuelled by a single purpose or goalExample: ??
Mobs
A disorderly crowd of people
Can lead to a riot: disorder stemming from a social grievance, often exhibit aggression, and may result in violence, vandalism and destruction of property
Mobs
Smart mob: a large group of strangers who use electronic media to organize and stage surprise public gatherings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5PyIVVKoWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGGjnoqfFs&feature=related
Primary Groups
First and most important groups in our livesPersonal relationshipsLong-term relationshipsInterested in the person as a wholeUsually face-to-face communication
Ex: family, group of friends
Secondary Groups
Impersonal, more formal Temporary/short-term relationships Interested in a narrow aspect of the
person More formal/written communication Ex: School, business, team
ACTIVITY TIME
ROLES
How Groups Shape Behaviour
Roles: Groups assign members a set of behaviours they expect them to performDo you adopt different roles in
different groups?Have you ever experienced role
conflict?
How Groups Shape Behaviour
Norms: Rules within a groupcan be formal or informal
Sanctions: Used to encourage or discourage certain behavioursPositive: acceptance, good marks,
payNegative: rejection, failure,
reprimands
Conformity
The process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by others
Occurs in both small groups and society as a whole
Influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and allows society to function smoothly and predictably
Conformity
Why do people conform?A desire to achieve a sense of
security within a groupFailure to conform may result in social
rejection Peer pressure is a way to force
conformity Can be positive or negative
http://www.cca-kids.ca/english/psas/self_esteem.html
Activity Make a chart titled “Personal Involvement in
Groups” Divide a page into 4 sections, and in each,
write the name of a group to which you belong For each, write:
How long have you been a part of this group? What needs does the group meet? (why are you
still a member?) What is your role in the group? What are the groups norms? What sanctions does the group use to ensure
conformity?
CARTOON ASSIGNMENT
Let’s go through it together
Questions
Is conformity essential to make society function properly?
What are the dangers and advantages of a society that conforms?
Can people be manipulated to conform to ideas and behaviours without being aware they are being manipulated?