TYPES AND

FUNCTIONS OF
GROUPS
social groups and institutions
By the end of this section, you will be
able to:
Understand primary and secondary
groups as the two sociological
groups
Recognize in-groups and out-groups
as subtypes of primary and
secondary groups
Define reference groups
 What is a group ?
Sherif and Sherif (1969)
A group is a social unit which consists of a
number of individuals who stand in role and
status relationship to one another stabilized
in some degree at the time and who possess a
set of value or norms of their own regulating
their behaviour at least in matter of
consequence to the group.
 What is a group ?
Newcomb
A group consists of two or more
persons who share norms about
certain things with one another
and whose social roles are clearly
interlocking.
characteristics of a group

(1) A group consists of

more than one person.
 characteristics of a group

(2) They meet together to

satisfy some common
motive or common
purpose
characteristics of a group

(3)The group may

disintegrate when the
common motive is
satisfied.
What is a social group?
A social group is two or more
humans who interact with one
another, share similar
characteristics, and have a
collective sense of unity.
What is a social group?
According to Muzafer Sherif,
it is a social unit consisting of
a number of individuals
interacting with each other
with respect to:
What is a social group?
1. common motives and goals;
2. an accepted division of
labor;
3. established status
relationships;
What is a social group?
4. accepted norms and values with
reference to matters relevant to the
group; and
5. the development of accepted
sanctions, such as raise and punishment,
when norms were respected or violated.
types of groups
1. PRIMARY GROUPS
According to Cooley, primary groups
play the most critical role in our lives.
The primary group is usually fairly small
and is made up of individuals who
generally engage face-to-face in long-
term emotional ways.
Primary groups
The term 'primary' is used with these
groups because they are the primary
source of relationships and socialization.
The relationships in our primary groups
give us love, security, and
companionship.
Primary groups

This group serves emotional

needs: expressive functions
rather than pragmatic ones.
Primary groups

FUNCTIONS
exchanges implicit items,
such as love, caring, concern,
support, etc.
Primary groups
FUNCTIONS
psychologically comforting to
the individuals involved and
provide a source of support and
encouragement
types of groups
2. SECONDARY GROUPS
Secondary groups are large groups whose
relationships are impersonal and goal
oriented. Cooley termed them “secondary”
because they generally develop later in life
and are much less likely to be influential on
one’s identity than primary groups.
sECONDARY groups
Secondary groups are often
larger and impersonal. They
may also be task-focused and
time-limited.
sECONDARY groups
Some secondary groups may last
for many years, though most are
short term. Such groups also
begin and end with very little
significance in the lives of the
people involved.
SECONDARY groups
These groups serve an instrumental
function rather than an expressive
one, meaning that their role is more
goal- or task-oriented than
emotional.
SECONDARY groups
FUNCTIONS
exchanges explicit commodities,
such as labor for wages, services
for payments, etc.
iN-GROUPS AND OUT-GROUPS
In-groups are social groups to
which an individual feels he or she
belongs, while an individual
doesn’t identify with the out-
group (Sumner 1906).
iN-GROUPS AND OUT-GROUPS
People tend to hold positive attitudes
towards members of their own groups, a
phenomenon known as in-group bias.
The term originates from social identity
theory which grew out of the work of
social psychologists Henri Tajfel and
John Turner.
iN-GROUPS AND OUT-GROUPS
In-group favoritism refers to
a preference and affinity for
one’s in-group over the out-
group or anyone viewed as
outside the in-group.
iN-GROUPS AND OUT-GROUPS
Intergroup aggression is any
behavior intended to harm
another person because he or
she is a member of an out
group.
types of groups
3. REFERENCE GROUPS
A reference group refers to a group to
which an individual or another group is
compared. Sociologists call any group that
individuals use as a standard for
evaluating themselves and their own
behavior a reference group.
REFERENCE groups
Reference groups become the individual’s
frame of reference and source for ordering his
or her experiences, perceptions, cognition, and
ideas of self. These groups become the basis of
reference in making comparisons or contrasts
and in evaluating one’s appearance and
performance.
 TYPES AND
FUNCTIONS OF
GROUPS
social groups and institutions

Maikee G. Singayan
MAT-English