UNIT 3

CHAPTER 1

THE NATURE OF GROUPS

AND ITS CLASSIFICATION
“ NO MAN IS AN
ISLAND”
SOCIETY – the people of a
particular country, area, time, etc.,
thought of especially as an
organized community.
 THE CONCEPT OF SOCIETY
AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
SOCIETY in itself is a group of different personalities from identified and classified
groups. It has distinct characteristics as described by Denisoff(1983):
1. Society is largest among the groups because it has various types. A number of
small groupings may comprise a particular society.
2. Society has a distinct culture shared by most or almost all of its members. A
pattern of behavior, values and language exist among the members.
3. Membership comes from a reproductive source.
4. Society last longer than its lifetime individual group members.
The concept of society is real and characterized by its
interrelationships among its members. Urban and rural societies
are composed of several families, business organizations,
educational institutions, political parties and religious
organizations. Each group adopts its own rules and policies.
Members have their own statuses and roles. They are aware of
their varied responsibilities to perform in the group. Any
deviation from the norms and standards make society’s members
antisocial. DISCIPLINE is a must for members to establish
order.
 THE NATURE OF CONCEPT OF GROUPS
Social groups may have varied forms and may be classified into several
categories depending on one’s perception. Some sociologists have
identified groups as CHRISTIAN and NON-CHRISTIAN depending on
their shown behavior and practices in the society (Panopio & Rolda,
1988).

• SOCIAL GROUPINGS INTO TWO LEVEL CONCEPTS:

1. Macro system
2. Micro-social system
YOU ME
(Dyad)

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NAME 1

NAME 1 NAME 2
(Triad)
DYAD – it is characterized by a high
exchange of information and intimacy
because it allows the greatest opportunity
for total involvement between to persons.
TRIAD – is composed of three or more
people interacting as a group.
SUBGROUP – is simply a group that is part
of a larger group.

SOCIAL CATEGORIES – is a set of people

with one or more social statuses in common.
 GROUP DEFINED
GROUP - is a unit of interacting personalities with an interdependence of
roles and statuses of roles and statuses existing between the members
(Cole, 1963). It is a collective effort of behavior in a particular
organization in society. A group also refers to one or more people who
identify and interact with one another (Macionis, 2001).

SOCIAL GROUP – as any system of social relationship in which

members have a culture that defines the roles and statuses from whom
members are differentiated from nonmembers (Persell, 1984).
Groups or social groups are organizations of people
where individual members are aware that they belong to
it. Group is visible are real because they exist in time and
space (Salcedo, 2002). Groups vary in size, quality of
group interaction, purpose, structure, or combination.
Some are short-lived where members only group because
of some happenings or events. Furthermore, groups are
basic units of sociological analysis.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUPS
• TYPE AND CLASSIFICATION

1. Group members interact with each other over a period of time.

2. Each member identifies with the group and is recognized as part of the group by
other members.
3. Each member is expected to accept responsibilities and duties and abide by certain
norms. The members may enjoy some benefits and privileges the group would
extend to them
4. Members follow specialization in carrying out performances of their respective
roles.