SOCIAL GROUPS AND SOCIAL PROCESSES

Chapter 6

I.

Outline

The Nature and Concept of Groups Importance of Groups Classification of Groups Accdg. to Interaction and Relationship Accdg. To Nature, Form, Objectives and Interaction Other Group Formations II. Social Process and Social Interaction Forms of Social Process Conflict Resolutions Social Interaction Types of Social Interaction III. Social Change Sources of Social Change Causes of Social Change Theories of Social Change IV. Social Movement Theories on Social Movement Types of Social Movement Terrorism

The Nature and Concept of Groups

When two or more persons interact together within an identification structure that establishes boundaries, membership and activities, a group is already formed. Group influence is vital in determining behavior, perception and values. Cole (1963) defines group as a unit of interacting personalities with an interdependence of roles and statuses existing between members.

 Social group refers to any system of social relationship in which members have a culture that defines the roles and statuses from which members are differentiated from nonmembers (Persell 1984). Group theory postulates that individuals belong to different groups because they have different interests arising from different functions and different roles in society.

 The good or welfare of individuals or groups is subordinate to common good because according to Dewey (146) man exists as member of the public, a public which is a product of the total pattern of interaction among human beings in all their particular functions and roles in society.

Importance of Groups
Interaction is more likely influenced by several factors. As the size of group increases, the time available for participation decreases and the distribution of skills to solve problems also increases. However, sometimes, the bigger the group the greater problem occur. Social cohesion is the process or forces that attract members to the group. Groups are important in the society process due to the basic reasons as cited by Salcedo et al (2002):

The group is a transmitter of culture The group is means of social control The group socializes the individual The group is the source of ideas The group trains the individual in communications

CLASSIFICATIONS OF GROUPS
Classification of Groups Accdg. to Interaction and Relationship Accdg. To Nature, Form, Objectives and Interaction Other Group Formations

A. According to interaction and Relationship

1. Primary Groups is characterized by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation. It includes the family, neighborhood and play-groups. Cooley describes the primary group as the nursery of human nature because it is where the child is first socialized, acquires and experience love, affection, tolerance, kindness, loyalty, fairness, and sense of justice.

1. Primary Groups Ferdinand Tonnies (1853-1936). He described his Gemeinschaft (means community, and the equivalent of the primary group) as a community characterized by informal associations where relationships are personal and traditional due to close ancestry or line of ancestry. In contrast. His Gessselschaft (means society) or what he called society of contracts is limited, formal, businesslike, independent, with fragmented relationships but dynamic and industrialized.

 2. Secondary Groups are formal, large, impersonal groups, which are formed to accomplish some specific tasks.
The social interactions in secondary groups are usually impersonal, formal, specialized, and business-like.

B. According to Nature, Form, Objectives and Interaction

1. Informal Group when two or more individuals interact with each other on issues and concerns affecting their interests and welfare.
Cooperatives, Faculty associations, the Parentteacher Associations are examples of informal groups

2. Formal group is a formal organization with an established philosophy of vision and mission in achieving its specific goals and objectives.
A formal group could be civic, ethnic, political, and economic in its nature. The Liberal party is a form political group. The Volunteers against crime and corruption (VACC) is a formal civic group.

C. OTHER GROUP FORMATIONS

1. Bureaucracy Weber described it as a special type of complex organization which is characterized by rational operation of hierarchal authority structure and explicit and procedures and rules. The government is a bureaucracy.

 2. Crowd is relatively a large number of people drawn to a common location by some nonroutine event. Some of the more common types of crowds are the following: Pickets Throng Mobs Demonstrations Riots and Stampedes Spectators

SOCIAL PROCESS AND SOCIAL INTERACTION

Social Process refers to the repetitive forms of behavior, which are commonly found in social life (Horton and Hunt, 1968). It is any mutual interaction between an individual and his group for purpose of solving problems and to attain desired objectives.

Forms of Social Process

1. Conjunctive Process this is the groups effort to practice cooperation, accommodation, amalgamation, assimilation, and acculturation for the purpose of maintaining its viability and usefulness.

Cooperation: a. Informal (Voluntary and Spontaneous) b. Formal (set by rules, rights and obligations of membership) c. Symbiotic (for mutual interests and benefits of members)

 Disjunctive process is when members of the group direct their efforts toward opposition, disunity, disorganization, and the disintegration of the group.
An integral part of the disjunctive is conflict, when according to Coser (1968) is the struggle over values or claims to status, power, and scarce resources in which the claims of the conflicting parties are not only to give the desired values but also to neutralize, injure and eliminate rivals. Simmel classifies conflict into war, feud or factional struggle, litigation or legal battle, and conflict of impersonal ideas.

CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS
1. Arbitration or mediation conflicts are resolved out of court by the decision of a third party, of which the conflicting parties must agree. 2. Compromise it is achieved when the conflicting parties agree to settle for less than what they originally demanded.

SOCIAL INTERACTION
Can be considered as part of social process. These processes regularly occur in the dynamic life of society. It is the form of action and reaction through which people and organizations relate to one another. It is concerned with the dynamic aspect of society.

TYPES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

1. Structural Interaction sociology is a structure consisting of interrelated parts or institution. The nature of individual interaction, thus, is based on the established structure of the institution.

TYPES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

2. Cultural Interaction the cultural aspects are usually one of the main concerns in the study of social relationship. 3. Religious Interaction strong influence of religion on Filipinos plays a vital role in social interaction.

4. Geographical Interaction social interaction is influenced and affected by geographical factors.

SOCIAL CHANGE
Heraclitus the Greek philosopher considered change as the only constant concept. Panopio(1994) defines change as a means, a process or an end. It can be ideology or doctrine. It maybe the adoption of new objects and materials to attain certain goals.

SOURCES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

1.The Physical environment changes in the physical environment ( climate, terrain, depletion of physical and natural resources, and other environmental degradation). Definitely will alter the peoples lifestyle and patterns. 2. Population Malthusians believe that overpopulation will deplete the earths natural resources and naturally this will lead to scarcity of resources, especially food.

 3. Technology The level of the developmental of science and technology in a country reflects on the standard of living of the people.
4. Conflict popularized by Marx, conflict produces a new order from the struggle between exploited and the exploiting class.

5. Ideology ideologies are always used by social movements as their theoretical guides and weapons to achieve social change.
6. Collective behavior this type of behavior can be harnessed when people had a common perception or perspective of issues, events or other public concerns that needed immediate resolve.

CAUSES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

1. Physical, Psychological and sociological needs of man the continuous struggle of man for his existence centers on the satisfaction of these basic needs.

2. Conflict and Social Inequality the Law of contradiction or conflict theory as propounded by the early sociological writers particularly Marx states that from the abolition or destruction of the old order merge new changes or order the inevitable result of every conflict.

3.Ideas an idea cannot be killed by anything but a better idea. Mans continued struggle for perfection was influenced first by ideas of Greek philosophers and later by modern thinkers.

THEORIES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

1. Evolutionary Theory theories by Darwin and Neo-Darwinists on social change. Unilinear evolutionary theory views the occurrence of change from multiple lines that do not lead to a single result. Multilinear evolutionary theory views the occurrence of change from multiple lines that do not lead to a single result.

2. Conflict Theory initially proposed by Marx, Engels and later Marxist sociologists on social change. It views the inevitably of social change as a result of conflict.

3. Cyclical or the Rise and Fall Theory like the theory of gravity; everything that goes up, goes down. Writers like Oswald Spengler and Arnold Toynbee described the rise and fall of societies, cultures, and civilizations in a cyclical manner.
4. Functionalist Theory It views society as a structure composed of different parts, each with interrelated functions. The equilibrium achieved by the complementary and harmonious relations of functions of the will bring changes to the structure.

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Social movements Mobilization theory that explains that social movements emerged when competition developed among organized groups.
The Relative Deprivation theory stresses the role of social disorganization and discontent in encouraging social movements. Counter movements seek to resist the change advocated by a social movement like the Counter-Reformation in Europe. Social movements are those organized, collective and persistent efforts of group to resist or oppose existing structures. Social movements could be engines for change.

 Authorities may consider some social movements as threatening to status quo. The government in some circumstances would limit their mobilization and reduce their solidarity by restricting and giving some sanctions.
At present, the Philippines, the militant Left and the secessionist movement fall under this category.

Theories of Social Movements

1. Absolute Deprivation Theory states that the working class even with their longer hours of work could barely support their familys basic needs. 2. Relative Deprivation Theory Davies (1999) defines that the conscious feelings of negative discrepancy between legitimate expectations and present actual realities.

3. Resource Mobilization Theory - refers to the type of mobilization utilizing resources like money, media, political influence, and influential people to articulate a groups grievances and frustrations and in the process popularized their causes.

Types of Social Movements

1. Redemptive or Messianic Movement these are usually religious in character and do not attempt to change society, but are engaged primarily in attracting people to their religious causes and beliefs such as Gods deliverance and the salvation of their souls. 2. Revolutionary Movements making their ideological beliefs as a guide and weapon, revolutionary movements seeks radical change; abolish the existing order.

3. Reform Movements seek only to improve, reform or revise and existing order, but do not attempt to abolish it. 4. Reactionary Movements seek to restore the status quo after social changes. Their aim is to revert to the old practices in the system. 5. Utopian Movements are movements promising an ideal if not perfect and harmonious existence in society for its members.

TERRORISM
Robertson(1987) terrorism as the use of violence against civilian. International Terrorist Organization

TYPES OF TERRORISM
1. State Terrorism authoritarian and totalitarian governments. 2. Revolutionary Terrorism occurs when terrorism is resorted by legitimate revolutionary groups to achieve their strategic objective of toppling the state.

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