Types of Groups

and Their Influence

Sociological Perspective

Types of Groups
Sociologists study the following components:
Look at different types of groups that
exist in todays society
Explore how groups affect their members
Analyze how individuals in groups can
affect group behaviour
People belong to different types of groups
that have varying impacts on their lives

Primary Groups

Primary Groups
Small, emotionally close,
and interdependent
Members see one another
often, know one another
well, and value each other
as a whole person
Consist of close personal
groups such as families
and in some cases friends

Primary Members
are difficult to replace
often meet face-to-face and have warm,
personal, supportive relationships in which
feelings, concerns, and information is shared
are highly valued,
and helps define an
individuals identity

Effects on Individuals
POSITIVE: groups are supportive and caring,
give members sense of self-worth
Members feel relaxed within these groups
and value emotional support

Effects on Individuals
NEGATIVE: can lead to pressure to conform
Groups demand their members share
common values, dress or act certain ways
People often give in to group expectations
even if they do not really want to

Group Conflicts
Expectations of a persons family may
conflict with those of their friends
Can lead to struggles over appropriate
clothing, music preferences, and hobbies
Being part of groups often restricts a
persons independence and free will resulting in internal conflicts

Secondary Groups

Secondary Groups
Tend to be larger, impersonal, and formal
Has limited information, dependence, or
interest from its members

Secondary Groups
Members may not know much more about
one another than their positions in the
group, and they rarely share personal
feelings or private concern
Interest is usually limited to the specific
reason that the group was created
Ex. School band, office workplace

Group Contributions
Individuals are valued for their group
contributions, not necessarily for their own
individual personalities
As a result, people in these groups are
more easily replaced

Communication
Other than polite small
talk, people discuss
mainly just the business
at hand
Co-workers may even
communicate mainly
through memos, e-mail,
or phone

Effects on Individuals
POSITIVE: groups are less restricting to
individual freedom
Behaviours, roles, norms, rules, and values
are expected to be followed during group
gatherings only
Conflicts between secondary group
expectations are also less frequent, since
expectations are limited to a particular
time or activity

Effects on Individuals
NEGATIVE: groups do not provide powerful
emotional support or the same
sense of a close, shared identity
that primary groups do
Large secondary groups such as local
community groups or secondary schools
may seem distant and intimidating to some
members

How Groups
Influence Behaviour
Primary and Secondary Groups ensure that
their members conform to group
expectations in the following ways:
Roles
Norms
Sanctions

Roles
We all have multiple roles
and we learn what is
expected of us as we grow up
and adopt new roles
Role expectations are not
fixed, they vary and
change over time

Roles
Our families, friends, and colleagues tell
us how to act, and group pressure causes
us to conform
In more formal
settings, rules are
often written down
as codes of conduct

Norms
Each role has certain norms or guidelines
of behavior
These standards of behaviour vary from
group to group
Mores are a certain type of norm that are
highly regarded moral views on behavior
As a result, laws are put in place to ensure
that they are almost never broken

Norms
Folkways are another type of norm which
involves everyday habits or traditional
practices regarding manners, interactions,
or personal appearance
Ex. Saying
Thank you
when you
receive a gift
from some one

Sanctions
Formal/informal
punishments or rewards
given to ensure
conformity to group
norms
Ensures individuals are
following the rules and
guidelines expected by
the group

Informal Sanctions
Consist primarily of emotional responses
Eg. Smiles, frowns, praise or criticism

Formal Sanctions
Official public rewards and punishments
Ex. Receiving a scholarships or being
expelled from school
Ex. Formal court
sanctions are
needed to
maintain the
rule of law
in society

Sanctions
Most people follow expected social and
group norms because they share the same
ideas about what is expected behavior
They value the sense of security received
from living in a society that has
predictable patterns of behaviour

Group Activity
Please get into the following groups:
1

Junho
Farhan
Wei Qing
Melica

Hyobin
Tomo
Amanda
Christin

Hatim
Park
Lydia

Max
Ali
Jesica

Selyne
Seung
Aun
Hyun

Christine
Imran
Shamana

 Each group will be given an image to analyze:

Describe what you think is happening
Is this an example of a primary or secondary
group? Why?
Explain what roles are present
Explain two norms that would be appropriate
in that particular situation. Discuss why you
have selected them
Explain two values that appear to be present
in the situation. Discuss why you have
selected them
Explain one sanction that is appropriate to
the situation. Discuss why you selected it
Be prepared to share your work!

Individual Reflection
Think of two roles you have in your life.
Explain at least two expected
behaviours for each role and one
sanction used to get you to conform to
the expected behavior
Written in proper paragraph format