SOCIAL GROUPS

(Understanding Interaction)

By Diego C. Pomarca JrTeacher I, Pangpang NHS

Learning Scope

• Groups within society: Primary and Secondary

• Reference Groups• In-groups and out-groups

Learning Objectives

• Identify the different aspects of social groups;• Evaluate contextual knowledge about group

conformity to familiar events in everyday life;• Appreciate the benefits and challenges of

living in a highly rational society; and• Create a reflection pledge to live effectively

and more happily within a world where social group and interaction is essential.

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”• The class will be divided into groups

with 5 members. The group will identify what picture is being shown.

• Each group will write in their flash cards the word GROUP or NO GROUP that simply describes the picture.

• When the bell rings, the team leader will raise the flash card.

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”

CROWD at the MRT Station

NO GROUP

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”

Family Picnic GROUP

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”

EDSA People Power Revolution NO GROUP

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”

People at the Church NO GROUP

ACTIVITY No. 1“Name that Picture”

RESPECT for the ELDERS

GROUP

ANALYSIS

• What are the things or aspects you consider in identifying social groups?

• Do you consider yourself as part of a social group? How does it feel being one of the members of a group?

• What makes a social group?

Why there is a need for Social Group? Do we really depend on it?

• Everyone wants a sense of belonging• Man is by nature a social being and he

interacts with others… (Aristotle)• As members, we think of ourselves as a

special “WE”

SOCIAL GROUP(A Definition)

• Is two or more people who identify with and interact with one another (Macionis, 2012).

• It is where human beings come together in couples, families, circles of friends, churches, clubs, businesses, neighbourhoods and large organizations.

• Whatever the form, it is made up of people with shared experiences, loyalties and interests.

At the outset, not every collection of individuals forms a GROUP…

• WHY is it so?

• Because people with a status in common (i.e. women, homeowners, soldiers, skilled workers, professionals, millionaires, college graduates, and Roman Catholics) are not a group but a CATEGORY.

• CROWD – loosely formed collection of people in one place (e.g. students sitting in a large stadium with interaction at a limited extent).

Characteristics of Social Group

• Group members interact on a fairly regular basis through communication.

• Members should develop a structure where each member assumes a specific status and adopts a particular role.

• Certain orderly procedures and values are agreed upon.

• The members of the group feel a sense of identity.

GROUPS within SOCIETYaccording to Charles Horton Cooley

• PRIMARY GROUP – a small social group whose members share personal and lasting relationships.

• SECONDARY GROUP – a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a specific goal or activity.

These are the GROUPS classified according to TIES

PRIMARY GROUP

• Is joined by primary relationships where people spend a great deal of time together, engage in a wide range of activities and they feel that they know one another pretty well.

• The first group we experience in life (e.g. family and closest friends).

• Members are bound to others by emotion and loyalty.Examples:

Families, Gangs, Cliques, Play Groups, Friendship Groups

SECONDARY GROUP• Involve weak emotional ties and little

personal knowledge of one another.• It exist for only a short time, beginning

and ending without particular significance (e.g. students enrolled in the same course at a university who may not see one another after the semester ends)

• It includes many more people (the reason why one another couldn’t have a lasting relationship).

Examples: Industrial Workers; business associates, Faculty Staff,

Company Employees

Primary and Secondary Groups(A Comparison)

PRIMARY GROUP

SECONDARY GROUP

Quality of Relationships

Personal orientation

Goal orientation

Duration of Relationships

Usually long-term

Variable; often short-term

Scope of Relationships

Broad; usually involving many activities

Narrow; usually involving few activities

Perception of Relationships

Ends in themselves

Means to an end

Examples Families, circle of friends

Co-workers, political organizations

Activity 2: PEEL OFF THE PAPER(An IMPROMPTU Challenge)

(In the mood of an energizer/round song)

• Cabbage-like crumpled papers will be used in the activity. • While singing together the “Bim Bum Song” the crumpled

paper will be passed from one student to another where everyone has the chance to grab it. The cue-out word for passing the crumpled paper is “BUM”.

• The cabbage will be peeled off by the student holding it where the song stops at the signal of the teacher’s hand gesture (a halt signal).

• Only one paper will be peeled off at a time. The student then reads the question and in the mode of an impromptu speech, he or she will freely discuss his or insights and opinion.

The Bim Bum Song

Bim bumBeri beri bumBeri bum (3x)

Bim bum

(Repeat it again and again until the teacher gives the hand gesture to stop)

SOCIAL GROUPS(according to Self-Identification)

• IN-GROUP• a social unit in which individuals feel at home and with which

they identify.

• OUT-GROUP• a social unit to which individuals do not belong due to

differences in social categories and with which they do not identify.

• REFERENCE/PSYCHOLGICAL GROUP• groups to which we consciously or unconsciously refer when we

evaluate our life situations and behavior but to which we do not necessarily belong.

• It serve a comparison function• It has a normative function

IN-GROUP

An In-Group is simply any group someone belongs to and feels emotional attachment to the members.

An In-group is a social group to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member. 

In-Group Favoritism refers to the fact that under certain conditions people will prefer and have affinity for one’s in-group.

OUT-GROUP

An Out-Group is one that someone doesn’t belong to and feels competition and/or hatred towards. These two are different for each individual.Examples of the above: rival gangs, rival teams or their fans; cliques at school

Outgroup Derogation is the phenomenon in which an outgroup is perceived as being threatening to the members of an in-group

REFERENCE GROUP

• A social group that serves as a point of reference in making evaluations and decisions.

• Anticipatory Socialization – this occurs when we use groups we do not belong to for reference. Conforming to such groups is a strategy to win acceptance by others.

Activity 3: Think and Share(A SITUATION ANALYSIS)

• How would you assess one’s behaviour and attitude in the following situations (feel free for sharing your reactions):

Situation 1: A young man who imagines his family’s response to a woman he is dating.Situation 2: A supervisor who tries to predict her employee’s reaction to a new vacation policy.

Activity 3: Think and Share(A SITUATION ANALYSIS)

• If you were the man why would you consider your family’s perception in dating a woman of your choice?

• If you are in the position of the supervisor, will you consider your employees’ preference? Why?

• Now, think of a certain situation or experience you have. Who/what do you consider as your reference group in life? Does it help you in making decisions or judgements?

Why Conform?

Importance of Social Group

• Human personality develops in social groups. The type of personality depends on the types of groups in which he was socialized.

• Man learns his culture among the groups in which he lives.

• Group life is the essential element in learning processes. Hence, social group is the real teacher.

Activity 4: Our Pledge for Life(A COMMITMENT)

• In your respective groups, you’ll have to make a commitment on how to live effectively and more happily within a community where social group and interaction is essential.

•  Remember that this is the commitment of the group.

• Feel free in making such commitment.• You are given 10 minutes to do the task.• When it is done, the group reporter will present to

the class the final output.

AGREEMENT

• After the outputs of each group has been presented, each group will make a file encompassing the concept and idea of their outputs in a form of a document, power point presentation or an article and have it posted or attached in a blog, portal or social media that will be agreed upon by the class.

For your active participation