Social Groups

A social group is consisting of two or more people who interact with one another and who recognize
themselves as a distinct social unit. The definition is simple enough, but it has significant implications
Frequent interaction leads people to share values and beliefs: This similarity and the interaction cause
them to identify with one another Identification and attachment in turn stimulate more frequent and
intense interaction

Each group maintains solidarity with all to other groups and other types of social systems Groups are
among the most stable and enduring of social units. They are important both to their members and to
the Society at large

Through encouraging regular and predictable behavior, groups form the foundation upon which society
rests. Thus, a family, a village, a political party a trade union is all social groups. These it should be noted
are different from social classes, status groups or crowds, which not only lack structure but whose
members are less aware or even unaware of the existence of the group. These have been called quas
groups or groupings. Nevertheless, the distinction between social groups and quasi-groups is fluid and
variable since quasi-groups very often give rise to social groups as for example, social classes give rise to
political parties.

Social Aggregate

A social aggregate is a collection of people who are in the same place at the same time, but who
otherwise do not necessarily have anything in common, and who may not interact with each other A
social aggregate is different from a social group which refers to two or more people who interact

regularly and who have things in common, like a romanto couple a family, friends, classmates or co-
workers, among others A social aggregate is also different from a social category whion refers to a group
of people defined by a shared social characteristic, like gender race, ethnicity rationality, age class, etc

Every day we become part of social aggregates like when we walk down a crowded sidewalk eat in ad
restaurant, ride public transit with other passengers, and shop in stores. The only thing that binds them
together is physical proximity
A social category is a collection of people that have certain characteristics or traits in common, out they
tend not to interact with each other on a regular bas's For example teenagers is a social category
because they are all within a particular age range and share certain characteristics Factors that influence
Groups

Motivational base shared by individual

Size of group

Type of group goals

Kind of group cohesion

Social Organization-is a process of bringing order and significance into human social life it has its roots in
social interaction

According to McGee (1977/132) there are certain dentifying characteristics of social organizations
Differentiation in statuses and roles on the basis of sex age and ability which may be observed in U
activities of different types of people

Recurrent connection between sets of activities, and the repeated tendency for one type of social
activity to follow regularly after another. -A system of norms and values govern the social activities
Control some person controls the behavior of others, and a system of sanctions maintain orderly
behavior Repeated activities and behavior
Social structure is the organized set of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships
that together compose society Social structure is both a product of social interaction and directly
determines it Social structures are not immediately visible to the untrained observer, however they are
always present and affect all dimensions of human experience in society, it also refers to Independent
network of roles and the hierarchy of statuses which define the reciprocal expectations and the power
arrangement of the members of the social unit guided by norms:

Primary and Secondary Groups

Primary Group: le a smal, intimate and less specialized group whose members engage in face-to-face and
emotion based interactions over extended period of time (Family close fnendo work-related peers class
mates 09 church groups)

Secondary Groups are larger Less Intimate and more specialized groups where members engage in an
impersona

and objective-oriented relationship for a limited time (Example employees treat their colleagues as
secondary to p

since they know that they need to cooperate with one another to achieve certain goal

In-groups and Out-groups

A self-categorization theory it proposes that people's appreciation of their group membership is

Reference Group.

A group to which an individual compares nimself or herself Such group strongly influence an undividual
benavior and social attitude. It is considered a source of role models since the individual uses it as a
standard for self assessment

Network

Refers to the structure of relationships between spcial actors or groups. These are interconnections tres
linkages between people their groups, and the larger social Institutions to which they a belong to
Modern societies feature more expansive, diverse and overlapping social networks than primitive ones.

Cultural, Social and Political Organization

Social organization is defined as the system of relationships between persons and among groups with
regard to the division of activity and functional mutual obligations within society. The family serves as an
important universal social institution. It is the basic unit of social organization that is essential part of
human society. There are several kinds of families: nuclear (consist of parents and children), extended
(nuclear family with relatives), and reconstituted families (spouses and children from previous marriage).
It is the basis of kinship- a system of social organization which is based on recognized family ties, Kinship
ties is based on descent can be Matrilineal (female line), Patrilineal Kinship (male line), and Bilineal
kinship (both female and male lines).
Kinship is of three types: Consanguineous kinship that is also known as a kinship by blood, affinal kinship
which is also known as kinship by marriage, and the kinship by ritual. Affinal kinship, on the other hand
refers to the bond that is formed through marriage. It can be monogamous or polygamous. Monogamy
means that a person is married to one person only. Polygamy, on the other hand, means that a person
has more than one spouse at a time.

Kinship plays a huge role in the kind of society that we are living today. Its influences affect our politics
and economy. One example would be the existence of the political dynasties A dynasty refers to a
succession of rulers from the same family or lineage. Political organizations follow certain guidelines or
regulations to ensure that political processes are going smoothly.

-Authority is the concept of right to issue and, using coercive power to enforce a command